Love Rents A Room
Chapter 182: True Loyalty

Chapter 182: True Loyalty

Was Heather whispering in Jeffrey’s ear while the company bled slowly from the seams?

Joanne leaned back in her chair and rubbed her temple. She couldn’t make sense of it.

Philip hadn’t said a word. Not in their calls. Not in the texts. He spoke to her often—but not about this. And Joanne, though tempted, didn’t want to pry. If Philip wanted to talk, he would. She had a feeling Philip was keeping an eye on everything.

And as for Jeffrey...

She let out a bitter chuckle.

He was the CEO now. And maybe... maybe he was happy. Maybe he was living the life she should’ve had with him, only now with someone else. She wondered if they were planning a summer wedding. Maybe June. Or early July, under a canopy of roses.

It was silly, but she still found it strange to call Heather his girlfriend.

Because deep in some tucked-away corner of her heart, she still felt like she was.

Even after everything.

Her phone chimed and it was William Belford, sending another funny video. Usually, he sent funny animal videos. They were working together now, and Joanne did enjoy his videos. Who wouldn’t love seeing pandas rolling downhill? She knew she did.

Yeah, that smile lasted for all forty seconds.

She stood by the window, staring out at the snow-covered field, her breath fogging the glass, her mind skipping to Winchester logistics.

If this continued, if the acquisitions and appointments kept spiraling like this—Winchester Logistics wouldn’t just wobble. It would fall. The stock would nosedive. Employees would suffer. Investors would panic.

And Joanne...

Joanne would mourn it.

Because once upon a time, that company had been built with blood and grit and brilliance. Because she knew what Philip had poured into it. And because she still loved the man now sitting at its helm, even if he no longer remembered the girl who once believed in him most.

Just as she was lost in her thoughts—heart heavy with worry, mind tangled in memories—her phone rang.

Fiona.

Joanne didn’t hesitate. The moment she saw the name, her hand reached for the screen while her other grabbed the car keys from the counter.

"Fi?" she answered, already stepping into her boots.

There was a pause—just long enough for Joanne’s heart to drop into her stomach.

"I’m bleeding, Jo..."

Fiona’s voice was a whisper, shaky and tight. Terrified.

Joanne’s breath caught.

"I’ll be there, Fi. Don’t panic. Don’t move around too much. I’m coming, okay? Just stay calm, breathe slowly. I’m on my way."

"I—I’m scared."

"I know, love. But you’re not alone. I promise. I’m right here."

Joanne didn’t hang up. She grabbed her coat and rushed into the biting winter air, her fingers trembling from fear rather than cold. She drove like the wind, desperate to get to Fiona. Liam was out of town, and Fiona’s call meant she was all alone and scared.

"Stay with me, Fi. Keep talking," Joanne urged, her voice thick with concern. Fiona’s whisper came through, mixed with pain, and Joanne reassured her, ignoring everything else that mattered in that moment.

At the hospital, the smell of antiseptic filled the air. Joanne sat on a stiff chair, still in her coat, gripping a forgotten coffee cup. She had been by Fiona’s side, offering comfort as her friend fought through unimaginable pain. When Fiona was taken to delivery, Joanne was left alone, praying.

Minutes turned into what felt like hours until, finally, she heard it: a baby’s cry. A nurse emerged, smiling, "Mother and baby are fine. A boy." Relief washed over Joanne, and she sat down as her knees buckled.

Just then, Liam burst into the hallway, breathless and panicked, rushing towards her.

"She’s okay," Joanne said gently, rising to meet him. "Fiona and the baby—they’re both okay."

His shoulders dropped. "Thank God."

She pointed him toward the recovery room, and he didn’t waste a second.

Joanne followed a little behind, slowly now, not wanting to intrude but needing to see with her own eyes. She stood quietly at the doorway, her figure a silhouette against the warm, soft light of the hospital room.

Inside, Fiona was lying in bed, pale but smiling, cradling a tiny bundle in her arms. Liam was at her side, tears in his eyes, whispering something as he kissed her forehead. The baby let out a small sigh, snug in his mother’s warmth, safe and loved.

Joanne watched them, heart swelling.

She didn’t cry.

She smiled.

And for the first time in what felt like forever, that smile came from a place deeper than pain, deeper than memory. It came from her heart.

From hope.

From the quiet comfort of knowing that in a world full of breakages and goodbyes—new beginnings still came.

And this one? It was beautiful. Fiona and Liam’s miracle baby, the one they had eagerly waited for with fear and yearning.

After holding the baby, a warm miracle cradled against her chest for some time, Joanne returned home, where the faint smell of cinnamon and soap lingered from her earlier cleaning.

She tossed her coat over a chair and got to work in the kitchen, determined to make chicken soup for Fiona and Liam, who had been her anchors during her darkest months.

As the pot simmered, filling the kitchen with a rich aroma, her phone buzzed with a news alert: "Winchester Logistics Under Fire: Labor Violations Exposed." Heart racing, she clicked open the article detailing inhumane working conditions at several warehouses, with a whistleblower revealing evidence.

Public outrage was growing fast, and worse, it mentioned that Heather, now Chief Operations Officer, had overseen these operations.

Joanne gripped the counter, realizing it wasn’t just a business failure but lives being ruined. She had promised herself to move on, yet her heart ached with worry for Jeffrey, the company, and everything that could have been. Philip... Philip wouldn’t be able to handle it. This wasn’t how he ran the company for decades. It would floor him.

The soup began to boil over, snapping her back to reality.

Later tonight, she would deliver the food to Fiona and Liam.

She would sit with them, hold the baby, and laugh about the tiny hiccups of new life.

And tomorrow?

Tomorrow, she would figure out if she could really stand by and watch Winchester Logistics burn—or if, once again, fate was going to drag her into a fight she wasn’t sure she was ready for.

But then... Why wait till tomorrow?

She stared at her phone long after the article had faded from the screen.

Her heart beat slow and heavy in her chest.

Philip Winchester had once saved her legacy—quietly, without expecting anything in return. She had paid back the money, every last cent. But gratitude wasn’t about debts settled on paper.

Maybe this was her moment to truly repay him.

Maybe this was what loyalty looked like.

Joanne wiped the back of her hand across her damp cheeks, took a deep breath, and turned off the stove.

The soup was ready. Fiona and Liam would have warm meals for the next few days.