Chapter 49 END GAME

Chapter 49 END GAME
Later That Night

That night, my head was pounding. Not the cute “I need water” kind of headache. This one felt personal. Like my brain was punishing me for every thought I refused to stop thinking. Anger does that to you. Jealousy too.
I tried to sleep anyway. I turned off the lights. Closed the curtains. Flopped on the bed like my body had finally given up on fighting the day. I told myself to breathe. Inhale. Exhale. Tomorrow will be better. Tomorrow you’ll be calmer.

Lies. My mind kept replaying the same images on a loop. Lisa laughing. Rowan smiling. Them standing too close. Them looking comfortable. It couldn’t have been worse. And then I heard it.

At first, I thought it was my imagination. The walls here were thin, but not that thin. I adjusted on the bed, annoyed, trying to block it out. Then I heard it again. Soft sounds. Voices. Low. Intimate. My chest tightened. The room next to mine.

Rowan’s room. I froze. I didn’t want to listen. I really didn’t. But my body betrayed me. My ears stayed alert, my heart started racing, my breath became shallow. And then I recognized his voice. There are some sounds you don’t mistake for anything else. Rowan.

My stomach dropped so fast it felt like I was falling. And then I heard another voice. Lisa. My vision blurred. No. No, no, no. I sat up so fast the room spun. This had to be a misunderstanding. Maybe she was drunk. Maybe they were talking. Maybe— Another sound cut through my denial. My throat closed.

I wanted to scream. I wanted to throw something. I wanted to kick down the door like a crazy person and ask them what the actual hell they thought they were doing. Instead, I stood up quietly. My hands were shaking as I grabbed a hoodie and slipped my feet into sandals. I didn’t even bother locking the door behind me. I just walked out like my room had caught fire. The air outside was cooler.

The pool lights glowed blue, calm and mocking. Everyone else was asleep. The resort was quiet in that eerie, late-night way where everything feels fake.
I grabbed a beer from the mini fridge near the pool bar. I don’t even like beer, but it was the first thing my hand touched.
I sat on the edge of a lounge chair and stared at the water.

And that’s when the tears came. Not dramatic. Not loud. Just silent tears sliding down my face like my body finally gave up pretending. I loved him. I really loved Rowan. And hearing him with someone else — hearing him with her — felt like something inside me cracked. I pressed my palm against my chest.

How did it get this bad? How did I go from being the woman he trusted with his entire company… to the woman crying by a pool in the middle of the night? I wiped my face angrily. Get a grip, Althea. You’re stronger than this.

You’ve survived worse. But the pain didn’t listen. A few minutes passed. Or maybe longer. Time felt weird. Then I felt it. A gentle tap on my shoulder. I flinched.

“It’s too late to be out here.” The voice was familiar. Too familiar. I turned slowly. Rowan. My heart slammed into my ribs. He looked concerned. Genuinely concerned. His brows were drawn together, his voice soft, like he was worried about me. Like he hadn’t just destroyed me. “Oh my God, Althea,” he said quietly. “What’s wrong with you? Why are you crying?”

That did it. The concern. The audacity. “Have you gone mad?” I snapped, standing up abruptly. “Please leave me alone.” “No,” he said immediately. “I can’t.” I laughed bitterly. “You can’t?” “Something is obviously wrong,” he continued, ignoring my tone. “You can’t just ask me to leave you. Is something wrong at home? Is it your health? What is it? Please tell me. What is causing you this much pain?”

My hands clenched into fists. “It’s not a what,” I said, my voice shaking despite my effort. “It’s a who.” He went still. The silence stretched between us. Then it spilled out. “Why don’t you love me, Rowan?”

The words fell heavy into the night. His eyes widened slightly. “Why?” I continued, tears streaming freely now. “Did the moment we spent together a few days ago even mean anything to you?” He opened his mouth, but I didn’t stop.

“Why are you so upset with me?” I demanded. “Is it because I collected your company?” His expression changed. “I’ve managed to double the sales,” I went on, voice breaking. “Our profit has skyrocketed. I never planned on keeping it. You know that.” I laughed through tears. “Look, I’ll get my lawyer to send you the documents. I’ll hand everything over. I can’t deal with this.”

He stepped closer. “Althea—” “I’m going back home first thing tomorrow morning,” I said quickly. “I’ve booked my flight. I can’t deal with these emotions anymore.” My chest felt like it was caving in. I turned to leave. He grabbed my arm.

Not roughly. Just enough to stop me. “Wait.” He pulled me back gently, trying to wrap his arms around me like he used to. Like everything was normal. I pushed him away immediately. “Don’t,” I said sharply. “Just leave me.”
He opened his mouth to speak. “Please,” I added, my voice cracking. “Just… leave.” For a moment, he looked like he wanted to fight it. Then he stepped back. I walked away without looking back.
I walked away before he could stop me. Back to my room.

I packed half my suitcase with shaky hands. Didn’t sleep. Didn’t cry again. Just stared at the ceiling until morning came. The next day, I booked a ride. No group goodbye.
No explanations.
As the car pulled away from the resort, I stared out the window, numb. I felt empty.
Done.
Somewhere behind me, the ocean kept moving like nothing happened. Few minutes to the airport, the worse thing imaginable took place, and it all happened so fast.