Chapter 7 – Between the Past and the Future
Adrian stared at Evelyn, his body tense, his fingers curling around the edge of the table.
"Your father's death wasn't an accident."
The words rang in his head like a gunshot.
He had spent years trying to piece together what happened to him.
But he had never once thought about his father's death. Because he believed it was just an accident.
Now, everything felt different.
Like the ground beneath him had never been solid to begin with.
Evelyn sat across from him, her hands still gripping the letters. Her face was pale, her lips pressed together as if she was trying not to fall apart.
Adrian wanted to reach for her. To tell her that it would be okay.
But he couldn't.
Because for the first time in seven years, he wasn't sure if anything would be okay.
And then—
A voice broke through the silence.
"Evelyn?"
She froze.
Adrian's head snapped up just in time to see a man standing by the entrance of the café.
Tall. Dark hair. Familiar brown eyes.
Michael.
Evelyn's fiancé.
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A Clash of Two Worlds
Michael's gaze flickered between them, his expression unreadable. But Adrian could see the tension in his shoulders, the way his fingers curled slightly at his sides.
His eyes landed on the stack of letters on the table.
Then on Adrian.
Then back to Evelyn.
"What's going on?" Michael asked, his voice calm—but not in a good way. It was the kind of calm that came before a storm.
Evelyn opened her mouth, then closed it again.
Adrian could see it—the way she struggled for words. The way guilt flashed across her face, even though she had nothing to feel guilty for.
Michael took a step closer. "Ev?"
Adrian exhaled and leaned back in his chair.
"I was just leaving," he said, pushing his chair back.
Evelyn snapped her head toward him. "Wait—"
Michael's eyes narrowed.
Adrian didn't want to start a fight. He had no right to.
Seven years had passed. Evelyn had built a new life.
And in that life, Michael was the man beside her.
Not him.
But then—
Evelyn stood up.
And Adrian could tell, just from the way Michael looked at her, that he wasn't expecting that.
"I need to talk to him," she said softly.
Michael's jaw clenched. "Evelyn—"
"I need answers," she interrupted, her voice firmer now. "And you deserve answers too."
Michael's expression hardened.
"This is about the letters, isn't it?" he asked, nodding toward the table.
Evelyn hesitated.
Michael let out a slow breath, running a hand through his hair. "I was hoping we could talk about this at home, Ev. But instead, I find you sitting here with him."
Adrian clenched his fists.
He wasn't stupid.
Michael wasn't angry about the letters.
He was angry because Evelyn had come here to see Adrian at all.
And in a way, Adrian couldn't even blame him.
But that didn't mean he was going to walk away now.
Not when they were so close to the truth.
Michael looked at Evelyn. "Are you coming home?"
A beat of silence.
Then—
Evelyn exhaled. "Michael, please—"
Michael shook his head. Tension rolled off of him in waves.
"You know what?" he said, his voice eerily even. "Fine. Do whatever you need to do. But don't expect me to wait forever, Ev."
With that, he turned around and walked out the door.
Evelyn flinched at the sound of the bell jingling above the entrance.
Adrian watched her, waiting.
She stared at the door for a long moment.
Then, she took a deep breath and turned back to him.
"Tell me everything you remember about your father's death," she said.
And just like that—
The past pulled them both in.
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