"What if I merged Shamrock with Winchester Logistics as a subsidiary?"
The moment the words left her lips, Jeffrey's breath hitched. His chest tightened like someone had knocked the air out of him.
"Merge?" he repeated, stunned. His voice was hoarse, quiet—barely a whisper. There was something raw behind his eyes, something that trembled just beneath the surface. "Why would you…?"
He couldn't finish the sentence.
Because it wasn't just a business proposal. It wasn't just strategy.
It was faith.
It was her saying, I believe in you. I trust you. I'm giving you my life's work, because I see your worth even if no one else ever has.
And that destroyed him.
Because all he could remember in that moment was what he used to think of her.
A girl chasing money. A calculating opportunist. A gold digger.
