Never Yours Again: Too Late To Chase Me Back, Mr. CEO!

Kailey Evans had picked out a thoughtful present for Ryan Owen's birthday.

As she reached the private room where he was hanging out with his friends, voices floated out.

"Now that Olivia is back, you two can finally be together, Ryan. But Kailey's got quite the stubborn streak. What if she causes trouble?"

Through the glass, the low lighting made it hard to read Ryan's face, but his tone was unmistakably cool. "She's just a kid. Whatever she says doesn't matter."

"Kailey may be young, but everyone can see she's got feelings for you. You mean to tell me you never once thought about her that way?"

Vernon Clayton's probing question sent Kailey's pulse racing.

She found herself straining to hear every word, desperate to know if Ryan had ever harbored any romantic feelings for her.

Reclined at the center of the couch, Ryan gave off an air of practiced confidence-unflappable, self-assured.

After a measured pause, he answered, his tone cold and unyielding, "Guys, don't encourage that sort of talk. Kailey's young and reckless. To me, she's my niece. I could never see her in a romantic light."

Those words landed with the force of a blade, cutting straight through Kailey's chest.

Oblivious to her presence just outside the door, Vernon kept up his banter. "Alright, alright, we get it-Olivia's the one who really matters to you. Kailey could never take her place."

Ryan gave a slight nod. "Just be careful not to bring up Kailey around Olivia. I don't want there to be any confusion."

"Do we even have to mention her?" Vernon let out a heavy sigh, his tone loaded. "With Kailey's personality, she's never going to sit back and watch you end up with someone else."

"Right," another man added with a laugh, clearly enjoying himself. "She's what, twenty now? Why not just date both Kailey and Olivia? Kailey's got nowhere else to go, and she's been hung up on you forever. She'd probably agree without hesitation."

Ryan's eyes turned sharp as ice, and the look he gave was enough to silence the room. "What kind of filth are you talking about? The only reason I had my brother adopt Kailey was because I pitied her. My heart has only ever belonged to Olivia. Don't say things that make my skin crawl."

Kailey's fingers locked around the doorknob so tightly it hurt. For a moment, she could barely breathe.

So this was what her feelings were to him. Something repulsive.

She had come prepared to step inside, maybe even defend herself, but the strength drained out of her all at once.

Without a word, she lowered her eyes, swallowed back the sting in her throat, and turned away.

Outside, the street was quiet and empty, stretching endlessly ahead of her.

The riverside club's exclusivity meant not a single taxi waited outside.

Gift pressed tightly in her hands, Kailey moved briskly down the empty drive.

Ryan's conversation with his friends ran on repeat in her mind.

After so many years, what exactly had she been clinging to?

A bitter laugh slipped from her lips as she whispered to herself, "Kailey, have you really been that foolish?"

Unseen tears streaked down her cheeks. She didn't bother wiping them away.

At the next intersection, a rush of headlights dazzled her, their brightness stinging her already aching eyes. In that moment, her hand released its grip.

The present-a pair of expensive cufflinks, bought with her own bonus-dropped to the ground with a soft, final thud. They meant nothing to her anymore.

Drawing a deep breath, Kailey pulled out her phone and made a call.

"Kyson, I've decided. I accept your proposal. Let's get married."

Kyson Blake was five years older, a childhood neighbor from the Owen family's circle. After high school, he'd gone abroad, only returning to Aslesall recently.

The last time they met, Kyson spoke openly about the pressures he faced-expectations, arranged marriages, family business. His offer was pragmatic, even warm.

"Kailey, you know how this works. You and I are both destined for marriages that serve our families, not ourselves. If we're going to be pushed into something, why not choose each other-someone who understands? What do you say we just tie the knot?"

Back when Kyson first made the suggestion, Kailey could only laugh it off. But tonight, the idea didn't seem far-fetched at all.

She glanced over her shoulder at the club, its neon lights pulsing in bold, colorful bursts-each flicker echoing the remnants of her feelings for Ryan.

"We've known each other since childhood. It's a lot better than marrying a stranger. If you're still willing and your family's in a hurry, we could make it official soon," she said into the phone.

Kyson was taken aback by how quickly she'd made up her mind. There was a moment's pause, then he answered, "You say the word, and I'll come get you. When are you ready?"

Her gaze dropped to the forgotten gift bag on the sidewalk. "Let me finish up with my internship arrangements first."

If she was going to marry Kyson, there was no reason to stay in Jucridge.

She hung up and walked for what felt like forever before finally flagging down a taxi to take her back to Sundown Estate.

The estate stood right in the heart of the city, a prime spot just five kilometers from the house where she'd been born-before everything fell apart.

At nine years old, Kailey's life was shattered when her family's company collapsed. Overwhelmed by mounting debts and endless harassment from creditors, her parents lost hope and left her all alone. Even their home was destroyed, nothing left but ashes.

The creditors showed no mercy, and for a time, it seemed even little Kailey wasn't safe from their grasp.

Ryan stepped in when no one else would.

He was only seventeen then, but stood his ground in front of his older brother, Sawyer Owen. "I can't be her legal guardian without a wife. You adopt her on paper-I'll take care of everything else."

Ryan kept that promise. He gave Kailey the best of everything, sheltering and spoiling her as the years passed.

But to her, he was never truly an uncle, no matter how often he used the title.

Kailey grew up believing she and Ryan were meant for each other.

On her eighteenth birthday, she told him she liked him.

Ryan shut her down, calling her too young, saying there was too much distance between them, insisting he could only ever treat her as his niece.

Yet, even as he built that wall, he never let another man get close to her.

Kailey mistook his protectiveness for something more, convinced it was jealousy-that he was just waiting for her to be older.

She truly believed that one day, if she just waited long enough, everything would fall into place for them.

As the city slipped by in a blur of lights and shadows, Kailey stared out the window, lost in her own thoughts. Tears pricked her eyes for reasons she couldn't quite name.

She realized that getting older hadn't eased the ache, and letting go of love was its own kind of sorrow.

At that moment, she quietly promised herself she would finally set Ryan free from her heart.

Not long after, Kailey finally made it home. She brushed away the last of her tears, forced every feeling back down, and went upstairs without a word. A hot shower steadied her nerves, and soon after, she slipped into bed and let the darkness take her.

She was sure sleep would refuse to come. Instead, she rested more deeply than she expected. The next morning, she woke to loud clanking sounds echoing through the house, as if someone was rearranging the entire kitchen.

Once she was dressed, Kailey followed the noise downstairs, where it grew even sharper and more persistent.

Still groggy, she yawned and walked toward the kitchen, assuming the housekeeper was already at work. "You're up really early..."

Her voice cut off the moment she saw the person standing there.

A woman moved between the stove and the counter, dressed in white, a cream apron tied neatly around her waist. Her long hair was pinned back in an elegant clip, and everything about her looked carefully put together.

Kailey stopped cold. Ryan's first love. The woman he could never truly forget. Olivia Marsh.

Olivia turned with a bright smile, as if she belonged there. "Kailey, you're awake! I was going to finish breakfast and then come get you. I didn't think you'd be up this soon."

Kailey bit back a scoff. With all that clattering, she'd have to be deaf to sleep through it.

She drew in a long breath, steadying herself, and mustered a weak smile. "What brings you here this early?"

Olivia touched her lips, feigning a bit of modesty. "Ryan had a bit too much to drink last night. I brought him home, helped him clean up, and since you were by yourself, I thought I'd cook breakfast for us."

So... the two had spent the night together.

Any sense of politeness on Kailey's face started to fade, and her voice cooled. "Did I ever ask you to do that?"

A sharp voice came from behind her. "Kailey, is this the attitude you've learned from me? Apologize!"