My heart pounded because I knew my dad wanted to discuss last night’s events. Sure enough, he looked at me and asked about Atlas, “I don’t want to meddle in your relationships, but you just got out of a failed marriage.

“I don’t want to see you get hurt again. I’ve researched Atlas—his family background doesn’t quite match ours. I’m worried about how your relationship will turn out.”

I choked on my food, knowing my dad wasn’t entirely convinced about Atlas. “Dad, I’m sorry for making you worry,” I swallowed my food and continued, “You don’t need to be overly concerned. I know what I’m doing and what I want.

“Atlas and I are just friends. Even though he’s been good to me, I haven’t considered anything else. I want to work on my company first and worry about other things later. I’m just going with the flow.”

I pushed around the food on my plate, unsure how to reassure my dad.

“Mr. Atlas has been a great help to me. I can fully break free from Matthew and suppress that asshole when I