Chapter 53
“You have to be honest with me, Calen,” Cecil said as she sat opposite his son. “You and Izzy had been fighting and while it is none of my business. your recent actions had me concerned,
Calen clenched his jaw. “I told you we were fine.”
“Is that why you tried to assault her inside her office?”
“I didn’t assault her.”
“The cameras didn’t lie, Calen,” his mother frowned. “Your father already assured me that he would talk to Izzy. You better hope, she wouldn’t sue or you can kiss your ass goodbye.”
“Izzy isn’t like that. Calen got up from the couch and walked towards his bar, where he got himself a glass of whiskey. He took a sip and said,” And well, you’re right. It is none of your business.”
Cecil’s lips thinned. Then she let out a sigh. “Izzy is the perfect daughter–in–law. She’s like the daughter that I never had.”
Again, Calen said nothing. He stared at his mother. It was no secret that Cecil and her group of friends like Izzy and this wasn’t just because of her manners and etiquette. It was because she’s a Rossi. Who wouldn’t want a Daughter in law like her?
“We had a little misunderstanding. That’s all,” he finally spoke.
“That didn’t look linle to me.”
“Well.. it was small alright?” Calen said, irritation flashing in his eyes. He never thought that something so small could actually spark into something like this. Yesterday, he had been drinking because he couldn’t locate her. He never thought that she would actually go to her office on a Saturday morning!
When she arrived, Calen was already intoxicated. “What happened at the office.” he paused and took another sip, his face turning sour. “I didn’t mean it.”
“Izzy had always been warm and., accommodating. She wasn’t like that when I saw her, Cecil noted. “What did you do?”
Calen’s lips thinned. He let out another sigh before he poured himself another glass of whiskey and went back to the couch “I forgot our third anniversary, I didn’t think she would react that way. I thought it wasn’t a big deal. I mean.. I even forgot to celebrate our second anniversary. Isn’t that just some date? She just overreacted.” Calen said.
Cecil narrowed her eyes on her son. When she said nothing, he continued. “She completely overreacted and took that project from me. I asked her to let me lead it. I mean… I am her fucking superior for a fucking reason. She wouldn’t budge. 1 mean, I know women are emotional, but what she did… Mom, she humiliated me in front of the board. The fucking board! How can someone be so vindictive just because of a fucking dater
“Did you know that Izzy told me she expected you to propose on your third anniversary?”
“What?” Calen’s expression immediately changed.
Cecil rolled her eyes. “Her mother gave birth when she was twenty–six and perhaps she wanted that, too.”
“What?” Calen frowned. Izzy never told him about this “How the hell did you
know that?”
“She told me,” Cecil said. “Calen.. I have long treated her like a daughter. She mentioned these things to me when I asked her about marriage and kids
Again, Calen said nothing. Izzy had been working so hard in the background that, he had forgotten to ask her about her thoughts on these things. However, Izzy’s reaction this time is indeed over the top. Was it because she expected him to propose on their third anniversary?
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Chapter 53
two had been together for three years. Isn’t it time to… I don’t know… take it to the next level?”
Cecil studied Calen for a moment longer, her expression unreadable. Then she stood up and smoothed the front of her skirt. “You know,” she began. “The ring is still available. If you’re ready to do the right thing.”
Calen blinked, caught off guard. “The right thing?”
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Cecil glanced at him, her gaze sharp. “You’ve been with Izzy for three years, Calen. She’s done everything to support you, and from where I’m sitting, you’ve done little to reciprocate. If you’re serious about her, then show her. And if you’re not…” She let the words hang in the air before shaking her head. “Well, I think you already know the consequences.”
With that, she turned and walked toward the door, pausing just before leaving. “The ring is in the safe. You know the code.” Then she was gone, the soft click of the door closing behind her leaving an eerie silence in the room.
Calen slumped back into the couch, his hand dragging down his face. His head throbbed from the alcohol, and the whiskey in his glass now seemed like a terrible idea. He set it on the table leaning his head back against the cushions.
Izzy.
Her name echoed in his thoughts like a persistent drumbeat. For the first time in their relationship, she wasn’t meeting him halfway. No warm smiles, no subtle nudges to keep him on track. Instead, she was distant, cold, and unwilling to bend
He thought back to college, back to the first time he noticed her. Izzy Rossi was the overachiever who topped every class and every exam. She was sharp, focused, and completely out of reach–at least, that’s what everyone thought. For him, it was a challenge. His friends had laughed at the idea, goading him with the ultimate dare: if he could win over the untouchable Izzy Rossi, he’d cement himself as the guy who could conquer anything
At first, it was a game. A bet. But somewhere along the way, he stopped caring about the dare. Her intelligence, her wit, the way she carried herself–she became more than just a challenge. And yet, even after three years together, he had never stopped taking her for granted.
Calen let out a heavy sigh, his head pounding as memories of their relationship flashed through his mind. The late–night study sessions where she drilled him on concepts he didn’t understand. The quiet way she celebrated his victories while downplaying her own. The way she smiled at him, even when he didn’t deserve it.
And now, for the first time, she wasn’t smiling. She wasn’t looking at him like he was someone worth staying for.
The vibration of his phone snapped him out of his thoughts. He fished it out of his pocket and frowned when he saw Monica’s name flashing on the screen. He didn’t answer. He silenced the phone and tossed it onto the couch beside him.
Monica was the last person he wanted to talk to. She had been nothing but a source of chaos lately, a reminder of every mistake he’d made. The lies, the secrets, the choices that had driven a wedge between him and Izzy–all of it felt like a noose tightening around his neck
His eyes drifted to the locked cabinet in the corner of the room. He knew the ring was in there, tucked away like a forgotten promise. His mother was right–he did know the code. But the question gnawed at him: was he ready to use it?
He closed his eyes, the image of Izzy’s face lingering in his mind Her smile, her laugh, the warmth she used to bring to his life. And now, the cold, unreadable expression she wore whenever she looked at him.
For the first time, the thought crept into his mind, unbidden but undeniable. What if he had already lost her?
“Impossible,” he snorted. She had been with him for three fucking years, always adhering to his bidding, always supporting him from behind the scenes. How could she just abandon all those years?
