Nolan had indeed been subsidizing his peace by paying off the Tanners, but if it bought him some tranquility, he was happy to foot the bill.
Anyone with half a brain knew better than to darken his doorstep again. If they did decide to bother him, he wouldnât let the Tanners off the hook so easily this time.
As for acquiring the Tanner family business, it would be a walk in the park. Heâd have them rebranding their company under his name before they knew what hit them, and that would wipe the smug look off their faces.
âMr. Harris, Dahlia is waiting in the lobby downstairs. She insists on seeing you.â
Nolanâs hand froze over the paperwork. With the whirlwind of events recently, he had completely pushed Dahlia to the back of his mind. It had been ages since theyâd last seen each other, not since that incident, âAlright, send her up.â He said.
It had been long enough since the last incident, and now it was time to clear the air with Dahlia.
To Dahliaâs surprise, she found herself sitting across from Nolan without much fuss. She had half-
expected him to refuse to see her after their last encounter.
But Nolan wasnât speaking. He just sat there silently sipping his coffee, which only made her feel more uneasy.
âNolan, I heard you got hitched. Is that for real or just some phony news the media cooked up? They really have no shame by posting anything online. The media is totally irresponsible. How could it be true if even an old friend like me didnât know about it?â Dahlia chuckled awkwardly, looking extremely embarrassed.
âThe news is true. I did get married. I didnât tell you simply because I didnât think it was necessary.â
Dahlia sat bolt upright, âAre you serious? Marriage is no joke. How can you be so careless? Youâve never been in love before, how could you just get married? You canât be so irresponsible with your own life!â
Nolan merely rolled his eyes, âHow do you know I donât love her? You should have guessed who it is by now.â
Dahliaâs hands clenched into fists, âI knew it was her. But I told you what kind of person she is. Donât you believe me? Being with her will only bring you misery. I canât stand by and watch my friend go down a path of no return!â
âYouâre overthinking it. Iâve spent plenty of time with her and sheâs never struck me as the vain, scheming type you described. Life with her has been nothing but joyful, and we donât need you worrying about our future.â
âSo, you still havenât forgiven me? Because of what happened last time? But you should at least understand where Iâm coming from. I made a choice for my career, and I know it was a mistake!â
Dahliaâs voice broke as tears streamed down her face. She knelt before Nolan, placing her hands on his knees and even giving them a little shake, âI know I was wrong. Canât you stop treating me this way? Remember how wonderful our memories are?â