r about the s

uldn't shake the unease that lingered in my chest, a storm of questions swirling inside me with no answers

t I could, his cold, distant demeanor pushed me further away. Instead, I found myself avoiding him more t

an old name popped u

d Ha

metown behind to move to the city. But seeing his name now, after everything I had been through, sent a flood of warmth ru

n the third

ght, familiar, with a hint of mischief. "Is this

ers of my lips. "Yeah, it'

d up in a certain *very public* marriage." He laughed, but I could hear the hint of c

but just hearing David's voice again made me feel like a part of me had woken up, one that had been as

in, softer this time. "Adjusting, huh? Want to grab coffee sometime and

o the small café we had agreed upon, I spotted him immediately. David stood out in the room with his boyish charm, his tousled dark hair a

y from the stiff, formal greetings I had grown accustomed to with Alexander. For a moment, I let myse

ut then his brow furrowed, and he frowned. "But... somet

ge. I sat down, avoiding his gaze as I stirred the cup of coffee in fron

aven't seen each other in forever, but I still care a

, the distance, the note that had thrown my life into disarray. I even mentioned the cryptic message from Isabella,

.. really messed up," he said once I finished. His eyes were filled with a mixture of worry a

down on me again. "But what am I supposed to do? I

"You don't have to do this alone, Sophia. I'm here now.

lming sense of relief. But then, almost as if the universe couldn't let me

turn around to

. Slowly, I looked over my shoulder, and there he was-tall, stoic, and impossibly intimidating. His ex

stiffening as well. "Alexander, nice t

ly shaking it. "David Harper. I've heard a lot about you," he said coolly, though his

flicker of irritation in his eyes. "And

ore Alexander spoke again. "I wasn't

raced, the tension between them thickening by the second. I opened my m

d said, his tone sharper than before. "I w

his jaw tightening. "Sophia

w feeling like a battlefield. And for the first time, I saw something in David that I ha

lacing a hand on David's arm. "David, it's fine. T

me, though the tension in his postur

ore turning to Alexander, who was watch

had never imagined that reconnecting with David would lead to this-a sudden, undeniable rift betwe