They Wanted Her, I Gave Her Everything, Now He’s Begging for Me Back Chapter 04

They Wanted Her, I Gave Her Everything, Now He’s Begging for Me Back Chapter 04

Gideon fell apart right in front of me. The first time I’d ever seen him lose it

Confusion Guilt Panic. They tangled across his face like a net tightening with every breath

He looked at me and found dead, swollen eyes staring back.

No sound Just tears sliding down my cheeks. Falling. Silent.

He remembered a different me-the kid who wailed without shame, who cried messy and

loud.

But ever since they stripped away my blood ties, I’d learned to weep like a ghost. Quiet.

Careful. Invisible.

Gideon released my arm like it had burned him.

His voice came out scraped raw.

“You knew? From the start? Why didn’t you fight it?”

“Why did you just let us go? You loved us, didn’t you?”

I didn’t understand it either.

They were the ones who let go first.

They knew how much I loved this family. How much I loved Holden. And they still stood by

while he faked that paternity test.

Focused on making Reese happy. Never once cared about my grief.

I wasn’t wired to beg.

No part of me would crawl back after being gutted, palms open, asking for scraps of the love

they poured entirely on her

Leave Get out

The urge pounded in my skull. Louder than anything else.

I crouched down slowly Picked up the DNA test.

Dropped it in the trash

No answer was the answer

Gideon’s lips pressed thin His face had gone pale

That paper floated down light as nothing. Hit his chest like a mountain

His voice hardened

“Is this how you’re punishing us? Freezing us out? Giving us that cold attitude?”

Ice crawled through my veins.

I smiled. Bright. Easy.

“No, Gideon. I’ve just finally grown up.”

“I know the fake paternity test was just a stopgap. Something to comfort Reese. I trust she’ll

accept me one day. I can wait.”

His expression loosened.

Everyone in that hallway exhaled. The tension cracked.

Their guilt had barely surfaced before my words gave them permission to bury it.

Edward and Eleanor praised my maturity. Holden said this was all just me repaying my debt

to Reese. A debt I owed.

He paused.

“Once you’ve paid it back, Reese can accept you. We’ll all be happy. But tonight-skip the

family portr

her nose. All magnanimous now.

y Even if you won’t give my necklace back, I forgive you. Just don’t do sneaky

e this anymore, okay? If you want something, just tell me.

Me’d gotten exactly what she wanted-my acceptance letter in shreds.

Now she could afford to be generous.

“I won’t hold this against you”

Then she leaned in close, her voice dropping so only I could hear

“A stupid necklace? Please Gideon will buy me a hundred of them. Keep that one Call it compensation for accidentally wrecking your little letter.”

“A piece of trash paper for a luxury necklace. You made out like a bandit. I’m so nice, right?

Don’t bother thanking me.”

She straightened up, her bright smile locked in place.

She looped her arms through Gideon’s and Holden’s, dragging them toward the door. Family

portrait time. Hurry up.

Gideon forgot I existed in half a second. Patted her head. Doting. Warm.

“Let’s go. I’ll have my assistant deliver that vintage set I just won at auction straight to the

studio.”

I was used to being forgotten. Didn’t flinch.

I dug the necklace out of the mess.

A few texts to some bratty trust-fund kids from the Hamptons-the type who loved buying

jewelry to impress new arm candy.

Sold it.

Used part of the cash to pay someone to file a legal revocation of identity.

If I was leaving,

I pac

ving completely.

Walked out of the Caldwell Estate.

otography studio, the Caldwells pressed together, smiles so bright, so happy.

Outside the frame, Holden’s fingers curled around Reese’s Two rings flush against each

other.

The

er clicked.

Happiness, frozen.

After the portrait, they took off on a family world tour

No one thought about me No one asked

Gideon and Holden stared at empty chat windows sometimes, but Reese always pulled their

attention back within seconds.

They exchanged looks and nodded.

She’s just being dramatic. Silent treatment. Throwing a tantrum.

“Let her cool off. She’ll come around.”

Three months passed.

They came home.

Reese clung to Edward’s arm.

“Daddy~ when’s my wedding to Holden? I want Sage to be my maid of honor.”

Edward hesitated. Something felt off.

But Reese pouted, pretending to get mad.

“Holden. Handle it.”

olden nodded immediately.

He knocked on my door and called my name.

Silence

His temper flared.

He ordered someone to break it down.

“Sage. Being Reese’s maid of honor is for your own good. This is your chance to fix things,

and you’re just throwing it away? Don’t you want to be close to us again?”

The door slammed inward and collapsed

The room was clean. Organized Everything from hours ago tidied up

But not a single soul inside

Not one personal item in sight.

Holden stood frozen at the threshold.

Gideon’s brow furrowed hard. Something cold coiled in his gut.

He called his assistant and told him to trace me.

A long pause.

The assistant’s voice came through tight.

“Miss Sage has vanished.”

“The last record I found… was a death certificate.”