Chapter 4: Walking Away With Power

Savannah rushed over, but as soon as she saw me, her smile dropped.

She dropped the act in a heartbeat, arms crossed, lips pressed tight. I could see the anger simmering just below the surface.

I didn’t care, just smiled and congratulated her.

I tipped an imaginary hat, voice light and easy. Time to let go.

"Hope your dream comes true, Savannah—going from small-town girl to queen bee."

"Oh, and before you marry into a rich family, let’s break up."

"Savannah, tell your folks not to come to me for money again. We’re done."

Savannah’s face froze, then she scoffed.

She rolled her eyes, tossing her hair like she was already too good for this place. She always did have a flair for drama.

"Who are you threatening? My family doesn’t need you! Just wait—I’ll step on you sooner or later!"

I smiled, knowing better, and walked away.

There was nothing left to say. I’d given enough. Now it was time to take care of myself for once.

I wondered how long their happiness would last. Hopefully, they wouldn’t come crawling back.

I doubted it would take long for reality to set in. But I was done being their safety net.

After getting in my truck, I immediately called Caleb Woods and told him everything.

I barely waited for the engine to turn over before dialing. My hands shook a little, but my voice was steady. Caleb picked up on the first ring. Thank God for Caleb.

Caleb comes from a powerful family—even Mr. Walker has to play nice with them.

The Woods name opened doors from New York to LA. If you wanted something done, you called them. I was lucky to call Caleb a friend.

Caleb and I—a small-town kid with no connections—are worlds apart. We only met by chance. He’d run away from home drunk one night, crashed his dad’s boat into a sandbar, and I dragged him out half-conscious, babbling about family pressure. We bonded over cheap beer and late-night drives. He didn’t care about my background, and I didn’t mind his chatter. Over time, we became as close as brothers.

The redevelopment project came up during one of our hangouts. After hearing about it, he had his people look into it, and finally said the air here was great—clean air, woods, water, small-town charm—perfect for a resort.

He talked about the place like it was a hidden gem, the kind of spot people from the city would pay top dollar to visit. He saw the potential I’d always believed was there. Finally, someone got it.

His favorite spot wasn’t even our town, but he was willing to start here. He even raised the offer from $50 to $150 per square foot.

He said he’d do it as a favor, for me. I never expected that kind of loyalty from anyone, let alone a guy like Caleb.

I never expected that the good news I planned to share today would be wasted. What a joke.

I’d pictured the looks on everyone’s faces, the celebrations, the relief. Now, all I felt was emptiness.

After hearing everything, Caleb felt bad for me.

His voice was tight, angry on my behalf.

"You worked your butt off for them—running around every day, even ended up in the ER three times from stress! And for what? They’re just a bunch of ungrateful wolves!"

"Don’t worry, I’ll get their redevelopment approval pulled right away!"

He didn’t hesitate, not for a second. In that moment, I realized I still had one person in my corner—one friend who wouldn’t turn on me for a bigger check. That’s worth more than any payout.