Chapter 12

One by one, the lights began to go out.

Staff left, murmuring goodnights, heels clicking against marble, doors closing gently behind them. I stayed still at my desk, acting busy—but I was listening. Counting. Waiting.

And then, silence.

The whole building was empty… except for me.

And him.

My phone buzzed, cutting through the stillness. The screen lit up with Noah's name. My heart softened instantly.

I picked up. "Hello, dear."

"Mom," came his sleepy, whiny voice. "When are you coming back? Me and Dane are waiting…"

Before I could even reply, a shadow moved in front of me.

My throat went dry.

Ethan Cole stood there.

I froze, phone still in hand, Noah's voice still drifting through the speaker, though I couldn't hear the words anymore. Just the sound of my own heartbeat—thudding far too loud.

Did he hear?

He didn't say anything at first. Just… looked at me.

Finally, he spoke, voice low, playful, but sharp at the edges. "Are you waiting for me, Ms. Maya?" His smirk tugged at one corner of his mouth. "Because it seems we're the only two left in this building."

I hated how he made it sound like I planned it. Like I wanted this.

Like he still had power over me.

I stood from my chair, shutting off the call quietly. My expression hardened.

"I don't like the way you're acting," I said coolly. "As if the world revolves around you. As if I'm just some puppet in your game."

I stepped closer, not backing down this time.

"I'm hiding something, sure," I continued, holding his gaze. "But I'm not the same timid Maya anymore."

His smirk didn't falter, but his eyes flickered—just for a second.

"Timid, huh?" he murmured. "That's not the Maya I remember."

"No, it's not," I replied, chin high. "That Maya is gone."

"I have work," I added, brushing past him. "And no, it doesn't involve you."

"But it seems everything does," he said softly behind me, his voice laced with something unreadable. I turned slightly and caught the look on his face.

I couldn't place it. Not anger. Not amusement. Not even mockery.

Just… something I hadn't seen before.

He wasn't a man of many expressions.

At least, not the Ethan I knew six years ago.

But this Ethan? The one who returned from nowhere, flipped my world on its axis, stared at me like he was trying to solve a riddle?

He had changed.

Another call.

Dane.

I hesitated—but just for a moment.

Then I answered. "Hey, Dane?"

"Maya," he said, tone tight. "When are you coming back? Noah seems really down. He's not sleeping."

My heart clenched.

"I'll come," I said quietly. "I'll be there soon."

I grabbed my purse, gave Ethan one last glance, and walked toward the door.

But then—

His hand.

On my arm.

In one swift movement, I was backed against the wall, his hand pressed beside my head, trapping me there. The shock didn't come from the gesture itself—but from his eyes.

They were bloodshot.

Tired. Raw. Something simmering beneath the surface.

"Let me go," I said, voice low but firm.

He didn't move. Just stared. The storm in his eyes more intense than I'd ever seen.

And yet…

Something in me wasn't scared.

Because I could see it now—his chaos wasn't about control. It was about confusion. Desperation. Emotion he didn't know what to do with.

Still.

I wasn't the same Maya anymore.

"You're nothing in my life anymore," I said, quiet but unwavering. "So don't act like you are."

This time, he froze.