SARAYA’S POV.
“Saraya, wait!” I heard arlan called from behind but didn’t stop. I entered the elevator and he joined me just before the door would close.
“Why did you decide to resign?” He asked. “Alex wouldn’t have want this.”
“This seems to be the best option at this time, I would rather resign honorably than be ousted out in shame. As for my father, he will realize I did what is best for me. Everyone can drop their expectations of me now and let me breath.”
“Sara …” Arlan’s voice softened as he said my name, and the air between us became tensed.
I crossed my arms, leaning against the elevator wall, refusing to meet his gaze. “Don’t, Arlan. Don’t make this harder than it already is.”
“You think running away is what’s best for you?” he pressed.
“It’s not running away,” I snapped, my voice hard. “It’s survival. The threats, the judgment… it’s suffocating. I won’t wait around for them to strip me of what remains of my dignity.” My jaw clenched. “You don’t understand-”
“I understand more than you think,” he interrupted, his tone firm but not unkind. “I know you’re scared. I know you’re angry. But quitting won’t silence those whispers, Sara. It’ll only make them louder. You’ll regret this.”
The elevator dinged, signaling our arrival. I moved to step out, but Arlan grabbed my wrist gently, halting me.
“Look at me,” he urged.
Reluctantly, I turned to face him. His hazel eyes, piercing mine, they almost crumbled the wall I had built around my heart.
“You’ve fought harder battles than this. Don’t let them win. Not like this,” he said.
I scoffed. “It’s not about them winning, Arlan. It’s about me choosing peace over chaos.” I reminded him. “You saw for yourself inside the boardroom, many people were on Ian’s side. There is nothing we would have done by ourselves.”
He shook his head, his grip tightening slightly. “At least we won’t have given up without a fight.”
“The decision to fight or not depends on me, since I don’t want to fight, you should respect it.” I told him.
Arlan sighed deeply, he released my wrist and stepped back, running a hand through his dark hair as he studied me.
“I do respect you, Sara,” he said quietly. “But respecting you doesn’t mean I have to agree with you.”
“Good,” I replied, my tone clipped as I turned away. “Because I’m not asking for your agreement.”
“Do you really think Ian will stop once you leave?”
I froze mid-step, his words hitting me like a blow.
I turned slowly, my fists clenched at my sides. “And what would you have me do, Arlan? Stay? Fight? Risk losing everything, just to prove a point? My mother always said to choose my battles wisely. This isn’t a battle I can win.”
“We don’t want additional rumours flying back and forth around us, I should go.”
***
“Sara!” Mary’s voice tore through the room as she barged in, slamming the door behind her. “What is this nonsense about you resigning?”
“Mom, calm down-”
“Calm down?” Her voice rose. “How do you expect me to calm down when you’ve made a decision that could kill your father with stress? Are you out of your mind?”
I rubbed my temples, trying to steady my breathing. “I didn’t do this to hurt anyone.”
“But you did!” she shot back, stepping closer. “Do you have any idea how much Alex has sacrificed for you? For this family? And this is how you repay him? By throwing everything away without so much as a discussion?”
“Mom-”
“You didn’t even tell me!” she interrupted, her tone angrier now. “I’ve stood by you through everything, Saraya. Do you think I deserve to be blindsided like this?”
My voice cracked. “I wasn’t trying to blindside you.”
“Then what were you trying to do?” she snapped, folding her arms. “Because all I see is someone running away.”
“It’s not running away!” I shouted back, my frustration boiling over. “I’m protecting myself. Do you know how suffocating it’s been? Everyone waiting for me to fail, watching every move I make, judging me? I can’t take it anymore!”
“And you think quitting will fix that?” Her tone softened, but her words were no less cutting. “Do you think resigning will stop people from talking? If anything, it’ll give Ian more power to ruin everything Alex built.”
I dropped my head, unable to look at her. “I don’t care about Ian or his power. I just need to breathe, Mom. Can’t you understand that?”
Mary exhaled sharply, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I understand you’re tired, Sara. I do. But you’re not just anyone. You’re Alex Newman’s daughter. His legacy. If you give up now, you’re not just quitting on yourself-you’re quitting on him.”
I looked up, tears brimming in my eyes. “I’m not quitting on him. I’m quitting on a fight I can’t win. Ian has the board on his side. Dad’s too sick to intervene. And I’m… I’m just me. I’m not strong enough to take this on.”
Mary shook her head. “You’ve always been strong, Saraya. Maybe you don’t see it, but Alex and I do. That’s why he trusted you with so much. He believed in you.”
“Maybe he was wrong to,” I whispered, my voice breaking.
“No,” Mary said firmly. “He wasn’t. And I’m not wrong either. You’re capable of more than this. But if you leave now, you’ll regret it. And so will Alex.”
I bit my lip, the weight of her words pressing down on me. “I don’t know what to do anymore.”
“Let’s hope your father wakes up on time, he is the only one that can do anything about this especially now that Ian had been elected.” She said and walked away.
I sat on the bed, staring at the wall after Mary left. My head throbbed, and my chest felt tight. Just as I was about to close my eyes, my phone rang. I grabbed it and saw Gabby’s name on the screen.
“Hi, Gabby,” I said, my voice tired.
“Hi, my love,” Gabby’s warm voice came through. “How are you holding up?”
I didn’t answer right away. My throat felt dry, and the silence stretched too long.
“Saraya?” Gabby called softly. “Are you there? What’s wrong, dear?”
I swallowed hard. “I don’t know, Gabby,” I finally said, my voice shaky. “I feel… I don’t even know what I feel. I’m just tired. Really tired.”
“Oh, sweetheart,” she said gently. “You’ve been through a lot. Maybe it’s time you took a break. Why don’t you come here? Come to Colorado. You can rest, clear your head, and just breathe for a while.”
I sat up straighter, the idea hitting me like a lightbulb moment. “Why didn’t I think of that before?” I muttered to myself.
“Well, you’ve had a lot on your plate,” Gabby said with a chuckle. “Sometimes, you just need someone to point out the obvious.”
I smiled faintly. “You’re right. I’ll come. I’ll be there tomorrow afternoon.”
“Good,” she said. “I’ll get everything ready for you. Don’t stress about anything, okay? Just get here.”
“Thank you, Gabby,” I said softly.
“Always, my love. See you soon.”
After the call ended, I sat there for a moment, staring at the phone. For the first time in what felt like forever, I had something to look forward to. A chance to get away, to breathe. Colorado felt like exactly what I needed.