Lucia walked away from the spot where the car had left her, each step feeling like a declaration of freedom, though her heart weighed heavily. As the cold bit into her skin, she pulled out her phone and dialed the one person she could trust to show up without asking too many questions—Mattias.
"Hey, Mattias," she said, her voice steady despite the turmoil within. "Can you pick me up? I'll send you my location."
"Of course, boss," Mattias answered without hesitation. "On my way."
She hung up and sighed. She wasn't going back to Chelsea. Ever. She had no plans to see Malcolm unless absolutely necessary, like at family dinners. She would stay at her childhood home, the place where she could feel grounded again.
The chill seeped into her bones as she waited, but she refused to let herself break. After half an hour, a sleek car pulled up, and Mattias stepped out, his usual energy radiating.
"Lucia! What are you doing out here in the cold?" he exclaimed, pulling her into a quick hug before ushering her into the warmth of the car.
As soon as they were seated, his barrage of questions began.
"Where's your husband, Lucia? Why are you alone by the roadside? When's the honeymoon? How do you feel as a married woman? Does he treat you well?"
"Mattias…" Lucia warned, her irritation barely contained.
He ignored her tone, leaning in closer. "Come on, spill! Everyone's dying to know!"
"I don't have a husband!" Lucia yelled, her voice cracking with emotion. The car went silent, and Mattias stared at her, startled.
"Lucia…"
"He doesn't want me, and I don't want him either," she snapped, tears threatening to spill but held back by sheer force of will. "To him, I'm just a replacement for his ex-girlfriend. And trust me, I hate it."
Mattias clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. "That bastard! How dare he treat you like this?"
"Where is he now?" he demanded, his anger bubbling over.
Lucia laughed bitterly. "What could you possibly do to Malcolm Sterling?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.
"Are you serious right now?" Mattias glared at her, his protective instincts flaring.
"Hey, stop glaring at your boss if you want to keep your job," Lucia teased, folding her arms.
Mattias knew she was trying to be strong, but he also knew the weight she carried. "May Malcolm get his heart broken again. That bastard deserves every bad thing that comes his way," he muttered.
Lucia smirked. "Call Celine. Let's party tonight."
"Okay, ma'am," Mattias said, pulling out his phone.
"Snap out of it," she scolded, rolling her eyes.
Mattias chuckled. "What would you do without me, your best friend?"
"Probably have some peace and quiet," she shot back, though her lips twitched in a faint smile.
He laughed as he stepped on the gas, the tension easing slightly.
---
Meanwhile, Malcolm leaned back in the car seat, his thoughts solely on Stephanie. As soon as the car sped away from where he had left Lucia, he pulled out his phone and dialed the number he had memorized by heart.
"I'm on my way," he said gently, his tone soft enough to surprise Morgan, who glanced at him in the rearview mirror.
Malcolm had tasked Morgan with finding Stephanie three months ago, and he had succeeded just a day before the wedding. Unfortunately, by the time Morgan managed to get through to Malcolm, the wedding was over. The news had only deepened Malcolm's resentment toward Lucia, though he knew it wasn't her fault.
The car pulled up to one of Malcolm's numerous villas, the one where he had ordered Morgan to keep Stephanie. His heart pounded as he stepped inside, memories of their time together flooding his mind.
The moment he saw her, his thoughts unraveled. She looked so pale, so thin compared to how he remembered her. The anger he had harbored softened into something gentler, though the betrayal still lingered.
"Stephanie," he called, his voice trembling slightly.
She turned, and the tears streaming down her face undid him. He crossed the room in three quick strides, pulling her into his arms.
Her thin frame felt fragile, almost breakable, and he hated seeing her like this. "I missed you," he whispered, his voice breaking.
Morgan stood in the doorway, observing the scene with a neutral expression. He couldn't understand what his boss saw in Stephanie. When he had first found her on that remote island, he had doubted it was the same woman Malcolm had spoken of. Compared to Lucia, Stephanie seemed like a shadow of a person.
"Leave us," Malcolm ordered, not even glancing back.
Morgan nodded and stepped out, closing the door behind him.
Malcolm released Stephanie from his embrace and guided her to sit down. He sat across from her, his eyes scanning her face for answers.
"Why, Stephanie?" he finally asked, his voice hoarse. "Why did you cheat on me? Why did you leave?"
Her lips trembled, but no words came out. The silence stretched between them, heavy with unspoken truths.
Malcolm's frustration grew, but he couldn't bring himself to push her. He had spent so long longing for this moment, dreaming of the day she would explain everything. Yet now that she was here, he realized he wasn't prepared for the pain that came with it.
Stephanie finally spoke, her voice barely audible. "I was scared, Malcolm. Scared of what we had, scared of what I could lose. So I ran… and I made a mistake."
Her confession was like a dagger to his chest. He wanted to rage at her, to demand why she hadn't trusted him, but all he could do was stare at her, his heart breaking all over again.
"I never stopped loving you," she whispered, her tears falling freely.
Malcolm reached out, brushing a tear from her cheek. His resolve faltered, and he knew that no matter how much she had hurt him, he couldn't let her go.
But somewhere deep in his mind, a voice whispered, reminding him of the woman he had left standing by the roadside.
---
Lucia and Mattias arrived at her childhood home, the familiarity of the space comforting her. She pushed Malcolm and Stephanie from her mind, focusing instead on planning the evening.
As they prepared for the party, Mattias made it his mission to cheer her up, cracking jokes and teasing her relentlessly. By the time Celine arrived, Lucia found herself smiling for the first time in days.
But as the night wore on, a part of her couldn't shake the image of Malcolm's cold expression as he left her.
She would survive this, she told herself. She always did.