He Locked Me In A Closet, So I Destroyed His Empire Chapter 08

He Locked Me In A Closet, So I Destroyed His Empire Chapter 08

With Weston finally out of the picture, the Garrison family completely faded from the public eye.

I stepped into my role without hesitation, managing daily operations for our West Coast expansion.

Following a massive national energy summit, the main convention corridors had completely emptied out.

As I exited through the exécutive side doors, my phone buzzed with a text from my grandmother.

[Splendid performance today, Summer. You are truly a Sterling through and through.]

I let out a soft laugh, immediately typing back a playful, flattering response to her.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a figure standing perfectly still at the far end of the carpeted hallway.

I raised my head.

Weston was dressed in a simple, unbranded canvas jacket.

He had thinned out considerably, but his complexion looked vastly healthier than it had during our last

encounter at the medical center.

Seeing me notice him, he took a hesitant step forward and offered a quiet greeting.

“I registered as an observer for the summit today. I happened to catch your keynote speech.”

“You’ve become… truly incredible, Summer.”

I didn’t offer a single word in response, treating him as if he were entirely invisible.

A janitor pushed a heavy cleaning cart right between us, the rubber wheels emitting a dull, muffled thud against the thick plush carpet.

Weston spoke up again, his voice strained.

“I took a position with a non-profit organization recently. We specialize in providing legal aid and psychological counseling for teenagers who have been severely targeted by cyberbullying.”

He subtly raised a manila folder in his hand, revealing a small, printed logo at the bottom corner.

The logo read: The Clear Skies Youth Advocacy Alliance.

He fell silent for a few beats before murmuring, “Is Ethan… treating you well?”

I looked at him calmly.

In reality, Ethan and I weren’t actually dating.

I hadn’t lied to my grandmother; my mind was entirely consumed by corporate metrics and brand

acquisition right now.

Between managing multi-million-dollar funds and board meetings, I literally didn’t have a single hour to spare for a romantic relationship.

However, I saw absolutely no reason to explain any of this to Weston.

He quietly followed me all the way down to the secure underground parking garage.

Just as I pulled open the driver’s side door of my sedan, he stepped out, blocking my path.

“Are you truly at a point where you won’t even grant me a single word, Summer?”

I slid into the leather seat, pulling the door shut and starting the ignition.

My gaze met his through the tinted glass, dark and entirely unreadable.

Finally, unable to bear the absolute apathy in my eyes, he looked away in utter humiliation.

He took a slow step backward, clearing the path.

I pressed down on the accelerator and maneuvered the car out of the bay.

In the rearview mirror, his lonely silhouette remained anchored to the exact same spot long after I had

cleared the exit ramp.

In truth, I had heard the final words he whispered as I walked past him in the corridor.

They were the exact same words that used to feel like a profound, sweeping vow of eternal devotion back

when we were traveling the world.

But now, hearing those three words leave his mouth generated absolutely no reaction within me.

There was no lingering resentment, nor was there a spark of hidden joy.

I simply felt nothing,

I knew with absolute certainty that there was no longer a single corner of my heart reserved for him.

That evening, Ethan insisted on throwing a private celebration for my corporate victory.

Instead of booking a table at a high-end restaurant, he set up a private table out on his high-rise balcony.

He had personally prepared an entire spread of gourmet dishes.

I sat down, offering a playful smirk as I teased him, “Since when did the heir to the Lockwood fortune learn

how to handle a kitchen knife?”

“I’ve always known how,” he teplied smoothly, passing me a set of silver utensils. “I just never had the right person to cook for until now.”

I took a bite of the steak.

It was shockingly perfect.

Halfway through the dinner, he reached into his blazer pocket, pulling out two first-class boarding passes and sliding them across the linen tablecloth toward me.

“I already cleared your schedule with your grandmother for the next two weeks. To celebrate your massive milestone, I’m taking you to Antarctica to completely disconnect from the world.”

I looked at the tickets, a soft smile forming on my lips as I accepted them.

While our luxury cruise liner navigated the breathtaking icy waters of the Antarctic peninsula, we stood by

the observation railing, watching the endless horizon.

Ethan turned to me, his voice low and steady against the crisp wind.

“Summer, would you be open to the idea of us starting over completely from scratch?”

“No childhood arrangement, no old neighbor obligations. Just Ethan and Summer.”

I raised my crystal flute, tapping it gently against his glass with a soft ring.

“Ask me again when we touch down back in the States.”

He let out a brilliant, unforced laugh, choosing not to push the matter any further.

“The sunset here is spectacular,” he murmured, looking out over the water. “We should definitely make it a

point to come back here again.”

The corners of my mouth curled upward, though I didn’t offer an immediate response.

I had to admit, the view was absolutely breathtaking.

And if I were to experience it a second time, having him by my side would be an incredibly wonderful choice.

But I wasn’t planning on revealing that to him just yet.

After all, the best things in life take time to grow.