1. Eyes that shouldn’t meet

The scent of cinnamon and freshly brewed coffee wrapped around Zara Blake the moment she stepped into the café, stirring something deep inside her — a memory she had no business revisiting. The air was warm, almost stifling, and the low hum of conversations and clinking mugs filled the space. But none of it eased the tightness in her chest.

It had been five years. Five long years since she left this city and everything she thought she knew. She hadn't planned on coming back — not ever. But life had a way of dragging you to places you weren't ready to face.

Today was one of those days.

The heels of her designer boots clicked against the polished wooden floor as she walked in, her posture perfect, her steps measured. Zara Blake was nothing if not composed — or at least that's what she showed the world. A top corporate attorney with a reputation for never cracking under pressure. But right now, her calm was a fragile mask.

Get your coffee and leave.

That was the plan. Simple. Clean. But plans had never been her strength when it came to this city — or the memories that haunted it. And it took less than sixty seconds for everything to fall apart.

The sound of his laughter stopped her in her tracks.

It wasn't loud. It wasn't even the focus of the room. But it slid through the air like a warm current, wrapping around her and stealing her breath. Zara's fingers tightened around the strap of her bag, her body going still. She didn't have to look to know who it belonged to — some voices were unforgettable.

Aidan Grant's voice was one of them.

Her heart slammed against her ribs, and for one wild second, she considered running. Just turning on her heel and walking out like she'd never been there. But it was already too late. The pull was too strong, and the part of her she hated most — the part that still wanted to know if he'd changed, if he was happy — won.

Slowly, against every bit of common sense she had, Zara turned her head.

And their eyes met.

The world tilted.

Aidan was sitting at a table near the window, sunlight catching the sharp planes of his face. Time had only refined him — the boy she remembered was gone, replaced by a man who looked like he'd been carved from stone. His suit fit his broad shoulders perfectly, his dark skin glowing in the soft light. The hint of stubble along his strong jaw made him look a little more dangerous than she remembered. But it was his eyes — those deep, dark eyes — that unraveled her. They were exactly the same.

For a heartbeat, the rest of the café fell away. There was no noise, no scent of coffee, no five-year gap between them. There was only the weight of his gaze and the thousand things left unsaid.

And then his face hardened.

The warmth in his eyes vanished so quickly it felt like a slap. His jaw tightened, and the set of his shoulders shifted, his entire body going still. That's when Zara knew — whatever softness had been there once, whatever love they'd shared, was gone.

It shouldn't have hurt. But it did.

"Babe?"

The voice — soft, sweet, and unfamiliar — cut through the tension like a knife.

Zara's stomach dropped. She didn't want to look. She knew she shouldn't. But her eyes drifted anyway — and there she was. The woman sitting next to him was stunning. Not just beautiful in a way that turned heads, but effortless. She had the kind of elegance that made Zara acutely aware of every flaw she'd ever imagined she had. Smooth, glowing skin. Dark, perfect curls. A smile that could light up the entire room.

And then Zara saw the ring.

A diamond. Big, flawless, and impossible to miss. It sparkled in the light as the woman's hand slid into Aidan's, her fingers curling around his like it was the most natural thing in the world.

The room spun.

Fiancée.

Of course. What had she expected? That he'd be waiting? That five years of silence hadn't changed anything?

Her throat tightened. She needed to leave. Now. Before the walls she'd built started to crack.

"Everything okay?" The woman's voice was gentle, her gaze flicking between them with soft curiosity.

Aidan's grip on her hand tightened. "Yeah," he said, his voice perfectly even. Too even. "Everything's fine."

But his eyes never left Zara's.

And they told a different story.

The air grew thick, charged with something dangerous and unspoken. Zara's feet felt rooted to the spot, every part of her screaming at her to walk away. But her body wouldn't listen.

"Hi!" The woman's smile was warm, open. Oblivious. "I'm Nicole. Do you two know each other?"

Zara's mouth went dry. Aidan's entire body went still. His eyes darkened — a silent warning.

And that was all she needed to know.

He hadn't told her.

The weight of that truth settled heavily between them, suffocating. Zara forced a smile — the kind she'd perfected in boardrooms when the stakes were high and the knives were out. The kind that felt like shattering glass behind her ribs.

"No," she said softly, her voice steady even as everything inside her crumbled. "We don't."

She turned before the lie had time to settle.

But even as the café door swung shut behind her, she felt his eyes on her back.

And she knew with absolute certainty that this was far from over.