The Billionaire's Widow

66

Logan’s POV

I pulled the chair out for Kimberly after we arrived at our table. She gave me a slight smile before sitting down. I moved around to take my seat across from her, admiring how stunning she looked in that white, form-fitting dress that reached her knees. Simple, yet elegant—just like her when she let her guard down.

Mom was right, I thought.

Flashback

"Hey, Mom." I kissed her cheek and sat down. "Sorry I’m late. Got held up in a meeting when you called."

"It’s okay. I know running a company doesn’t come with much free time." She smiled softly. "How are you, my son?"

"I’m good. How about you? How was the vacation?"

"It was lovely, honey. Would’ve been even better if you had joined us." She smiled again.

"I’ll come next time."

"Will Kimberly be coming too?" she asked casually.

"Um, yeah. She will." I lied. My mother had no idea Kimberly and I weren’t in love. If she did, she’d never have supported any of this. So, I kept it hidden.

"Why do you always get so nervous when I mention your wife? You barely bring her to family gatherings anymore. What’s going on?"

"Mom, it’s nothing. She’s just busy these days." Another lie.

"Logan, don’t lie to me. I’m your mother."

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "I promise, we’re fine. Just... you know, life."

She looked at me, concerned. "Sweetheart, every marriage has its struggles. But if you love her, it’s worth fighting for."

What if I tried? I wondered. What if we stopped pretending and became something real?

"How do you even fix something like that?" I asked.

"It depends on the problem."

I hesitated. "We argue a lot. Sometimes I think she hates me."

"Then you need to remind her why she shouldn’t. Are you still treating her like the queen she is?"

"It’s complicated."

"No, it’s simple. Love her. Pay attention. Care about what matters to her. Women just want to be seen, heard, and valued. You did it once—do it again."

She looked so worried, and the last thing I wanted was to break her heart with the truth. Not after what she went through when Dad died.

I nodded. "Okay."

End of Flashback

"What?" Kimberly asked, catching me staring at her.

"Nothing. You just look beautiful tonight. It’s hard not to stare."

She almost smiled—almost—but looked away. "You ready to order?"

"Yeah." I picked up my menu as she did the same.

Throughout dinner, I kept the conversation going. Light topics. No pressure. She responded, even laughed once or twice, but I could still see it in her eyes—she wasn’t fully relaxed. I didn’t blame her. Years of walls don’t fall overnight.

I broke the silence once we got back home. "I hope you enjoyed yourself tonight."

She gave a neutral nod. "Well, it wasn’t one of those awkward private galas you used to drag me to. So yeah, I did."

She opened her door and stepped out of the car. I followed, and we walked inside together. She stopped near the staircase and turned to me.

"I’m heading to my room. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Kimberly."

She turned and walked away, disappearing down the hallway. I watched her go before climbing the stairs to my room.

Kimberly’s POV

I woke up early the next morning, needing space. Staying home suddenly felt suffocating. I missed Ryder—her lightness, her way of just getting me without needing an explanation. She reminded me of who I used to be. Before Logan. Before the lies.

I grabbed my bag and shook the thoughts from my head. “Seven more weeks, Kim. You’re almost free.”

I took one of my old cars and drove with the windows down, letting the breeze remind me that I could still feel free—even if it was temporary.

"Oh my God, Kim!" Ryder rushed into my arms. "I missed you!"

I chuckled. "I missed you too, Ry."

We cleared a table together, and she trailed after me into the kitchen.

"I thought you weren’t coming back," she said. "You’ve never missed more than two days of work."

"I know. Just had some family issues to deal with."

As we walked back out, she leaned closer. "You know what’s weird? Miss Carson didn’t even ask about you. Not once."

I frowned. "Why is that weird?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Wait—does she know why you were gone?"

I rolled my eyes. "No, but Logan does."

She gasped. "And he let you take time off?"

I shrugged. "Yeah. Is that a problem?"

"Kim, seriously. One moment you’re chewing him out, the next, he acts like you’re his favorite employee. How do you even manage that?"

I laughed, shaking my head. "You’re too funny, Ry. Let’s get back to work. I’m trying to be productive today."

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