Ally walked into her office, her heels clicking loudly against the polished floor. She tossed her bag onto the couch, letting out a deep sigh as she ran her fingers through her hair.
It had been a long morning, filled with an overwhelming amount of paperwork, calls, and the pressure of settling into the new role Dallas had left behind. Every time she sat behind his desk, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was in over her head.
"Mrs. Dawson?"
Her assistant's voice cut through her thoughts, sounding more urgent than usual.
"Yes?" Ally turned around, noticing the unease in her assistant's eyes.
"You're here?" The assistant blinked, looking between Ally and the door. "The meeting started in the conference room… but if you're here, then who's with the clients?"
Ally froze, confusion furrowing her brows. "What meeting? I didn't arrange any meetings today."
Her heart skipped a beat. There was only one person who could be behind this—Austin.
"Is there a meeting in the conference room?" she asked quickly, her voice sharp with growing anxiety.
The assistant nodded, glancing at the clock. "Yes, they've been waiting for you. I thought you were on your way."
Ally's stomach sank. This was Austin's game. He must have arranged it behind her back, hoping to throw her off.
Without a second thought, she rushed toward the conference room. She wasn't about to let him drive away her clients, her first real chance to prove herself as the new head of the company.
She pushed the door open, the sound of murmuring voices greeting her ears. She could already see the couple sitting at the table with their backs turned. And sitting across from them was none other than Austin.
His head snapped toward her, a smirk curling on his lips as he stood up, his posture casual, relaxed.
The clients, a couple in their thirties, turned to look at her, confused for a moment before the woman spoke, eyes widening. "Oh! You're here! You must be the wife!"
Ally's eyes widened at the assumption, but before she could respond, Austin cut in with a voice that was both smooth and calculated.
"This is Ally. You're in good hands with her," Austin said, giving her a nod as if he were introducing a prized asset.
Ally blinked, taken aback.
Austin's smile didn't falter as he continued, "She's the best in the business, really. She's a firm believer in marriage. In fact, she trusts marriage blindly." He leaned forward slightly, his eyes locking with Ally's. "She'll put herself at stake for yours. She'll make sure your engagement and wedding go perfectly, just as she would for her own… ideal marriage."
The clients smiled at her, nodding in approval.
Ally froze, heart racing.
Was he seriously implying that she was blind to the truth? The words ideal marriage echoed painfully in her mind, a mockery of everything she had believed in, everything she had trusted in Dallas.
The couple exchanged glances, and the woman gave a warm smile, her voice full of admiration. "We can tell how much you love each other. It's so refreshing to see."
Ally opened her mouth to correct them, but Austin spoke first, his voice low and teasing. "Yes, it's been a long road, but she's my rock. Don't worry, you're in good hands."
Ally couldn't believe it. Her eyes flared with anger.
"I'm not his wife," she snapped, shaking her head fiercely.
The woman blinked, confused for a moment, but the man just chuckled softly, his eyes moving between Austin and Ally.
"Ooh, I'm so sorry." the woman apologized quickly. "It's just that you two seem so close… it's hard to believe you aren't married."
Ally's chest tightened, her mind whirling with emotions—betrayal, rage, and hurt.
Austin, on the other hand, only looked amused, the corner of his mouth lifting in a satisfied smile.
"Well, it doesn't matter," he said, almost smugly, "We're partners here. And I know Ally will take care of everything. She's passionate about making sure your engagement party is unforgettable."
The man nodded, looking at Ally with renewed respect. "We're so glad we found someone who values the sanctity of marriage as much as we do."
Austin's expression grew colder, as if his words were meant to sting. "Yeah, Dallas would have loved to hear that. I'm sure he would have been proud."
The words hit Ally like a slap to the face, and her breath caught in her throat.
"Excuse me?" she said, her voice sharp with the sting of the unexpected jab.
Austin, his back still straight, smirked knowingly. "Just a thought. He would have loved to see how much you still believe in love, wouldn't he?"
Ally's hands clenched into fists, the pain of his words cutting deep. She had trusted Dallas blindly, and now here was Austin, rubbing salt into the wound.
The clients shifted nervously, sensing the tension between them.
Before Ally could respond, the woman spoke up. "Our engagement party is tomorrow. We're so excited to see everything come together!"
Ally's stomach dropped. Tomorrow? That was impossible. She hadn't even prepared for this, hadn't even started organizing the event. She was still figuring out the logistics of taking over Dallas's company. How could she plan an entire engagement party in a day?
Ally's mind raced, panic creeping up her spine.
Austin, however, didn't flinch. He stood with a confident grin. "It'll be perfect. Ally will make sure of it."
Ally shot him a look, silently cursing him under her breath. He was doing this on purpose—he was throwing her into the fire, watching her scramble. He was forcing her to face the reality of Dallas's legacy while pushing her to prove herself in a matter of hours.
When the clients left, Ally felt her anger boil over. She couldn't hold it in any longer.
"What the hell was that?" she snapped, her voice loud with fury.
Austin raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying her outburst. "What? You don't like me introducing you to the clients? You're welcome."
Ally's jaw clenched. "You set me up! You knew about the meeting. You knew about the clients, and you made sure they believed that we were still together."
Austin's smirk didn't fade. "You're welcome, again. It's all part of the job. Or have you forgotten that you're the one running the show now?"
Ally's blood boiled, the frustration and rage threatening to consume her. "You think this is funny? You think this is some game? You've got me running around in circles, trying to fix your mess. You know what you're doing, and it's disgusting!"
Austin took a step closer, his eyes narrowing. "I don't think you understand what I'm doing. You're trying to build something on a lie, Ally. You're so blinded by love that you don't see the truth."
Ally felt a pang in her chest, the old wounds opening again. "And what's your point? That love is a lie?" she spat, her voice cracking with the weight of the emotion flooding her. "Love is blind, Austin. It has no conditions. It means trusting, no matter how hard it gets. We both did that, didn't we?"
The words hung in the air, heavy with the truth of her declaration.
Austin's face hardened, but for a brief moment, Ally saw something shift in his eyes—was it guilt?
Before she could think further, he spoke again, his voice colder than before. "You've got until tomorrow, Ally. Prove me wrong. Show me what you're made of."
With those final words, he turned and walked out, leaving her standing alone in the room, her heart pounding in her chest.
Ally couldn't escape the feeling that she had just entered a battle she wasn't ready for. And yet, somehow, she had to fight. For Dallas. For herself. For the company.
For love.
Hours had passed since Ally rushed to prepare for the engagement party. The workers had already left, their task complete—everything from the venue to the cake, the guest list to the music, had all been arranged. Ally had thought she was prepared. She thought everything was under control.
But standing outside the venue late at night, her feet aching from the day's labor, she suddenly realized how lost she felt. She had no phone, no purse—both of them left with her sister-in-law, who worked in the company. The silence of the empty street wrapped around her, and despite her best efforts to focus on the task at hand, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.
That was when the two men appeared.
"Hey there," one of them said, flashing a toothy grin. "You need a ride home?"
Ally, tired and irritated by the weight of the day's events, glanced at them warily. They were strangers. She had no idea who they were. And even though they seemed to offer a simple solution to her problem, she wasn't naïve.
"No, thanks," she replied, her voice hesitant. "I don't know you guys, and I'm new to the city, so I'd rather just figure it out myself."
The two men looked at each other, exchanging confused glances, but they didn't back off. Instead, the second guy grinned, leaning in. "Hey, no worries. We'll drop you off wherever you want. No strings attached."
Ally shook her head, not buying it. "I appreciate it, really, but I'm fine. I'll figure something else out."
The first guy, clearly not getting the message, pressed on. "Come on, don't be like that. We're just being friendly. I'm sure you've had a long day, right? Let us help you out. You don't want to walk around at this hour."
For a moment, Ally hesitated, the exhaustion weighing heavily on her decision. She was just trying to get home. Maybe these guys weren't so bad. They were offering help, right? And she really didn't want to walk all the way back in the dark, alone. Maybe she was being paranoid.
"Okay, fine," she finally relented, her voice soft. "But just drop me off near the main street, okay? I'm staying with my sister-in-law."
"Sure, no problem," the second guy said, a smirk creeping across his face as Ally climbed into the car.
But just as the car was about to pull away, the driver slammed on the brakes, and the car came to an abrupt stop.
Ally was jolted forward in her seat, confused and alarmed. The car's engine was still idling, the men muttering to each other, when suddenly, someone appeared in front of the car.
It was Austin.
He stood in front of the car, hands tucked in his pockets, a casual but determined look in his eyes.
The men inside the car shouted at him. "Hey! Get out of the way!"
Austin didn't move, his eyes locked on Ally as if she was the only thing in the world that mattered.
The driver, agitated, honked the horn. "Get lost, man!"
Austin calmly ignored him, opening the door on Ally's side. "Ally," he said, his voice cold and unwavering. "I've been looking for you for so long."
Ally blinked, her confusion growing. "What are you talking about? I'm just trying to get home—"
Austin didn't let her finish. "You stole all of my money, put me in the police station, and then you ran off and hid here, didn't you? You really thought you could get away with that?"
Ally's mind scrambled. "Wait—what? That's not what happened!"
The men in the car exchanged a look, eyebrows raised. The driver leaned forward, clearly intrigued. "What's going on here?" he asked.
Austin, seeing an opportunity, flashed a winning smile. "This girl, she's pretending to be some innocent woman, new to the city. She told me she was lost, didn't know anyone. But that's just it—she's the one who's been hiding and pretending to be helpless."
Ally's face twisted in disbelief. "I didn't steal anything! I don't know what you're talking about! I just—"
But Austin was quick to cut her off, his voice now smooth, like he was telling a story. "Oh, she's good at playing the helpless game, guys. She told me she was new to Miami, didn't know her way around. She probably told you the same thing. But the truth is, she's a master manipulator." He leaned in closer, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "You guys are probably thinking she's just a sweet, innocent girl, right? But I'm telling you, she's the one who's got me into trouble. And now, she's trying to run away from everything she's done."
The two men looked at each other, clearly unsure of what to believe. Ally's pulse raced as she watched them nodding slowly, starting to believe the twisted story Austin was weaving.
"No, please," Ally pleaded, shaking her head. "That's not what happened! He's lying! I've been working so hard, I'm just trying to fix everything—"
But the men were no longer listening. "Alright, lady," the driver grunted, pulling the car door open. "You're out."
Ally's eyes widened in horror as they practically shoved her out of the car, slamming the door behind her and speeding off into the night.
"Austin!" she yelled, her voice hoarse with frustration. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
Austin stepped forward, watching her with a quiet intensity, as though everything happening around them was just part of a game to him. He calmly wiped his hands on his pants.
"Let me guess," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "You're upset that they didn't give you a ride home? I bet you thought they were some good Samaritans, just here to help you out. So naïve."
Ally's anger flared. "You're unbelievable! They were just trying to help me! And you—what? You lied to them? You twisted everything just to make me look like a criminal?"
Austin's eyes flickered with something that could almost be mistaken for amusement. "Oh, I didn't lie. I just helped them understand the situation. You really think those guys were just 'dropping you off'? You're in a red-light district, Ally. You didn't notice that? Or maybe you just didn't care?"
Ally's face flushed with humiliation. "I-I didn't know... I wasn't thinking clearly"
Austin snorted. "No kidding. If there was a competition for stupidity, I think you'd win first, second, and third place." He gave her a hard look. "Those guys weren't offering you a ride. They thought you were an escort, Ally. They were picking you up. You were the one who was too foolish to see it."
Ally's eyes burned with frustration and embarrassment, her fists clenching by her sides. "I don't need this from you. I don't need to be lectured on how to be smart or how to live my life!"
Austin stared at her, his face unreadable. "Fine," he said with a sigh. "But at least get home safely. I'm not leaving you out here to wander around like an idiot." He pulled out his phone and made a quick call.
A taxi appeared soon after, and Austin gestured to it. "Get in. I'll make sure you get home."
Ally's chest heaved with emotion as she shot him a venomous glare.
Austin's gaze softened for a fraction of a second, but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared. "I'm not here to play nice, Ally," he said quietly. "But I'll make sure you're not left stranded. You're not as smart as you think you are, but you don't deserve to get hurt."
With that, he watched as she climbed into the taxi, the tension still thick in the air. As the car pulled away, Austin stood motionless, a conflicted look in his eyes.
He wasn't sure why, but for the first time, the fight felt a little less satisfying.