Ghost of my past

My finger was over the phone screen, shaking. Fifteen years of nothing, and now she calls? The last time I saw her, I was just seven years old, watching her pack her suitcases while I cried, watching her leave.

She didn't even look back.

"Are you going to answer it?" Daisy whispered, eyes wide.

The ringing stopped before I could decide. I felt both relieved and disappointed as I dropped the phone down.

"That was your mom? The one who left?" Daisy knew the basics—mother abandoned us, James raised me by himself—but I rarely talked about Vanessa.

"Yeah." My voice sounded distant. "Haven't heard from her since—"

My phone lit up again, buzzing against the table. Same name. Same number.

"She's not giving up," Daisy muttered.

A cold feeling settled in my stomach. Vanessa wasn't the caring mother type. If she was calling now, after all these years, she must want something.

James's face on the financial news last month. The headlines about his company's billion-dollar deal.

Of course.

"Hello?" I answered, keeping my voice steadier than I felt.

"Anna! Darling, finally!" Her voice hadn't changed—still that fake sweetness that never matched her eyes. "It's been so long! How are you, baby?"

Baby. Like she hadn't walked out on this "baby" life without looking back.

"What do you want, Vanessa?" Being formal felt like protection. I wouldn't call her Mom—she hadn't earned that.

"Baby I have missed you." The practiced warmth in her voice made irritated.

"For fifteen years?"

"I deserve that." She sighed. "I made mistakes, Anna. Terrible mistakes. But I've changed, and when I saw James in the news—"

There it was.

"—I realized how much I've missed out on. How much I've missed you."

I caught Daisy's eye and rolled mine. She gave me a sympathetic look.

"That's quite a coincidence," I said. "You start missing me right after James makes the Forbes list."

"That's not fair. I know how it looks, but—"

"I have to go." My hands were shaking. "And please don't call my line again."

"Anna, wait! I'm in town, and I would really like to see you. Both of you. I have some important things to discuss with James."

I bet she did.

"Goodbye, Vanessa."

I hung up before she could say more, then immediately turned my phone off. The kitchen suddenly felt hard to breathe in.

"Wow," Daisy said. "That was intense."

I collapsed onto a barstool. "She saw the news about James's money. That's the only reason that bih is reaching out."

"You don't know that for sure," Daisy offered, though she didn't sound convinced.

"I need to warn James." I stood up quickly. "She'll try to contact him next. If she hasn't already."

I tried calling him, but it went straight to voicemail. Right—his investor meeting. I left a quick message telling him to call me right away, then grabbed my purse.

"Where are you going?" Daisy asked, following me to the front door.

"His office. This can't wait." I paused. "You can hang out here if you want. I shouldn't be long."

Daisy squeezed my arm. "Call me later, okay? And Anna?" She hesitated. "Before that call interrupted us, I was going to ask you something."

My heart beat faster. "What?"

"The way you look at James sometimes... it's not exactly how someone usually looks at their stepdad."

I froze, feeling my face get hot. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Daisy's expression was kind, not judgmental. "I'm your best friend. You can tell me anything."

"There's nothing to tell," I said too quickly. "I need to go."

I practically ran to my car, Daisy's words echoing in my head. Was I that obvious? If she noticed, had James noticed too?

The drive to Reynolds Tech's headquarters usually took thirty minutes, but I made it in twenty, breaking several traffic laws. The shiny glass tower still felt unreal—another sign of how much our lives had changed in three months.

The receptionist recognized me right away. "Miss Chen! We weren't expecting you today."

"I need to see James. It's important."

"Mr. Reynolds is in a meeting with investors right now. Would you like to wait in his office?"

I nodded, following her to the private elevator. As we went up to the executive floor, I tried to organize my thoughts. How would I explain Vanessa's sudden reappearance without showing how shaken I was?

The elevator doors opened to reveal a stunning woman with sleek dark hair sitting at an assistant's desk. She looked up with a professional blank expression that changed to recognition.

"You must be Anna," she said, standing. Her tailored dress probably cost more than everything in my closet. "Candice Lowry, Mr. Reynolds's executive assistant. We spoke on the phone last week."

We hadn't. James had gone through three assistants in two months. This one was new—and gorgeous.

"I need to see James. Family emergency."

Candice's perfectly shaped eyebrow arched. "He's in a meeting with the Singapore investors. It's extremely important, but I can interrupt if it's truly an emergency."

The way she emphasized "truly" made it clear she didn't think it was.

"I'll wait in his office," I said, moving past her desk.

"Of course. Can I get you anything? Water? Coffee?"

"No, thank you." I paused at James's door. "How long has the meeting been going?"

"Nearly two hours. It should finish soon." She smiled politely. "He speaks very highly of you, you know."

I nodded awkwardly and slipped into James's office, closing the door behind me. The room was really impressive—big windows with amazing city views at least it was better than who he was before.

I walked around the room, feeling restless, and checked out the few personal things he kept there. There was a nice photo of James and me at my college graduation, and other pictures. I noticed there wasn't a single picture of Vanessa anywhere—he'd gotten rid of everything that reminded him of her years ago.

Except me. I was the last remaining connection.

The door opened suddenly, and James walked in, frowning at something on his phone. He looked up and stopped.

"Anna? What are you doing here?" His suit was perfect. This was CEO James, not the rumpled man who'd stumbled home last night.

"She called me." The words rushed out. "Vanessa. This morning."

I watched his face carefully. The slight tightening around his eyes was the only sign that her name affected him.

"What did she want?" His voice was carefully neutral.

"To see us. Both of us. She said she has 'important things' to discuss with you." I stepped closer. "James, she obviously wants money. She saw you in the news and—"

"I know."

I blinked. "You know?"

He sighed, putting his phone on the desk. "She contacted me last week."

The news hit me like a punch. "Last week? And you didn't tell me?"