The Way Out He Never Saw Coming - Chapter 9: Chapter 9
You are reading The Way Out He Never Saw Coming, Chapter 9: Chapter 9. Read more chapters of The Way Out He Never Saw Coming.
Oliver's arms encircled me, solid and comforting, his breath warm against my ear as he murmured, "Hey, it's alright. We've all had our share of dating disasters when we were younger. No judgment here."
His teasing tone melted away my lingering insecurities, drawing a genuine laugh from me.
"Oh really?" I arched an eyebrow, giving his side a playful poke. "Let's hear it then, Oliver Gray—any 'disasters' in your romantic past?"
His expression turned mock-serious, eyes dancing with mischief. "Not a single one. My heart's been pure as snow—only had eyes for you."
The half-truth in his words caught me off guard, sending warmth flooding to my cheeks as our gazes locked. Suddenly shy, I wound my arms around his neck, rising on tiptoes to bridge the distance between us. When our lips met, everything else dissolved—the tension, the past, even the ghost of Leon's intrusion. There was only Oliver, and this perfect moment wrapped in his embrace.
Days later, when Oliver shared our engagement news with his family, their response overwhelmed me. Even his typically stoic father penned an emotional message in the family group chat, brimming with pride and welcoming me wholeheartedly. Attached was a photo of Oliver's grandfather—a spry, stern-faced man—sitting before an extra plate of pancakes at breakfast. The caption read: "Look at this, Ollie! Your news has Grandpa eating seconds! Everyone's over the moon for you two."
That simple image cracked something open in my chest. For the first time, I felt rooted—part of a legacy stretching back generations. Our families had been intertwined since our grandfathers built their businesses together, their homes still nestled in the same overseas neighborhood.
The bittersweet thought crept in: had I not wasted those years propping up Leon's dreams at the expense of my own family, could this happiness have come sooner?
Now with Oliver by my side, my parents became relentless. Mom's daily calls took on a new urgency. "Emily," she'd coax, "let Oliver help you tie up loose ends there. Your father needs you—you're our only child. It's time to step into your role here."
She wasn't wrong. Finally agreeing, I promised to return home after wrapping up in Greenwoods. Life seemed to be settling into place—until the morning everything shattered.
We were still half-asleep when my phone erupted with calls. Blinking against the screen's glare, I saw Wanda's name flashing repeatedly—never a good sign at dawn.
"Emily," she gasped the moment I answered, voice frayed with panic, "check your phone now. You're trending everywhere—there's a scandal."
Ice flooded my veins. The headline glared up at me: [Gray Family Heir Exposed as Homewrecker!] Below it, our private moment from Leon's intrusion—Oliver holding me—twisted into something sordid. The comments section was a bloodbath:
[So much for the Gray family values!]
[Three generations to build, one scandal to destroy.]
A handful of voices urged caution, but they drowned in the tsunami of outrage. My hands shook as adrenaline surged through me. Unlike my family's low-profile business, the Grays' reputation was their currency—meticulously crafted, highly visible. And now it was crumbling before our eyes.
His teasing tone melted away my lingering insecurities, drawing a genuine laugh from me.
"Oh really?" I arched an eyebrow, giving his side a playful poke. "Let's hear it then, Oliver Gray—any 'disasters' in your romantic past?"
His expression turned mock-serious, eyes dancing with mischief. "Not a single one. My heart's been pure as snow—only had eyes for you."
The half-truth in his words caught me off guard, sending warmth flooding to my cheeks as our gazes locked. Suddenly shy, I wound my arms around his neck, rising on tiptoes to bridge the distance between us. When our lips met, everything else dissolved—the tension, the past, even the ghost of Leon's intrusion. There was only Oliver, and this perfect moment wrapped in his embrace.
Days later, when Oliver shared our engagement news with his family, their response overwhelmed me. Even his typically stoic father penned an emotional message in the family group chat, brimming with pride and welcoming me wholeheartedly. Attached was a photo of Oliver's grandfather—a spry, stern-faced man—sitting before an extra plate of pancakes at breakfast. The caption read: "Look at this, Ollie! Your news has Grandpa eating seconds! Everyone's over the moon for you two."
That simple image cracked something open in my chest. For the first time, I felt rooted—part of a legacy stretching back generations. Our families had been intertwined since our grandfathers built their businesses together, their homes still nestled in the same overseas neighborhood.
The bittersweet thought crept in: had I not wasted those years propping up Leon's dreams at the expense of my own family, could this happiness have come sooner?
Now with Oliver by my side, my parents became relentless. Mom's daily calls took on a new urgency. "Emily," she'd coax, "let Oliver help you tie up loose ends there. Your father needs you—you're our only child. It's time to step into your role here."
She wasn't wrong. Finally agreeing, I promised to return home after wrapping up in Greenwoods. Life seemed to be settling into place—until the morning everything shattered.
We were still half-asleep when my phone erupted with calls. Blinking against the screen's glare, I saw Wanda's name flashing repeatedly—never a good sign at dawn.
"Emily," she gasped the moment I answered, voice frayed with panic, "check your phone now. You're trending everywhere—there's a scandal."
Ice flooded my veins. The headline glared up at me: [Gray Family Heir Exposed as Homewrecker!] Below it, our private moment from Leon's intrusion—Oliver holding me—twisted into something sordid. The comments section was a bloodbath:
[So much for the Gray family values!]
[Three generations to build, one scandal to destroy.]
A handful of voices urged caution, but they drowned in the tsunami of outrage. My hands shook as adrenaline surged through me. Unlike my family's low-profile business, the Grays' reputation was their currency—meticulously crafted, highly visible. And now it was crumbling before our eyes.
End of The Way Out He Never Saw Coming Chapter 9. Continue reading Chapter 10 or return to The Way Out He Never Saw Coming book page.