The night had fallen into a deep stillness, the streets bathed in dim orange streetlights as Celia hurried down the sidewalk, clutching her jacket tighter around her. Her shift at the café had run late, and now every instinct screamed at her to get home as quickly as possible. The unsettling note she had found earlier that day had been burned into her mind. Someone had been in her apartment. They knew where she was. They had been watching.
A cold breeze whipped through the air, making her shiver as she glanced over her shoulder. The streets were empty, the sound of her footsteps the only thing breaking the silence. She wanted to believe it was all in her head, that her fear was amplifying every shadow, but her heart told her otherwise.
Celia could feel eyes on her.
Her hand instinctively moved to her belly, a protective gesture she had grown accustomed to. The twins were her only priority now—keeping them safe, no matter the cost. She had to leave New York, find somewhere else to start over, and disappear again before it was too late. But with every passing minute, her window to escape felt like it was closing.
She quickened her pace, her footsteps echoing in the quiet alleyway she had taken as a shortcut. The narrow street was dimly lit, with old brick buildings towering on either side. She had taken this route before, but tonight, it felt like a mistake.
Suddenly, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up.
There was movement behind her.
She whipped her head around, her breath catching in her throat. At first, she saw nothing—just the long stretch of empty pavement behind her. But then, out of the shadows, two figures emerged. They were dressed in black, their faces obscured by hoods. Something about their slow, deliberate pace sent a surge of panic through her.
Celia's instincts kicked in, and without thinking, she bolted.
Her legs moved faster than she thought possible, her heart thumping in her ears as she sprinted down the alley. The sound of footsteps behind her grew louder—closer. Whoever they were, they were following her.
The alley twisted and turned, but there was no way out. Celia's breath came in short gasps as she reached a dead end—a brick wall standing tall in front of her. She turned around, her back pressed against the cold wall, her eyes wide with fear.
The two men were approaching quickly now, their hands slipping under their jackets. She saw the gleam of something metal—a gun.
"Please," she whispered, clutching her belly, terror surging through her. "Please, don't—"
One of the men raised his gun, pointing it directly at her. Time seemed to slow down as Celia braced herself for the worst. Her heart pounded in her chest, every thought consumed by her babies, by the life they would never get to live.
But before the man could pull the trigger, a shadow moved behind him.
A blur of motion, fast and deadly, and then a gunshot rang out.
The man closest to Celia crumpled to the ground, his weapon clattering against the pavement. The second man whirled around, his gun raised, but it was too late. A dark figure had already closed the distance, disarming him with swift precision. Another gunshot echoed through the alley, and the second man dropped to the ground beside his partner, both of them motionless.
Celia was frozen, her breath coming in shallow gasps, her heart still racing. The alley was filled with the ringing echo of the shots, the metallic scent of gunpowder heavy in the air. Her gaze darted to the dark figure standing over the fallen men. She could barely make him out in the dim light, but she knew—she knew—who it was before he even turned to face her.
Ezra.
Her ex-husband stood there, his tall figure cloaked in darkness, his piercing eyes catching the faint glow of the streetlights as he stepped closer. He wore a black coat, the collar turned up against the cold night air, and in his hand, he held a gun, still smoking from the shots he'd fired.
For a moment, they just stared at each other, the silence between them thick with unspoken words, fear, and something else—something far more dangerous.
"Celia," Ezra's voice was low, rough, filled with tension she hadn't heard in so long. "You're not safe here."
Her legs trembled beneath her, but she forced herself to stand tall, to hold his gaze despite the overwhelming fear surging through her. "W-what are you doing here?" she managed to stammer, her voice barely audible over the thumping of her heart. "How did you find me?"
Ezra's jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing as he took another step forward, his gun now lowered but still in his hand. "You're in danger, Celia. I had to find you. These men—whoever they are—weren't the first to come after you."
She took a step back, her back pressed hard against the wall. "So what? You're suddenly my protector now? After everything you did? After you believed her over me?"
Ezra's expression darkened, but he didn't flinch. "I made mistakes, Celia. But this isn't about us right now. There's more going on than you realize."
Tears welled in her eyes, a mix of fear, anger, and confusion. She wanted to scream at him, to demand answers, but there was no time for that now. The men lying on the ground were proof that her life was in immediate danger.
"I don't need your protection," Celia spat, her voice shaking. "I don't need anything from you, Ezra."
Ezra's eyes softened, just for a moment, and for the first time in months, she saw a flash of the man she had once loved—the man she had believed in before everything fell apart. But the memory only fueled her anger.
"You can hate me all you want," he said quietly, his voice taut with restrained emotion. "But I'm not letting anyone hurt you."
Celia shook her head, her hands trembling as she pushed herself off the wall, moving past him as quickly as she could. "I can't do this," she whispered, her voice cracking. "I can't be near you."
Ezra reached out, as if to stop her, but hesitated. His hand hovered in the air between them, the space filled with everything they had lost.
"I didn't know about the twins," Ezra said, his voice barely above a whisper. "If I had—"
"Don't," Celia interrupted, her throat tight with emotion. "Don't make this about them. You didn't trust me when it mattered, Ezra. That's all there is to it."
Before he could say another word, Celia turned and ran, her steps echoing down the alleyway as she fled into the night. She didn't look back—she couldn't. Every part of her wanted to scream, to cry, to collapse from the overwhelming weight of what had just happened. But the only thing that mattered now was getting away.
As she rounded the corner and disappeared into the night, Ezra stood frozen, his gaze fixed on the empty space where she had been just moments before. His heart pounded in his chest, and for the first time in a long time, he felt helpless. He had saved her life tonight, but in doing so, he had realized something terrifying.
He had lost her all over again.
---
Hours Later
Celia slammed the door to her apartment shut, her chest heaving as she leaned against it. Her legs shook violently, and her hands wouldn't stop trembling. Her mind was a blur, racing with everything that had happened in the last few minutes.
Ezra had found her. He had saved her. And she had run.
She didn't know who those men were, or why they had come after her, but none of that mattered right now. All she could think about was the look in Ezra's eyes—the mixture of regret and pain that had been there, even as he held a gun in his hand.
He was dangerous. He was part of that dark world she had tried so hard to escape.
And yet, tonight, he had protected her.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she slid down to the floor, her arms wrapping around her knees. She felt trapped—trapped between the past she couldn't escape and the future she was desperately trying to build.
The twins kicked inside her, a reminder of the life growing within her, the life she had promised to protect at all costs. She couldn't afford to fall apart. Not now.
But the truth was, she didn't know what to do next. Ezra had warned her that this wasn't over—that there was more danger lurking in the shadows. And as much as she hated him for what had happened between them, part of her knew that he was the only one who could help her survive what was coming.
She wiped her tears and stood slowly, her mind spinning with questions and fears. Whatever happened next, one thing was clear: the storm was far from over.
And Ezra was right in the center of it.