CHAPTER 43

It was 11 p.m., and the quiet of the apartment felt heavier than usual. Ember had just finished nursing, and I was in the kitchen, trying to prepare her bottle for when she'd wake up in the next hour, always anticipating her needs. It had become my routine, my new reality—the one I had created after everything that had happened. The world outside felt so far from the sanctuary I had built for myself and Ember. My thoughts were consumed by the way things had ended with Alexander. My revenge had been so sweet at first, seeing him crumble, watching his perfect life shatter... yet, somewhere deep inside, a part of me longed for him. Even after all that he had done, I couldn't just turn off the love that had once existed between us.

As I was walking out of the kitchen, bottle in hand, ready to place it on the counter beside Ember's crib, I heard the doorbell. It echoed through the apartment like a warning. My heart skipped in my chest, and my breath caught for a moment. At this hour? Who could it be? Nobody ever came to visit me at night, especially not unannounced.

I walked cautiously toward the door, my curiosity gnawing at me. I pressed my eye to the peephole, and what I saw almost made my heart stop. There he was, standing outside in the cold, holding a bouquet of flowers in his hands. Alexander.

My mind spun as a whirlwind of emotions hit me all at once—rage, love, excitement, and a deep sadness. How could he come here now, after everything? After all that I had gone through, after the months of pain, deceit, and my careful plans to ruin him? Yet here he was, standing at my door, looking as if he had lost everything. I felt everything crash inside me. Every feeling that had once lived within me for him, every piece of rage and betrayal, and the tiny flicker of hope I had buried, rose to the surface.

I took a breath, trying to steady myself. I couldn't let him see how much he still affected me. Not now. Not when everything was so fragile. I opened the door, my hands trembling, and forced myself to meet his eyes. I couldn't let him know just how much I had been waiting for this moment, how much I had longed for him to come crawling back.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, my voice steadier than I felt.

Alexander looked at me as if he hadn't seen me in years. His eyes were tired, haunted, and he seemed smaller somehow—smaller than the man who had once towered over me. He didn't say anything at first, his gaze dropping to the floor and then lifting to meet my eyes again. His lips parted, but the words didn't come immediately. He looked like he was searching for something, for the right way to say what was undoubtedly a difficult thing.

I swallowed, trying to keep my anger from boiling over. "Why are you here, Alexander?"

He hesitated. The guilt was written all over his face, the regret in his eyes. Then, his gaze fell to my stomach. His face fell even more when he realized it was no longer round, no longer carrying the life that had once been inside me.

"Where's the baby?" he asked, his voice strained, almost frantic.

I felt a sharp pang in my chest, but I held my ground. "It's none of your business," I replied coldly, biting back everything I wanted to say to him, everything that was screaming at me.

I could see the hurt in his eyes. His shoulders slumped, as if the realization of what he had done—the devastation he had caused me—was sinking in. But I wasn't ready to give in. Not yet.

"Please, Isabella," he whispered, his voice low, full of desperation. "Let me see her. Please."

I stood there for a moment, frozen. The conflict raged inside me. A part of me wanted to slam the door in his face, to remind him of everything he had done, to let him see how much his betrayal had broken me. But then there was another part of me, the one that still loved him despite everything, the part that just wanted him to feel some sense of connection to the life we had created.

I took a deep breath, my hands shaking as I stepped aside. "Fine," I said, my voice quiet, but firm. "You can see her. But don't think this changes anything."

I led him into the living room, where Ember was lying in her crib, her tiny arms and legs moving in the peaceful sleep she had fallen into. Alexander approached cautiously, his eyes full of wonder and regret. When he saw her, his breath caught. His eyes watered as he reached out, as if unsure whether he was allowed to touch her, but then he did. His fingers brushed over her tiny hand, and I saw the tears well up in his eyes.

"She's... she's beautiful," he whispered, his voice breaking. "I can't believe I almost lost her. I'm sorry, Isabella. I'm so sorry for everything."

His words hung in the air like poison. I had to fight back the storm of emotions that threatened to overtake me. This wasn't supposed to be about redemption. This was about him realizing the destruction he had caused, the betrayal he had forced me to endure.

He turned to me, his voice shaking. "I should've never pushed you into that decision. I should've never treated you like that. I'm so sorry, Isabella. I wish I could go back and fix everything. I would've... I would've done anything to make it right."

I closed my eyes, my hands curling into fists at my sides. I couldn't look at him right now. Not without feeling everything—everything I had buried inside, everything I had worked so hard to keep buried.

"Why did you have to hurt me like that?" I asked, my voice thick with emotion. "Why did you lie to me? Why didn't you just tell me the truth?"

He stood there in silence for a moment, then finally spoke, his voice almost too soft to hear. "I was scared," he confessed. "I was scared of losing everything I had worked for. But in the end, I lost it all anyway. I ruined everything, Isabella... including you. And now, I can't change it. I don't expect you to forgive me. I don't expect you to take me back. But I need you to know that I am so sorry. For everything."

I looked away, trying to keep the tears from falling, trying to keep my heart from shattering in front of him. "And now that everything's fallen apart, now you run back to me?" I asked bitterly. "Now you want me to take you back into my life? After everything?"

Alexander didn't answer. He just stood there, his face full of regret and shame, knowing that no matter what he said, it would never be enough.

"I'm still hurt, Alexander," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "You destroyed me. You destroyed everything I had, everything I was. And now you want me to believe that it was all a mistake? That you love me? That you care?"

He stepped closer, his voice thick with emotion. "I never stopped loving you. And I never will. But I understand if you can't trust me. I understand if you can't forgive me. But please, let me prove to you that I am different now."

I closed my eyes, the weight of everything crushing me. I wasn't sure what I wanted anymore. I wasn't sure what was right. But I wasn't ready to let him back in. Not yet.

"I'll think about it," I said softly, finally meeting his gaze. "I'm still hurt. And I don't know if letting you back in is the best decision yet."

And with that, I turned, my heart torn between the love I once had for him and the pain he had caused me.