Chapter 37
My blood boiled.
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Now he decides to contact me? And instead of an apology or checking if I’m okay, he has the nerve to make it sound like I’m the problem completely blind to his own mess.
I didn’t bother responding. Just turned off my phone and lay back down. But sleep wouldn’t come.
Finally, I got up and walked out to the courtyard. The night air felt cool on my skin as I headed toward the Honey Locust tree to clear my head.
Just then, I heard a door open behind me.
I turned to see Ashton walking out with a backpack over his shoulder and pulling a suitcase. He looked surprised to see me up, but quickly recovered, barely glancing my way as he kept walking.
“Where are you going?” The words just slipped out.
“Out of town,” he said flatly, not breaking stride as he walked through the gate.
I stood there confused for a minute, then found myself walking to his room. The door wasn’t locked.
I flipped on the light and looked around. What I saw was both expected and surprising.
The military–neat bed and organized space totally fit Ashton. But what caught me off guard were all the old items scattered around stuff that looked over ten years old.
Standing there, it hit me: could these have been my parents‘ things?
Chloe appeared in the doorway, like she knew exactly what I was thinking.
“These were your parents,” she said softly. “I was going to swap them out with the newer stuff in your room, but Ashton wouldn’t let me. Said they worked just fine.”
I ran my fingers over the familiar objects, feeling a lump in my throat. Touching these pieces of my parents‘ lives made me sad but also more determined to stay, even with Ashton gone.
But before I could think about it more, my phone rang. It was Maya, sounding like she was about to
cry.
“Ms. Hart, we’ve got major problems with the lights at the park. Please come back!”
“Major? How major?” I asked calmly, trying not to let Maya’s panic affect me. “Take a deep breath and tell me exactly what’s
going on.”
Maya explained the situation in detail. The lighting setup at the amusement park wasn’t aligning with the design plans at all. It could either be a quality issue with the manufacturer’s lights or a problem with the installation.
“If you’ve already narrowed it down to those two possibilities, then contact the relevant teams to sort it out,” I said firmly. “Even if I went back, that’s exactly what I’d do.”
“Ms. Hart, please come back,” Maya pleaded, her voice trembling. “I really can’t handle this on my
own.”
She hesitated before adding, “And… I don’t know what’s gotten into Mr. Mercer. He’s been coming to
He’s b the amusement park every single day. Every time he shows up, more issues crop up. I’m about to lose my mind.”
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Her voice cracked, and I could tell she was on the verge of tears.
Logan. The mention of his name made me think of the message held sent me earlier. Wat be deliberately making things difficult for Maya? Could this be his way of forcing me to return?
It was entirely possible. After all these years, Logan knew me well enough to predict my behavior. He knew my soft hearted nature, knew I hated causing trouble for others.
“You should try to handle it yourself first,” I replied, still unwilling to promise I’d go back
It wasn’t that I wanted to leave Maya to fend for herself–I genuinely wanted to help her grow Challenges like these were learning opportunities. If Maya could handle this, thed become more capable. I had plans to resign eventually, and she needed to be prepared to take on more responsibility.
“Ms. Hart, I really can’t deal with this on my own.” Maya persisted. This is serious. You know the lighting is the soul of the amusement park
I sighed, considering her words. She wasn’t entirely wrong. After a pause, I said, “Send me a detailed report on the issue. Then connect with me via video call on–site. It’s best to do it at night when the lights are fully on. I’ll assess the situation remotely before deciding if I need to come back
Maya must have sensed my reluctance to return. She softened her tone. “Ms. Hart, I know you don’t want to face Mr. Mercer right now. If it weren’t absolutely necessary, I wouldn’t ask you to come back”
She paused briefly, then added, “But… I support you.”
Her words warmed me, though they carried an undertone of sadness. I appreciated her understanding.
“Follow my instructions for now,” I said, ending the call. I opened my email and began reviewing the amusement park’s lighting designs and effect diagrams, trying to figure out what might have gone
wrong.
That evening, Maya called again. “Ms. Hart, I’m on–site now. All the lights are on. How do you want to proceed?”
I squinted at the partial lighting visible through her video feed. “Head to the highest point in the park. I want to see the overall lighting effects first. After that, take aerial shots of each section, focusing on t he areas where the issues are most obvious.”
“Got it. Give me a second,” Maya replied. The screen began to shake as she ran, her heavy breathing audible through the phone.
But suddenly, Maya stilled. A moment later, I heard her exclaim, “Mr. Mercer? Why are you here?”
My grip on the phone tightened. Logan‘ familiar, cold voice came through the line, low and commanding. “Why are you running?”
