Elena
The city lights felt sharper after the calm of the lake house, the hum of traffic and neon signs rushing past the car window as we pulled back into downtown. My fingers still tingled from Zayden's touch earlier that morning, his hands tangled in mine, his lips pressed to my shoulder as we made breakfast in nothing but his old t-shirt.
But reality didn't wait long to intrude.
"Back to chaos," I mumbled.
Zayden smirked from the driver's seat. "Chaos follows us anyway."
I smiled…until we stepped into the office Monday morning.
At first, everything felt normal—until I met the eyes of the new intern. He was standing by the coffee machine, tall and far too confident, and his gaze lingered on me just a beat too long.
He approached me casually. "You're Elena, right? I'm Liam, the new intern in marketing. Heard a lot about you."
"Nice to meet you," I replied, stepping slightly back as his smile grew a little too wide.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Zayden freeze mid-conversation with a senior manager. His jaw tightened.
Liam added, "We should grab lunch sometime. I'd love to hear your story."
Before I could respond, Zayden's voice cut in, low and firm.
"She's busy." He appeared beside me, arm brushing against mine as he handed me a folder. "Now, Elena."
I followed, heart thumping. As soon as we were alone in his office, I turned. "You didn't have to growl at him."
Zayden raised a brow. "Didn't like how he looked at you."
I laughed. "Are you…jealous?"
He leaned in, his lips barely grazing mine. "Should I not be?"
Before I could tease him further, my phone buzzed.
A message from an unknown number:
"Long time no see. I'm in town—coffee?"
—Noah
My heart skipped.
Noah Wells. My college friend. The one who always stood a little too close, who had once told me he wanted more than friendship—right before I moved away.
I showed Zayden the message without a word.
His eyes scanned it. Then darkened.
"You're not going," he said.
I crossed my arms. "You don't get to tell me who I can have coffee with."
"You're mine now," he muttered.
It should've sounded possessive. But instead, it sounded like a plea.
---
Noah
She looked even more beautiful than I remembered.
From across the café window, I watched Elena walk in, her hair brushing her cheeks as she scanned the room. That same curious look in her eyes. The same thoughtful, stubborn grace in her movements.
She sat down, hesitant but polite. "Hey, Noah."
I smiled. "Hey, stranger."
We talked like old times—unspoken memories surfacing between our jokes. But it wasn't the same. She looked…taken. Like part of her already belonged to someone else.
But I had to try. I never stopped loving her.
---
Celeste
He still wouldn't return my calls. Still wouldn't look at me the same way.
But this wasn't over. I knew Zayden—he was tied by blood, by duty, and sooner or later, he'd stop playing this love game and do what his father demanded.
He'd marry me.
He always had a weakness for fixing broken things, and I'd make sure he saw how broken I was—how much I needed him.
I wasn't afraid of Elena. I just needed to find the right way to… remove her.
Elena
Back at the office, I returned from coffee with Noah to find Zayden already waiting in my office, pacing.
"You went anyway," he said.
"I told you—I needed closure," I replied, dropping my bag on the chair. "He's just a friend."
Zayden's eyes burned into mine. "He doesn't want to be your friend."
Silence thickened.
But instead of yelling, he walked up to me and cupped my face gently. "Don't push me away."
I nodded, and in the quiet that followed, I realized something…
There were too many people trying to pull us apart.
But the way Zayden looked at me—raw, protective, desperate—it made one thing clear.
He wasn't letting go without a fight.
---