Chapter Seventeen
1122 Words
She walked to the car! Looked at him like a Saviour
“You came”.
Yea, I wanted the Founder of TaskFlow to have a comfortable ride home.
They got in, spoke about everything else, but the offer or decision.
Amelia hardly slept.
She spent most of the night staring at the ceiling.
Two and a half million dollars.
The number replayed in her mind like a song she hated but couldn’t stop humming.
Two and a half million dollars.
No more cleaning houses.
No more hiding TaskFlow.
No more worrying about Lucas’ tuition.
No more calculating bills.
No more surviving.
Just…
Living.
She rolled over.
TaskFlow was open on her laptop.
The dashboard glowed softly.
Invoice Automation.
Client Management.
Expense Tracker.
AI Business Assistant.
Four years.
Four years of grief.
Four years of promises.
Four years of pretending she was okay.
And now someone wanted to buy it.
Maybe Daniel was right.
Maybe she had already won.
Maybe building something was enough.
Maybe she didn’t have to be the person who scaled it.
Maybe she was tired.
She finally drifted to sleep around three.
Only to wake up at seven thirty to Margaret knocking.
“Amelia.”
No response.
“Amelia!”
She groaned.
“What?”
Margaret opened the door.
“You have a visitor.”
Amelia frowned.
“A visitor?”
Margaret grinned.
“Young.”
“Annoying.”
“Looks like you.”
Amelia sat upright.
“Lucas?”
Margaret nodded.
“Very much Lucas.”
Amelia practically jumped out of bed.
Five minutes later—
She ran downstairs.
Lucas stood in the foyer.
Backpack slung over one shoulder.
MIT hoodie.
Messy hair.
Same goofy smile.
He opened his arms.
“Favorite brother reporting for duty.”
“You’re my only brother.”
“Technicalities.”
Amelia hugged him tightly.
“What are you doing here?”
“I had to come save the day”
She frowned.
“You what?”
“I said I strategically prioritized family.”
“You skipped class.”
“Yes.”
She sighed.
“I raised a criminal.”
Lucas laughed.
“I wanted to see you.”
“And honestly…”
He looked around.
“Also wanted to see how billionaires live.”
Amelia groaned.
“Lucas.”
“What?”
“I’ve only ever seen billionaires on YouTube.”
“This is educational.”
Margaret walked in carrying muffins.
“I like him.”
Lucas stood.
“And I like you.”
“You feed people.”
Margaret smiled.
“I also threaten billionaires.”
Lucas gasped.
“Tell me everything.”
Margaret sat down dramatically.
“He doesn’t eat.”
“He doesn’t sleep.”
“He argues with printers.”
Lucas burst out laughing.
“Seriously?”
“He lost a seven hundred million dollar deal.”
“Apparently.”
Lucas whistled.
“I’d cry.”
Margaret nodded.
“He growls.”
Amelia shook her head.
“Please don’t encourage her.”
Too late.
Margaret and Lucas had become friends.
Within twenty minutes.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
Lucas looked around.
“So.”
“Where is Mr. Billionaire?”
“Working.”
“Always?”
“Mostly.”
“I want to meet him.”
“No.”
“Please.”
“No.”
“He literally discovered your secret startup.”
“He deserves a thank you.”
“He deserves boundaries.”
Lucas grinned.
“I inherited stubbornness from you.”
She smiled.
“No.”
“You inherited stubbornness.”
Before Lucas could respond—
A familiar voice interrupted.
“Interesting.”
They turned.
Ethan stood near the staircase.
Dark slacks.
White shirt.
No jacket.
Coffee in hand.
Gray eyes curious.
Lucas immediately stood.
“Oh.”
“Oh wow.”
“You’re tall.”
Amelia closed her eyes.
Mortified.
“Lucas.”
“What?”
“It’s true.”
Ethan smirked.
“And you’re Lucas.”
Lucas blinked.
“You know my name?”
Ethan nodded.
“Amelia talks about you.”
Amelia’s cheeks turned pink.
Lucas grinned.
“Oh.”
“She likes me.”
“Shocking.”
Ethan chuckled.
Margaret nearly fainted.
She looked at Amelia.
“He laughs.”
Amelia whispered.
“Apparently.”
Lucas extended his hand.
“I’m Lucas Hart.”
Ethan shook it.
“Ethan Blackwood.”
Lucas smiled.
“Yeah.”
“I know.”
“My sister accidentally works for Google Batman.”
Amelia groaned.
“Oh my God.”
Ethan laughed.
Actually laughed.
“I’ve been called worse.”
Lucas smiled.
“I just wanted to thank you.”
“For what?”
“For seeing her.”
Silence.
The room softened.
Lucas looked at Amelia.
Then back at Ethan.
“People stopped seeing my sister years ago.”
“They saw a maid.”
“A provider.”
“A person paying bills.”
“But they forgot she used to dream.”
“And she deserves someone who remembers.”
Ethan was quiet.
Longer than usual.
Then nodded.
“I agree.”
Lucas smiled.
“So.”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“If you built something.”
“And someone offered you two and a half million dollars.”
“What would you do?”
Amelia stiffened.
She wasn’t ready.
Not yet.
Ethan looked at Lucas.
Thoughtful.
Measured.
Honest.
And for the first time—
He didn’t answer like a billionaire.
He answered like a founder.
“I’d probably take the meeting.”
Lucas nodded.
“And sell?”
Ethan sighed.
“Honestly?”
“Maybe.”
Lucas looked surprised.
“Really?”
Ethan nodded.
“Two and a half million dollars changes lives.”
“It pays tuition.”
“It buys homes.”
“It gives people breathing room.”
“It gives exhausted people permission to rest.”
Lucas looked at Amelia.
See?
Amelia looked down.
Ethan continued.
“But.”
Lucas smiled.
“There it is.”
“The billionaire but.”
Ethan chuckled.
“But if she built TaskFlow once…”
He looked toward Amelia.
“She can build another company.”
“In three years.”
“In five years.”
“In ten years.”
“Founders don’t lose talent.”
“They lose confidence.”
“And confidence can be rebuilt.”
Silence.
Heavy.
Beautiful.
Complicated.
Lucas slowly nodded.
Then smiled.
“I think that’s what scares her.”
Ethan frowned.
“What?”
Lucas looked at Amelia.
“She doesn’t know if selling TaskFlow means choosing freedom…”
“Or abandoning Dad.”
And suddenly—
No one had anything to say.
Because everyone knew.
TaskFlow was never just software.
It was love.
Grief.
Promises.
And family.
- Writer
