The Billionaire's Forgotten Wife
Chapter 62: Calm After The Storm

Chapter 62: Calm After The Storm

By 9:50 a.m., the room was filling up. Shareholders arrived one after another, exchanging brief greetings before settling into their seats. A few glanced at Cassidy, quick passing looks, then turned back to their phones or the printed agenda.

Low murmurs buzzed through the room.

"Another right issue?"

"Haven’t had one in five years."

"What kind of project needs this much funding?"

Cassidy stayed quiet. Still. Listening, but giving nothing away. Let them talk.

At 9:59, the energy in the room shifted.

Bastiano entered first, stern as always, followed by Margaret, looking calm and confident. Zeke entered last, cool and detached in a charcoal suit that matched his expression. The three of them took their seats at the front of the room.

Zeke’s eyes swept over the room in a slow, measured scan.

Then they paused briefly on her.

Cassidy.

For a split second, something flickered in his eyes. But he blinked and it was gone, buried under years of self control.

He hadn’t expected her to come. Not after what happened at the mall. He’d assumed he’d pushed her too far, crossed a line he couldn’t walk back from.

But, there she was, sitting quietly, unmoved, untouched, like she hadn’t lived through the same fire he had.

The meeting kicked off with a tight, slightly tense vibe. Andrew switched off the main lights, leaving a soft spotlight over the projector screen. The room quieted almost instantly. Everyone could tell this wasn’t just another shareholder meeting.

Zeke rose to the front with confidence. The slideshow began. Andrew handled the laptop while Zeke walked them through each slide, clear and sharp.

He cut straight to the point, no gimmicks, just hard facts and a clear plan.

When he finished, he stepped aside slightly, letting the last slide speak for itself while he addressed the room.

"Alright. Before we move to the vote, if anyone has questions or thoughts, now’s the time."

A few shareholders raised questions, and Zeke answered each one with clarity and confidence. Once it was clear no one else had anything to add, the vote began. One by one, they cast their decisions. Including Cassidy.

All voted yes.

The meeting stretched on for over two hours. Once it wrapped, clusters of shareholders started chatting with Bastiano, Margaret, and Zeke near the front. Cassidy remained seated. She wasn’t in a rush. She wanted to say hello to Bastiano before leaving and she knew Zeke would want to talk to her too.

She was tired of running. Tired of hiding. She was ready to face him.

But telling him about Claire? That was the part she wasn’t ready for. Not yet. She didn’t know how Zeke would react, and she wasn’t about to throw their daughter into chaos without preparing her first.

If she was being honest with herself, what she wanted most more than anything was for Zeke to accept Claire. To be willing to co-parent with her. That would be the best outcome she could hope for.

When she noticed Bastiano standing alone, she stood and made her way over.

"Hi, Grandpa. How have you been?"

Bastiano’s face broke into a rare smile as he pulled her in for a hug. "Cassidy. You surprised me sitting among the shareholders. You never used to show up."

Cassidy smiled, saying nothing.

"You’ve gotten even more beautiful," he added with a touch of grandfatherly pride. "It’s been too long."

Margaret soon joined them, offering a warm, gentle greeting. The three of them chatted for a while, pleasant, familiar, even easy.

Meanwhile, Andrew noticed it right away.

Zeke was still in his seat, flipping through papers like they meant something. But Andrew knew better. Zeke never lingered after these meetings. He was always the first to leave, the kind of guy who hated wasting time. But today, he just sat there.

Relaxed. Aloof. Full of it.

Andrew narrowed his eyes slightly, watching the subtle tension in Zeke’s shoulders, the way his fingers hovered over the paper without turning the page.

Then Andrew saw it. Subtle but obvious if you were looking. Zeke was sneaking glances.

At her. Cassidy. His ex-wife.

Andrew’s brow lifted slightly.

Ah. So that’s what this is. He’s stalling to wait for her.

He followed Zeke’s line of sight and let his eyes settle on Cassidy. Standing a few feet away, speaking quietly with Bastiano and Margaret. She looked calm, composed, even while standing with two of the three most intimidating people in the room.

Andrew hadn’t interacted much with her in the past. Back when she was still Zeke’s wife, Cassidy had kept a low profile. She only showed up at major events, never stayed too long, never smiled too wide. Just enough to be polite.

To Andrew, their marriage had always seemed more like a deal than a relationship. No fire, no affection, just an agreement.

Which is why all of this felt strange.

He looked back at Zeke, his boss, his friend, and the one person he still couldn’t quite figure out.

Funny, he thought. Zeke used to act like he didn’t care. Now he looked like he cared too much.

It didn’t take long before Bastiano and Margaret wrapped up their conversation with Cassidy. A few shareholders approached to exchange brief pleasantries, and soon after, the small group began making their way toward the exit.

Andrew straightened.

He knew the cue. He wasn’t needed here anymore.

With a subtle glance at Zeke, still seated, still not moving, Andrew quietly stepped back, his footsteps light as he followed the group out. No words, no awkward lingering.

He knew better.

Zeke wanted to talk to Cassidy. Alone.

And for whatever reason, even after everything, Andrew found himself quietly hoping it would go well.

When the room finally cleared, Zeke pushed off his chair and walked over to her.

Cassidy was standing near the window, her posture still, her arms loosely crossed in front of her. She didn’t turn around as he approached, but she knew he was coming.

He stopped a few steps behind her, then quietly said, "I just wanted to say I’m sorry. For what happened at the mall. I lost control, and I said things I shouldn’t have."

She turned to look at him, calm but guarded.

"I know," she said softly. "I accept your apology. Just don’t do that again."

Zeke nodded quickly. "I won’t. I promise."

Silence stretched between them. Not tense, just uncertain. Neither of them quite sure what to say next.

Then Zeke spoke again, more gently this time.

"I don’t want to fight. I just want to talk. Calmly. I hope you’re okay with that."

Cassidy gave a small nod. "I am."

He took a breath, his eyes searching hers. "Why didn’t you want to be found all these years?" he asked quietly. "For four years, you disappeared. Why?"

Her expression didn’t change, but something in her eyes shifted.

"I just wanted to be alone," she said simply. "Somewhere new. Somewhere far. I needed space to breathe, to start over, to heal."

Zeke studied her face for a beat, then gave a small nod of understanding. He didn’t press.

Zeke shifted his weight slightly. "Are you back for good?"

Cassidy looked out the window for a moment before turning to him. "Yeah," she said softly. "I am."

Something in Zeke’s chest loosened. Just a little. Her answer shouldn’t have affected him like that, but it did. It settled something. Calmed something.

***

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