To ruin an Omega novel Chapter 494

Chapter 494: Good spirits 1

FIA

The lobby at Moonhaven felt too quiet for checkout hour.

We stood in the space while Cian handled the formalities, my bag slung over one shoulder and his duffel at my feet. Staff moved through the space with that same professional grace they’d maintained throughout our stay, eyes sliding past us with discretion.

In that moment, my phone buzzed in my pocket.

I pulled it out, glanced at the screen, and felt my stomach tighten. The name staring back at me carried too much weight even if was already this late in the morning.

Father.

I declined the call and shoved the phone back into my pocket.

Cian finished with the front desk and turned toward me. His gaze went immediately to my face, reading something there I hadn’t meant to show.

"What’s wrong?"

"Nothing." The lie came automatically.

He crossed the distance between us and stopped close enough that I had to tilt my head back to meet his eyes. "It’s not nothing."

I held his stare for a moment, then let out a breath. "You’re right. It’s actually something. But I have it handled."

"Fia."

"With time, he’ll get the hint that he can just love me from a distance." I picked up his duffel and headed for the exit before he could press further.

"Who?" His voice followed me. "Your father?"

I didn’t answer. The automatic doors slid open, and I stepped out into sunlight that felt too bright after hours spent in controlled lighting. The car waited in the circular drive, keys already in Cian’s hand from when he’d retrieved them earlier.

I climbed into the passenger seat and shut the door. The leather strangely smelled new. Moonhaven’s valet service had probably detailed it while we were inside.

Cian slid behind the wheel and started the engine. He didn’t pull out immediately. Instead, he turned to look at me, one hand resting on the gearshift.

"Is it your father?"

"Yes."

The phone rang again.

The sound filled the car, loud and insistent through the bluetooth connection. Father’s name lit up the dashboard display.

IT was my mistake connecting to it during the journey here. I quickly disconnected. But Cian had seen what he wanted to see and his hand shot out to grab my phone. He hit the answer button before I could stop him.

"I’m pretty sure she’s made it clear what she wants from the relationship you two share moving forward." His voice came out hard. Protective in a way that would have made me smile under different circumstances. "You had plenty of years to do right by her and you didn’t. Wanting a chance now without considering her at all is just cruel."

He paused.

His expression shifted. The anger drained out of his features, replaced by something more complex. Something that looked almost like shock, or maybe disbelief.

"Oh."

He looked at me.

I mouthed, What?

His jaw worked like he wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words. The muscles in his throat moved as he swallowed. Then he nodded once, sharply, at whatever Father was saying on the other end.

He held the phone out to me without a word and turned his attention to the road. The car pulled forward, tires crunching over the pristine gravel drive.

I took the phone. My fingers felt numb as I brought it to my ear.

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