Made up

Melody stood frozen in place, her heart racing as Ethan suddenly dropped to his knees before her.

The sight was bewildering; Ethan, begging for forgiveness.

She felt a tug at her heart. She was tempted to forgive him and make up, but she didn't want to give in too easily. She didn't want to look desperate.

Good men like him were rare, but she reminded herself of the countless opportunities out there. If he continued to act foolishly, she wouldn't hesitate to sever their bond.

Ethan cupped his trembling hands in front of her, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I'm truly sorry, Melody," he pleaded, his voice thick with emotion.

"I swear I had no intention of hurting you. I realize that my lack of communication only added to your pain. I truly regret putting my work before us." The bitterness in his tone, held a captivating power that began to soothe her emotions.

"I did it for you," he went on, desperation creeping into his voice.

"For us. I know how deeply you crave a stress-free life, and I've been working tirelessly to provide that. The business trip was crucial—I was non-stop, accomplishing tasks that seemed endless. I don't want to use that as an excuse, Melody. Please, just grant me a second chance; this won't happen again, I promise. I can't imagine my life without you." His voice cracked, each word laden with a depth of feeling that tugged at her heart.

Melody bit her lower lip, her lashes fluttering as his words sank in. Could it be true? What if his intentions were genuine?

From a distance, Maverick observed Ethan's display, his brow furrowed with concern for Melody, knowing that she was being played by Ethan.

He studied Melody, wondering how she would respond. As a man, he could see through Ethan's tactic—a manipulation to secure his desires.

Ethan didn't truly love Melody and Maverick silently wished she could see through the façade, hoping she wouldn't allow herself to be fooled by him.

But her expression only got softer. The anger that once clouded her face faded, replaced by contemplation.

She was dangerously close to forgiving Ethan, and it was a gut-wrenching sight.

Maverick desired to intervene, to rescue her from this emotional trap, but he knew he couldn't. This was her relationship, her decision to make. If she chose to take Ethan back, then it was up to her .

He needed to protect his feelings, to not act rashly out of jealousy or despair.

Maverick distracted himself instead as he powered on his phone—after keeping it off for days—he was greeted by a flood of missed calls from Blade. With a resigned sigh, he closed his eyes, bracing himself for the inevitable conversation. Just then, the phone rang and he stood up, heading for the door.

"I can't lose you, Melody. You're the only woman in my life," he heard Ethan's voice echoing behind him, laced with desperation. "We've had so many plans, so many memories. You can't sacrifice all that just because you're angry. I promise, I'll change—"

Maverick clenched his teeth as he exited through the door, shutting it behind him with a firm click.

Once outside, he walked through the sunlit corridors, and soon found himself leaning against the balcony railing.

With a deep breath, he tapped the answer button on his phone, knowing Blade was waiting on the other end.

"Are you healed now?" he teased, trying to lighten the oppressive weight in his chest.

Blade's lively banter cut through the tension. "Yeah, sure! You're one tough guy, aren't you? Do you even know how many times I called?"

"Thirty, perhaps?" Maverick raised an eyebrow, sarcasm dripping from his words.

Blade snorted, his amusement evident. "Not enough. So, what's up? I haven't heard from you since all these days."

Maverick sighed, a hint of irritation threading through his voice. "Blade, it's only been a week since I left. You can't play the role of my mother. I'm fine."

"This is how you treat those who care about you; that's disappointing, Maverick," Blade mused. "Where are you staying? Did you find a hotel or something? I'm planning to come visit you. People here don't seem to care about me, so—"

"And I care?" Maverick shot back, a sly grin playing at the corners of his lips as he relished the chance to ruffle Blade's feathers.

"Maverick!" Blade whined.

"No, I didn't check into a hotel, and no, you cannot visit. Hasn't the boss assigned you any tasks yet? You can't be that free," Maverick replied with a frown, his thoughts drifting to the pressure of their work, which always hung over them like a storm cloud.

Blade sighed, "He hasn't said anything since the last time. So it looks like we're lying low for now," he added.

Maverick nodded slowly, contemplating Blade's words. "You didn't check in anywhere? Where are you staying, then?" Blade probed further, curiosity evident in his tone.

Maverick hesitated for a moment, before he finally responded, "I'm crashing at a friend's place."

"Friend? You? You must be joking. Which friend of yours do I know? Aside from me, of course," Blade pressed, disbelief coloring his voice.

"Just because you haven't met them doesn't mean they don't exist," Maverick countered.

"I'm staying with someone I consider very close," he added. Time had changed them both; and he wasn't sure if their relationship would still be the same. However, he was genuinely happy for Melody, who had chased her dreams and succeeded, while he wrestled with his disappointments.

"It's good to know you're not sleeping under a bridge or beside a dumpster. You're the only infamous bad guy I know who uses ill-gotten gains to do good. You could at least allow yourself some comfort, but instead, you choose to make your life harder. Anyway, Maverick, let's catch up another time. Just remember to pick up your phone," Blade rambled.

"Thanks for checking in," Maverick replied tersely, preparing to end the conversation.

Suddenly, a loud voice erupted through the line. "Yo, Blade! Get over here and grab our food! Stop lounging around!"

Maverick's eyebrows knitted together. "Is that Axe?" he queried, his fist clenching at the thought of what Axe could be putting Blade through.

"Yeah," Blade replied with a sigh, "He's been nagging me to run errands."

"You don't have to go, Blade," Maverick said, irritation lacing his tone.

"Not everyone is as strong as you, Maverick. If I stand up to him, I'll end up getting my ass kicked," Blade remarked with a weary sigh. "I need to go; we'll talk later," he added before hanging up.

Maverick stared at his phone for a moment before tucking the device into his jacket and then he turned away from the balcony, making his way toward Melody's door.

A sudden tightness in his chest made his heart race; an ominous feeling washed over him, as if something bad were going to happen soon.

When he finally opened the door, his heart dropped as he caught sight of Melody wrapped in Ethan's embrace.

She had made up with him.