It was supposed to be just another miserable day.
Amelia pulled the frayed edges of her coat tighter around her, her steps quick and cautious through the upscale district she had no business being in.
Her head remained lowered, her eyes glued to the icy pavement.
One wrong glance upward, and she'd remember everything she tried so desperately to forget.
Her stomach twisted with a familiar, nauseating cramp.
Her free hand instinctively pressed to her belly, where life stirred faintly beneath her ribs.
The baby.
Her only reason to keep walking.
Her only reason not to collapse and let the bitter winter swallow her whole.
Without warning, a sleek black luxury car screeched to a halt just inches from her feet.
The sharp smell of burnt rubber filled the air.
Amelia's heart leapt into her throat as she stumbled backward, her hand flying to her chest.
The car door swung open.
Polished black shoes stepped out first, then long, commanding legs in tailored slacks.
And then…
That face.
Sharp, cold, and devastatingly familiar.
Ethan Blake.
For a heartbeat, the world seemed to freeze.
Her chest constricted painfully as her eyes locked with his.
The last time she saw him, he had turned his back and walked away without a word.
Now, he stood before her again—just as untouchable, just as infuriatingly perfect.
But something was different.
His eyes…
For the first time, she saw regret flicker behind them like a dying flame struggling to stay alive.
Ethan took a slow step forward, his voice low and rough like sandpaper over old wounds.
"Amelia…?"
Her lips parted, but no words came out.
The weight of everything—betrayal, heartbreak, and now this unexpected, cruel reunion—crashed over her like a tidal wave.
Her fingers curled into fists at her sides.
The bitter wind whipped through her hair, and for a moment, she looked every bit the tragic heroine from a shattered love story.
But then…
Her back straightened.
Her chin lifted.
And with eyes colder than the winter storm swirling around them, she met his gaze head-on.
"Mr. Blake," she said, her voice as sharp and polished as the glass towers surrounding them.
"I believe you're standing in my way."
She stepped past him without another glance, her footsteps echoing defiantly across the icy pavement.
Ethan stood rooted in place, his fists clenched, his mind racing.
She was different now.
Stronger.
Untouchable.
And for the first time in his life…
He wasn't sure if he could ever reach her again.