Chapter 3

Bailey POV

Three years away, I had pouring my heart into a tech non-profit in a dusty corner of the world. I' d built communication networks from scratch, designed water purification systems, and learned to rely only on myself. I thought coming home would be a reunion, a celebration of my return. Instead, it was a slow, agonizing realization that I was an outsider in my own family.

The joyful welcome I' d envisioned never came. My parents were distant, always busy. Holt was polite, but his eyes always seemed to be looking for his next corporate move. And Chandra, my orphaned cousin, had somehow blossomed into the family' s golden child. Her sweetness, her vulnerability, had completely captivated them.

I found myself drifting through the familiar halls of our sprawling mansion, an invisible ghost. One evening, I heard their voices from my father' s study – hushed, but clear through the slightly ajar door.

"Chandra, my dear, don' t cry," my mother' s soft voice soothed. "Bailey just has a different way of showing affection."

"But Aunt Alyce," Chandra sniffled, her voice fragile. "Bailey never talks to me anymore. She says my ideas for the charity gala are 'superficial' and 'lack substance.' It hurts, you know? After everything you' ve done for me."

My father' s voice, usually so stern, was gentle. "She' s just... headstrong, Chandra. Always has been. Your ideas are wonderful, darling. So much more practical and pleasing than Bailey' s complicated 'engineering marvels.' No one wants to hear about circuits and algorithms at a gala."

My mother chimed in, "Yes, Bailey' s time away seems to have made her a bit... difficult. She doesn' t understand the nuances of family life, the importance of maintaining appearances. You, my dear, are a breath of fresh air."

I stood there, a small, intricate circuit board clutched in my hand – a prototype for a new environmental sensor I' d been working on. It felt ice cold, mirroring the chill spreading through my heart. My own parents, dismissing me, praising her. Again.

They still thought my public proposal to Dangelo was a childish tantrum. They were discussing it now, their voices hushed but filled with scorn. "It' s just a fit of pique," my father insisted. "She' ll come to her senses. Marrying that maintenance worker? It' s unthinkable."

My mother sighed dramatically. "It' s all Chandra' s fault, really. If Bailey hadn' t felt so provoked..."

"No, no, Mother," Holt interrupted, his voice edged with a familiar condescension. "Bailey is just being Bailey. Always the contrarian. She thinks she' s above us all, returning from her noble 'sabbatical.' This is her way of sticking it to us."

I stood there, silently, by the doorframe. Invisible. Unheard. Just like always. The years of trying to earn their praise, their attention, their love, flashed before my eyes. The countless arguments, the whispered criticisms, the way they always sided with Chandra, her delicate sensibilities always outweighing my logical arguments. I was tired. So profoundly tired.

A switch flipped inside me. A quiet, resolute click. I wasn't just tired of fighting; I was done. Done trying. Done caring.

I turned from the door, my steps slow but steady. I went back to my room, the circuit board still cold in my hand. I started packing. Not just clothes, but my blueprints, my research, my designs. Everything that truly mattered to me.

The next morning, I called Dangelo. We agreed to meet at a quiet café on the outskirts of the city.

He was already there when I arrived. He wasn' t in his greasy maintenance uniform. He wore a simple, well-fitting dark shirt and trousers, his hair neatly combed back. He looked... different. Sharper. More composed than I remembered. There was a quiet intensity in his eyes that made me pause.

He rose as I approached, pulling out a chair for me. "Bailey." His voice was a low, steady rumble.

"Dangelo." I sat, feeling a strange mix of unease and curiosity. "I... I wanted to talk about what happened."

He leaned back, his gaze steady. "You proposed to me."

I nodded. "I did. And you accepted. I' m not retracting it."

A small smile played on his lips. "Good. I wouldn' t let you if you tried."

My heart gave a strange flutter. "I... I don' t know much about you," I admitted. "You' re a maintenance worker at Robinson Dynamics."

He chuckled, a low, pleasant sound. "That' s one of my roles, yes. But you can call me Dangelo Holden."

"Right," I said, feeling a blush creep up my neck. "About the wedding. I have some savings. We can use it to arrange something. Simple, but... real." I reached for my purse, ready to pull out my checkbook.

He held up a hand. "No need for that, Bailey. I' ll take care of the arrangements. I have resources."

I paused. "Are you sure? I don' t want to be a burden."

His eyes held mine. "Are you sure you want to go through with this, Bailey? Are you doing this just to spite your family? Because if so, this isn' t the right path."

My gaze didn't waver. "I told you, I' m doing this for me. I' m done with them. But if you' re scared, Dangelo, if you' re suddenly having second thoughts..."

He chuckled again, a genuine laugh this time. "Scared? No, Bailey. I' m not scared." He leaned forward, his eyes twinkling. "I just want to make sure you' re as determined as you appear. And as for money... let' s just say I can afford a wedding."

He stood up, signaling to the barista. "I' ll be there, Bailey. I' ll come for you. And it won' t be a simple affair. It will be a wedding fit for a woman who finally chose herself."