Chapter -9

Ian's POV

I had no personal time. My days were an endless loop—waking up, coming to the office, attending meetings, then going home just to do it all over again. It was exhausting, but at least it kept me from thinking.

But ever since Evelyn died, the thought of her had been haunting me relentlessly. She was everywhere. In the silence of my office. In the reflection of my car window. In the damn way the air felt heavier every time I breathed. I was losing my mind, drowning in memories I had spent years trying to suppress.

It had been seven days since her death. Seven days of hell. My life had never felt so empty, so meaningless. I tried to push through—pretend that I was fine, that I had moved on—but the truth was suffocating. No matter how much I lied to myself, I couldn't escape it anymore.

I still had feelings for her. I had just been suppressing them.

By the time my last meeting ended, I couldn't take it anymore. My chest felt tight, my hands clammy. I needed to do something. Anything.

So, I drove.

I wasn't sure where I was going at first, but my heart already knew the destination. I found myself pulling up in front of a flower shop. My hands gripped the steering wheel tightly before I let out a shaky breath and stepped out.

Red roses.

She loved them.

I picked out the biggest bouquet they had. I had never once given her flowers when she was alive. Not because I didn't want to, but because I thought there would always be time.

I was wrong.

With the bouquet in my hands, I got back in the car and drove to the graveyard.

I needed to face this. I needed to accept it.

Even if it destroyed me.

The graveyard was eerily quiet. A biting wind swept through the trees, making the dried leaves rustle like whispers of the dead. My footsteps felt heavy against the stone pathway as I walked toward her grave.

I had never attended her funeral.

Not because I didn't care. But because I couldn't.

The moment I heard about her death, I shut down. Pretended it didn't happen. That she was still out there somewhere, just out of reach. If I had gone to her funeral, it would have been real. It would have been final.

But now, standing here, I had no choice but to accept it.

She was gone.

Her name was engraved in bold letters on the marble tombstone, a cruel reminder that she was nothing more than a memory now. My fingers trembled as I set the bouquet down, the scent of fresh roses mixing with the cold, damp air.

I stared at the stone for what felt like an eternity. My chest ached like someone had carved a hollow space inside me.

"Are you happy now, Evelyn?"

My voice came out hoarse, barely above a whisper.

"You got what you wanted. You left. You broke me. And now you're gone. And I... I don't know what the hell to do with myself anymore."

I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat making it difficult to breathe.

My eyes burned.

I didn't even realize I was crying until the first tear splashed onto my hand.

I thought I had no tears left for her.

I was wrong.

I sank to my knees, my fingers brushing against the cold stone. The weight of everything came crashing down all at once. The years I spent trying to forget her, the wounds I never let heal, the truth I refused to face.

I still loved her.

Even after all the pain.

Even after everything she did to me.

And now... now she was just a name on a goddamn tombstone.

I sank down beside her tombstone, the weight of my grief pressing down on me. My fingers traced the rough engraving of her name as if touching it would somehow bring her back. I closed my eyes, exhaling shakily.

And then—

Everything disappeared.

The cold wind, the scent of roses, the damp earth beneath my knees—all of it vanished.

I was back in the abyss.

That endless, blinding white void.

The air was still. Silent.

Then, the voice echoed again, deep and omnipotent, resonating through every fiber of my being.

"Tell me your answer, Ian. Do you want to save her or not?"

I stiffened, my pulse pounding in my ears.

Save her?

The words sent a jolt of disbelief through me.

How was that even possible? She was dead. Buried. Gone.

But... if this entity—this God—was offering me a choice, did it mean I could bring her back?

My breath came out uneven as my mind spun with questions.

Did she even deserve saving?

She had broken me. Lied to me. Used me.

And yet...

I still loved her.

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms.

"If I save her... does that mean I have to go back to that day? To before she died?" I asked, my voice unsteady.

There was a pause before the voice responded.

"You will return to the moment she needed saving the most. The moment when fate was sealed."

A chill ran down my spine.

That meant I'd have to face her again. See her alive, breathing, standing in front of me—knowing what was to come.

Was I ready for that?

Was I strong enough?

I inhaled sharply. My head was a storm of emotions. Love. Pain. Betrayal. Regret.

But beneath it all...

Hope.

A chance.

My fingers twitched at my sides.

"What will you do, Ian Sinclair?" the voice urged.

I swallowed hard.

And then, I made my choice.

"Yes... I will do it. I want to save her."

The moment the words left my lips, the abyss shattered.

Light exploded around me, swallowing everything in a blinding flash. My body felt weightless, like I was being pulled through time itself. My breath hitched, my heart slamming against my ribs as the sensation of falling gripped me—

And then, just as suddenly as it began—

I was there.

The scent of damp earth and fresh grass hit me first. The distant sound of laughter, birds chirping, leaves rustling in the breeze. The weight of reality settled on my shoulders.

I knew this place.

The park.

My body stiffened. My breathing turned shallow.

I recognized the towering oak tree just a few feet ahead. The same tree I had once sat under, crying my heart out as my world fell apart.

I turned my head slowly, terrified of what I might see.

And there she was.

Evelyn.

Alive.

I felt my chest tighten as I took in the sight of her.

She was sitting on the park bench, her back to me, her long hair cascading down her shoulders, just the way I remembered. The wind played with the strands, lifting them slightly before letting them fall. She was wearing the same pale blue dress—the one she had worn that day.

My stomach twisted.

This was it.

This was the day.

The day she broke me. The day she left. The day I lost her.

But now... I had a chance.

A chance to change everything.

My hands trembled as I took a step forward, my heart thundering in my chest.

Would she remember any of this? Would she still choose to leave?

Would I even be able to stop what was meant to happen?

I swallowed hard, steadying myself.

This time, I wouldn't let her go.