Second Chance His Unending Love (Calista Hartwell) novel Chapter 45

Chapter 45

Olivia spread all her things across the sofa, packing her schoolbag while chattering happily as she sorted through her gifts.

“Uncle Kyle got me this phone and smartwatch.

“Aunt Mirea gave me this thermos.

“Grandma bought me this sunscreen jacket—it’s a super fancy brand!

“Hahaha! Grandpa actually got me SAT prep books? He’s the funniest ever!

“Oh, and Mr. Hayes gave me these cool headphones, too.”

Going through them one by one, she moved about delightedly. “Mom, I think they all love me so much!”

At the Frost family, by contrast, everyone only had eyes for her brother-she’d always been an afterthought.

Calista sat nearby, her gaze soft as she watched her daughter. “They do every single one of them.”

Olivia tilted her head, thoughtful. “Actually, I think they love you first. So they love me, too.”

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“You’re your own person, sweetie. They love you for who you are -not because of me,” Calista smiled, brushing a strand of hair from her daughter’s face.

Olivia giggled, throwing her arms around Calista’s neck.

“Mom, you’re so pretty when you smile. You’ve smiled more these past few weeks than in the whole two years before!”

Calista’s heart tightened.

It turned out that her daughter had noticed every little change, every quiet smile.

She stroked Olivia’s hair gently. “Done showing off? Finish packing your bag, and I’ll drop you at Professor Wiseman’s place tomorrow.”

“Got it! But Mom, I can take the bus alone. You should use that time to do something for yourself-something you enjoy.’

“I’ll pick you up when I can. If not, I’ll text you, or ask Kyle or one of the others to go.”

“Okay!” Olivia agreed, already turning back to her bag.

Suddenly, her phone pinged with a notification.

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Olivia opened WhatsApp, frowning in surprise when she saw Austin’s name-only for the message to vanish, withdrawn before she could read it.

“Mom, Austin sent me a message,” she said, pausing. “But he took it back right away. I have no clue what it said. Should I call him?”

Calista’s expression stayed calm, neutral. “Probably a mistake.”

“Yeah, that makes sense. He’s probably having the time of his life right now-he wouldn’t spare us a second thought.”

*****

Early the next morning, after dropping Olivia at school, Calista went to find Christina.

Christina and her husband, Aaron Moore, were the kind of couple everyone admired—high school sweethearts who’d stayed together through thick and thin, married for years.

Christina’s health had kept them from having kids, but their love hadn’t faded one bit.

Even in their forties, they still held hands crossing the street, their affection as warm as the day they’d first fallen in love.

Calista had come to their Transgar Construction Materials 11:12

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Factory hoping to find work.

But the minute she pulled up, she could tell something was wrong-workers rushed to unload shipments, their voices tight with anxiety as they talked about “re-inspecting every tile” and “meeting the delivery deadline no matter what.”

Inside the factory office, Aaron was on a tense phone call when Calista stepped in.

Christina looked up from her files, surprise flitting across her face. “What are you doing here?”

“What’s going on at the factory?” Calista asked.

Christina glanced at Aaron, then back at Calista. There was no point in hiding it.

“We’re supposed to deliver tomorrow, but Killian’s claiming the tiles have color issues—saying they don’t meet his standards. He’s delaying the delivery.”

Calista’s breath caught in her throat.

“A delay means no final payment. We tied up almost all our capital in this order. If the money doesn’t come through, the factory grinds to a halt,” Christina explained, her voice heavy.

They were a small operation—one small order from the Frost:12

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Group was enough to keep them afloat for a year.

The couple had always been grateful for it, never imagining Killian would hit them with such a low blow.

Aaron ended the call then, turning to Calista with an awkward, forced smile.

Calista’s lips parted, words failing her for a moment. When she spoke, her voice was quiet, heavy with guilt. “I’m so sorry. You’re caught in the crossfire because of me.”

Killian had failed to hurt her, so he’d turned his wrath on

Christina.

This was all her fault-they didn’t deserve any of it.

Christina nudged her gently, frustration in her voice but warmth in her eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous. We’re friends-this isn’t your

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