I sped to the office, thankful that my brakes didn’t fail this time. “Where’s my dad?” I panted, grinning wildly at his secretary.

Cora pointed with her pen. “The conference room, but he said—”

“Thanks!” I sprinted down the hall and snuck through the doors as best as I could considering the burst of light that accompanied me into the darkened room. Everyone swiveled to look at me.

My eyes slowly adjusted, focusing on the man in the CEO chair with horn-rimmed glasses. I sucked in a breath. My dad’s cheeks were rosy with health instead of sunken-in and gray with sickness. This was my dad the way I wanted to remember him. He was there. Alive!

He leaned forward in his chair. “Alina?” he called, two other familiar voices joining him.

I never thought I’d hear him say my name again!

Placing a hand over my nose and mouth, I stifled the prickly urge to sob with relief or throw myself into his arms. It took all my strength to wrangle that energy into a watery smile and walk over like a normal human being.

This was a miracle! A second chance at life! To make Dad proud! To lead!

“Hi,” I whispered, taking his hand. Could I hug him forever? Cry on his shoulder? Make him promise to get the best doctors right this minute so he could spend more time with me? “Sorry to interrupt. You said you had a special project for me… I didn’t want to miss the meeting.”

“This one, you should skip,” Dad grumbled, grim and evasive as he rubbed his thumb over my knuckles.

A younger version of Todd gently tugged my father’s chair towards himself. “Why don’t you two step outside? I can handle this.” He jerked his head towards the front of the room and smiled.

“You,” I spat, grabbing my father’s chair and rolling it away from him.

“Yes, me.” Todd raised his eyebrows, chuckling. “Would you prefer a seat? You can have mine, if it’s easier to see the screen.” He stood and pulled out his chair for me, half-bowing as his pale, half-moon eyes twinkled at me.

Well, that was kind of sweet.

Wait, no!

I should want to knock the smile right off his face for what he did to me! Well, what he would do to me, my father’s memory, and this company. He didn’t look too different. Pointed, pretty features, preppy haircut, and… no ring?

I couldn’t believe this was really three years ago! We hadn’t even started dating. Soon, though… but he wouldn’t lure me in this time!

Dad pushed himself up from his chair, wincing as his back cracked. “No, no, we should leave.”

“There’s no need for that.” A man at the front of the room passed through the projector light, his attractive silhouette filling out the slides beyond it. “She can stay.”

My jaw went slack, as did my grip. 

Eight (or would it be five?) years later, I almost didn’t recognize my high school sweetheart Damon. Back then, he’d borrowed suits for Homecoming, draping his too-wide jacket around my shoulders the moment I shivered. His winning smiles never failed to make me feel better. He was nothing like this intimidating man who filled out every inch of his tailored clothes without so much of a hint at any pleasantness as he clicked his smart watch.

Who was this guy? Was he the same sweetheart from the old timeline underneath?

Damon pierced me with his cool, even gaze. “Have a seat,” he said, his voice clipped.

Wow. That was commanding. And kind of hot? No! Weird. Distinctly unsettling.

Why was he even presenting at my dad’s company? I thought he didn’t want anything to do with me or my family...

The entire board stared at us, waiting.

I pulled out a chair, still shocked. Did I even put on makeup this morning?! “Sorry, I’ll just—”

“No, no, come with me, young lady.” Dad dragged me out of the room by my wrist.

I was so horrified, I barely managed to hiss, “What are you doing?!” before I was halfway across the room.

Damon’s dark glare burned itself on me like a brand as the board members stifled their snickers.

If I flung myself out the window, would time reset again?

Once we were in Dad’s office, I wrenched myself out of his grip. “That was totally inappropriate! I’m a board member! I should sit in on stuff like that!”

“I just couldn’t stand him talking down to you like that.” Dad sniffed, crossing his arms. “My daughter deserves to be treated with respect.”

“And dragging me out of the room was the best way to demonstrate that?”

“You’re right.” His shoulders sagged with a sigh. “I’m sorry. I overreacted. Will you forgive me for being an overprotective father? I just want to make sure you’re taken care of.”

I blinked, taken aback by the loving, hard-working man before me. He was alive. How could I be anything but grateful we had time together again? I threw my arms around him, squeezing so tight his spine cracked. “Ooh, sorry!” My laugh sounded wet, so I schooled my emotions, laying my cheek on my dad’s shoulder. “I love you so much, and I love how much you care. But I have to take care of myself, sometimes.”

“All’s forgiven, then?” He wheezed when I squeezed in affirmation. “Oof! A little less tight. I haven’t had my coffee yet.”

This was all so normal, yet not. I lost him. He was here again. After all I’d been through, I really needed a shoulder to cry on. Nuzzling my face into his jacket, I tried to staunch the flood of tears and uneven breathing.

“Oh, Alina! I’m sorry.” He patted my back. “Was it that boy? Or my handling of the situation?”

Sniffling, I pulled back. “No, it’s not that.”

Dad nudged the tissue box to me and pressed a button on his landline phone. “Cora, bring Alina a coffee with milk and sugar, please.”

“I take it black,” I said, freezing mid-tissue tab when he shot me an odd look. Oh, shoot! I used to drink it like that. This timeline stuff was throwing me off.

“Hmm? Okay, black.” Dad released the button, studying me with a furrowed brow. “What’s going on with you today? You haven’t slept in or even cried at the office since you were nine years old.”

How could I explain? There was no way he’d believe I travelled back in time. “Bad dream, I guess? A really long, bad dream.” I massaged my temples and slumped into the chair. “What did Damon want?”

“Money. He had an ‘investment opportunity.’” Dad scoffed.

I tried to recall the slide behind him, but the words were blurry. “What was it? And why wasn’t I invited to the meeting?”

Dad pulled at his tear-stained clothes. “I thought it’d be better to keep you separated. That boy isn’t worth our time.”

“That ‘boy’ and I have been broken up for years. I can handle seeing him in a professional setting, especially a board meeting!”

“Sweetie, you had trouble with a bad dream.” He pressed the intercom. “Cora, where are my spare shirts, again?”

“Your car,” I answered, crossing my arms.

He grinned. “That’s right! My genius daughter… that photographic memory comes in handy for a few things!”

The tension in my shoulders melted away as I peered up at him. “Dad, are you... proud of me?”

“Of course I am, sweetie.” He patted down his jacket for his keys. “You’re a beautiful young lady.”

I rolled my eyes, but he was too busy leaving to see. Obviously, Dad loved me. He knew I was smart, hard working. But how could I convince him I could lead?

Scanning Dad’s calendar, I rolled my nails across my lips. What other “secret meetings” were he and Todd holding without me?

If I knew what was coming and didn’t change the timeline too badly, I could lead projects with confidence and save Martin Enterprises.

Yes, that was it!

I strode out of the office with fire in my step, ready to change my fate.

Instead, I crashed into my ex.