Lila had spent the evening replaying their encounter over and over, her emotions a storm she couldn't calm.
She had stood tall, spoken firmly, walked away — yet, the moment she closed her apartment door, her breath hitched and tears welled up again. Not out of weakness, but out of frustration.
Why now?
Why after she had finally started to heal?
The next morning, she buried herself in work. The Aurora Media project was a collaboration with Voss Enterprises on a new global campaign — a series of brand visuals that would reach millions. It was a dream project. But now, it was tangled with her past.
During meetings, she avoided Ethan's eyes. When he spoke, his voice was calm, professional, but every syllable carried a shadow of regret. She caught him watching her sometimes — not with arrogance or pity, but with longing.
By lunchtime, she escaped to the rooftop café, craving silence.
The wind played with her hair as she sat overlooking the city, clutching her coffee like a shield.
She didn't notice him until he spoke.
"I didn't expect to see you again," Ethan said quietly, standing a few feet away.
Lila didn't turn. "You had your chance to explain. You chose silence instead."
He hesitated, then stepped closer. "There were reasons. Dangerous ones."
She finally looked at him, anger flickering behind her calm tone. "Ethan, I waited for you for hours — in a wedding dress, surrounded by people who pitied me. There's no reason that justifies that humiliation."
He flinched, the pain in her words slicing through him. "My family's company was under investigation then. I found out hours before the wedding that my father's dealings could implicate me — and you. If I married you, you'd be dragged into it. I couldn't risk your name, your career, your peace."
Lila froze. "So you ran instead of telling me the truth?"
"I thought I was protecting you," he said, voice cracking. "But walking away from you… it destroyed me."
For a moment, neither spoke. The city sounds faded into a distant hum.
Lila's anger softened, but only slightly. The truth hurt in a different way — not as betrayal, but as loss. He had abandoned her out of love, perhaps, but love tainted by pride and cowardice.
"You should've trusted me to stand with you," she whispered. "That's what love means."
Ethan's eyes filled with remorse. "I know. And I'll spend the rest of my life proving that I still deserve your forgiveness — if you'll even let me try."
She turned away, blinking back tears. "Don't promise me anything again, Ethan. Not until you learn to keep them."
As she walked off, the wind carried her words like a quiet declaration of strength — one that Ethan knew he could never forget.
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