Second Chance His Unending Love (Calista Hartwell) novel Chapter 34

Chapter 34

On the top floor, a meeting was underway with Calista’s

mother, Elena Hartwell, at the helm.

The moment her phone buzzed with a call from the front desk, she held up a hand, bringing the discussion to an abrupt halt.

“Mirea, come with me.”

She straightened her blazer and strode out of the room in a hurry, leaving a room full of confused executives in her wake.

Confused, they thought there must have been something major going on with the company; otherwise, the always poised Elena wouldn’t have looked so flustered.

The elevator doors slid open, revealing Calista and Olivia standing hesitantly in the hallway.

As she stood face-to-face with two women-Elena and Mirea Hartwell, Calista’s brother’s wife-Calista’s heart skipped a

beat.

Their eyes locked.

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Ten years had passed. Streaks of gray threaded through Elena’s hair at the temples, and wrinkles lined her face.

She used to care so much about her appearance, but now

she didn’t even dye her hair anymore.

Calista opened her mouth, but her throat felt dry and tight.

It took her a long moment to find her voice. “Mom.”

Instantly, tears streamed down Elena’s cheeks, her composure crumbling in the face of her daughter’s return.

She stepped forward and pulled Calista into a tight hug.

“Ten years! Ten whole years, you ungrateful girl!”

She raised her fist to tap gently at Calista’s back, her voice trembling with a mix of anger and relief.

“I’ve watched you from afar so many times. How could you never come to see me? How could you be so heartless?”

Calista clung to her mother, tears streaming down her

own face, letting Elena scold her and tap her back without

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Mirea wiped a stray tear from the corner of her eye,

voice soft and warm.

“Elena, let’s take Calista and Olivia to the office.”

her

Calista finally pulled away from Elena, turning to look at

Mirea.

“Mirea.” She greeted Mirea with a gentle smile.

In the years since Calista had left, Mirea had only grown

more graceful.

Fine lines crinkled at the corners of her eyes, but her face radiated the soft glow of a woman loved and cherished by her family.

“Welcome home. We’ve all been waiting for you,” Mirea said.

“Thank you, Mirea.”

They then made their way to the office.

Elena looked at Olivia, standing tall and poised beside her mother, and pulled the girl into a tender hug.

Bolivia’s grown into such a lovely young lady. The last time530

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held you, you were only six years old…”

Elena’s voice cracked, and she had to stop to blink back

tears.

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Olivia patted her back gently, comforting her, “Grandma,

Mom and I have missed you so much. Especially Mom-she’s

thought about you and Grandpa every single day.”

“Your mom’s a wicked girl!” Elena sniffled, though she

handed Calista a cup of Rose Lady Coffee-Calista’s favorite

-moments later.

“Have you fully recovered? No lingering health issues from…

back then?”

Tears flowed anew for Calista, unbidden.

She hadn’t even gotten the chance to ask about her parents’ well-being, yet her mother was already worrying about her.

Rose Lady Coffee had always been kept in the office, and the old employees had recognized her at a glance.

These were the small, quiet signs of love.

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All the resentment, all the grudges, seemed to melt away’in

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an instant. They’d forgiven her the moment she walked through the door.

The easier their forgiveness came, the more guilty Calista

felt.

She’d been so foolish, throwing away her family for a man,

too cowardly to face them after their falling-out.

Calista’s lips trembled as she nodded. “I’m fully recovered. No lingering issues.”

A hand rested gently on her abdomen, a faint, bitter memory

rising unbidden.

Ten years ago, she’d carried a sixteen-week fetus there, losing the baby to a miscarriage after a terrible argument that had sent her tumbling down the stairs.

That incident had torn them all apart. Each side had its own reasons, its own pain, its own regrets.

The resentment she held toward her parents stemmed from

their failure to understand her.

Their anger, in turn, came from what they saw as her reckless

ishness

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And each of them had paid a heavy price.

Elena let out a long, relieved breath. “That’s all that matters.

As long as you’re okay.”

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” Calista whispered, apologizing for her stubbornness, for her years of absence.

Elena shook her head vigorously, her eyes glistening.

“You coming home is all I’ve ever wanted. Your father was wrong too, you know-he shouldn’t have treated Killian that way back then.”

Mention of Hugh made Calista’s heart flutter with

nervousness.

She asked tentatively, “Is he busy right now?”

Neither woman answered.

Instead, Mirea changed the subject, her tone deliberately light. “Your brother’s out at a meeting. He should be on his way back by now.”

Calista lowered her eyes, hiding the flicker of disappointment 6/9

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in them.

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The door opened again moments later, and Kyle Hartwell walked in, the hair at his temples damp with sweat.

He forced himself to catch his breath, striding into the room with the poise of an icy-faced tycoon, determined to

maintain his cool exterior.

Mirea handed him a cup of coffee, suppressing a smile. Kyle drained it in one gulp before turning his gaze to Calista and Olivia, his tone deliberately sharp and gruff.

“Well, look who’s here. Our honored guest has finally deigned

to visit.”

Mirea elbowed him gently under the table, shooting him a warning look.

“Calista’s home. Be nice.”

Kyle was all bark and no bite, she knew.

Despite his icy demeanor, he’d left an important luncheon right after hearing Calista was at the company-Mirea could imagine him speeding through the streets, hurrying to get

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there.

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Typical stubborn, soft-hearted man.

Kyle huffed, but nodded obediently at his wife’s silent

command.

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Olivia stared at him, wide-eyed with curiosity.

As a child, she’d spent countless hours perched on Kyle’s shoulders, but she’d never really taken the time to look at him

closely.

Now, studying him carefully, Olivia saw the resemblance between him and Calista-they were fraternal twins, after all, their facial features nearly identical.

She gave him a sweet, cheerful smile. “Uncle Kyle!”

The sound of her voice was so sugary-sweet that Kyle nearly

choked on his own breath.

“Oh. Olivia,” he managed to say, his icy facade cracking at the edges.

He stared at Olivia, his mind already racing with plans-what kind of dresses to buy her, how to spoil her rotten.

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He’d been blessed with two rowdy, troublemaking sons; a

sweet, gentle niece was a welcome change.

Calista stood up, greeting him politely. “Kyle.”

Kyle’s expression snapped back into its usual icy mask. He strode over to the window, crossing his arms over his chest.

A low chuckle escaped him, his tone laced with skepticism. “Heard you got divorced. Is that true? Or are you just messing with us?”

Straightforward and blunt-classic Kyle, no beating around.

the bush.

Mirea rolled her eyes, exasperated.

Olivia held up three fingers, swearing solemnly, “Uncle Kyle, I swear! Mom really did get divorced this time!”

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