Never Yours Again: Too Late To Chase Me Back, Mr. CEO!

Kailey Evans had picked out a thoughtful present for Ryan Owen's birthday.

As she reached the private room where he was hanging out with his friends, voices floated out.

"Now that Olivia is back, you two can finally be together, Ryan. But Kailey's got quite the stubborn streak. What if she causes trouble?"

Through the glass, the low lighting made it hard to read Ryan's face, but his tone was unmistakably cool. "She's just a kid. Whatever she says doesn't matter."

"Kailey may be young, but everyone can see she's got feelings for you. You mean to tell me you never once thought about her that way?"

Vernon Clayton's probing question sent Kailey's pulse racing.

She found herself straining to hear every word, desperate to know if Ryan had ever harbored any romantic feelings for her.

Reclined at the center of the couch, Ryan gave off an air of practiced confidence—unflappable, self-assured.

After a measured pause, he answered, his tone cold and unyielding, "Guys, don't encourage that sort of talk. Kailey's young and reckless. To me, she's my niece. I could never see her in a romantic light."

Those words landed with the force of a blade, cutting straight through Kailey's chest.

Oblivious to her presence just outside the door, Vernon kept up his banter. "Alright, alright, we get it—Olivia's the one who really matters to you. Kailey could never take her place."

Ryan gave a slight nod. "Just be careful not to bring up Kailey around Olivia. I don't want there to be any confusion."

"Do we even have to mention her?" Vernon let out a heavy sigh, his tone loaded. "With Kailey's personality, she's never going to sit back and watch you end up with someone else."

"Right," another man added with a laugh, clearly enjoying himself. "She's what, twenty now? Why not just date both Kailey and Olivia? Kailey's got nowhere else to go, and she's been hung up on you forever. She'd probably agree without hesitation."

Ryan's eyes turned sharp as ice, and the look he gave was enough to silence the room. "What kind of filth are you talking about? The only reason I had my brother adopt Kailey was because I pitied her. My heart has only ever belonged to Olivia. Don't say things that make my skin crawl."

Kailey's fingers locked around the doorknob so tightly it hurt. For a moment, she could barely breathe.

So this was what her feelings were to him. Something repulsive.

She had come prepared to step inside, maybe even defend herself, but the strength drained out of her all at once.

Without a word, she lowered her eyes, swallowed back the sting in her throat, and turned away.

Outside, the street was quiet and empty, stretching endlessly ahead of her.

The riverside club's exclusivity meant not a single taxi waited outside.

Gift pressed tightly in her hands, Kailey moved briskly down the empty drive.

Ryan's conversation with his friends ran on repeat in her mind.

After so