Chapter 93 Ninety three

Chapter 93 Ninety three
IVY POV

It’s been a week since I walked out on Ronan. Since I found out the mess he did. It’s been a long week.

I spent the entire drive to work trying not to think about Ronan. Which was impossible.Every red light reminded me of him. Every song on the radio reminded me of him.

Even my coffee reminded me of him because the idiot was the reason I hadn’t slept properly in days.

I hated it. I hated him.

At least that was what I kept telling myself.

By the time I reached the office, I was already exhausted.

Claire looked up from her desk the moment I stepped off the elevator.

“Good Morning.”

“Morning,” I replied.

She narrowed her eyes. “You look tired.”

“I am tired.”

She nodded slowly. “You want the good news or the bad news?”

I stopped walking. “There is good news?”

“Depends on how much you enjoy paperwork.”

I groaned.

Claire smiled. “That’s what I thought.”

I dropped my bag in my office and immediately buried myself in work.

Contracts. Meetings. Emails.

Anything to keep my mind busy.

Anything to stop me from checking my phone every five minutes. Around noon I realized I had already checked it twelve times.

Not that I was counting.

There were no messages from Ronan.

No calls. Nothing.

A part of me felt relieved…. Another part felt disappointed.

Which was ridiculous.

I didn’t want him calling me. I didn’t want him texting me. I definitely didn’t want him showing up at my office again.

So why did the silence bother me?

I sighed and rubbed my forehead.

A knock sounded at my door.

“Come in.”

Claire stepped inside. “You have a visitor.”

My stomach immediately dropped. “Who?”

She looked amused.

“Relax. It’s not who you’re thinking.”

That somehow made me feel worse.

“Who is it then?”

“A woman named Grace Parker.” The name didn’t sound familiar to me.

I frowned. “Did she say what she wants?”

Claire shook her head. “I have no idea . Just said it’s important.”

I stared at her for a moment.Then nodded.

“Send her in.”

A minute later the door opened. A woman in her late fifties stepped inside.

Soft eyes…. Dark hair streaked with gray.

She looked nervous…. Very nervous.

I stood immediately.

“Mrs. Parker?”

Her eyes widened. “You know who I am?”

And suddenly my stomach dropped.

Parker.

Hanna Parker.

Oh…. Oh no.

I swallowed. “Please sit.”

She sat carefully across from me. For a moment neither of us spoke. The silence felt awkward.

Heavy. Then she smiled sadly.

“You’re prettier than Hanna described.”

My chest tightened and I was confused I had no idea Hanna knew me

I didn’t know what to say.

“Your daughter knows me?” I asked

Mrs. Parker nodded. “Yes she does and she wouldn’t stop yapping about you. The smart beautiful tutor ”

I looked away…. My chest hurt.

Hanna had known me…. Liked me.

And I had spent the week only knowing her as a tragedy.

As a story. As the girl connected to Ronan’s worst mistake.

Mrs. Parker folded her hands together.

“I wanted to thank you.”

My head snapped up.

“What?”

“You wrote me.”

Right…. The letter.

I had almost forgotten about it.

After everything with Ronan, it felt like a lifetime ago. “I wasn’t sure you’d even read it.”

She smiled faintly. “I read it five times.”

I felt my cheeks warm.

“Oh.”

Silence settled again.

Then she surprised me. “Ronan spoke to me this morning.”

My entire body stiffened.

Mrs. Parker noticed immediately.

Her eyes softened. “You love him.”

I almost laughed. Instead I looked out the window. “No am just his lawyer.” I said swallowing hard

“You’re a terrible liar.”

That actually made me smile. The first real smile I’d had all day.

“I don’t know what I feel.” I said suddenly.

“Yes, you do.” She said softly

I shook my head. “No. I really don’t.”

Because that was the truth.

I didn’t know anymore.

I cared about him. That much was obvious.

But loving someone and trusting them weren’t the same thing. And trust was where everything fell apart. Mrs. Parker was quiet for a moment.

Then she said something I wasn’t expecting.

“Hanna didn’t hate him….”

I froze…. Slowly I looked back at her.

“What?”

She nodded.

“The last conversation we had.” Her voice grew softer. “She cried. She was angry. She was hurt.”

My chest tightened.

“But she didn’t hate him.”

I couldn’t speak. Because that wasn’t what I expected. Not at all. Mrs. Parker stared down at her hands.

“People like to twist the truth into stories that’s why I hate the news.””

I immediately thought of Ronan.

Of the headlines. The gossip. The rumors.

The scandal.

“They want heroes and villains,” she continued.

“But life rarely works that way.”

I swallowed hard.

The exact same words Ronan had said once. The exact same words I’d refused to hear.

Mrs. Parker stood slowly. “I didn’t come here to defend him.”

I nodded. “I know.”

“I came because I think both of you are drowning in the past.”

The room became very quiet.

She smiled gently. Then reached into her purse.

“Here.”

She handed me an envelope.

I stared at it. “What is this?”

“Hanna’s journal.”

My eyes widened. “What?”

Mrs. Parker nodded. “Just read one page.”

I looked down at the envelope.

Suddenly afraid to open it. “Why are you giving me this?”

Her smile became sad again.

“Because sometimes the dead leave answers the living need.”

My throat tightened.

Before I could ask another question, she squeezed my hand gently. Then she walked toward the door.

I stood quickly.

“Mrs. Parker.”

She paused.

“Yes?”

“Do you think people can change?”

The question slipped out before I could stop it.

For a moment she simply looked at me.

Then she smiled. “Only if they stop running.”

And with that… She left.

I stood alone in my office.

The envelope in my hands suddenly felt very heavy.

Too heavy.

My phone buzzed.

I looked down.

One new message.

My heart immediately knew who it was before I even opened it.

Ronan: Please tell me you didn’t quit being my lawyer.

Despite everything… I laughed.

Then another message appeared.

Ronan: Because my lawyer is amazing and terrifying.

I stared at the screen.

My chest hurting. My lips fighting a smile.

What a idiot I am.

Then a third message appeared.

Ronan: Also… are you okay?

And suddenly that smile disappeared. Because underneath all the jokes. Underneath the flirting. Underneath the chaos.

That question felt real. Was I really okay with this