Chapter 5 I Just Wanted To Make Sure You Were Alright

Not a minute after stepping out of the Morgan estate, Maia pulled out her phone and made a single call.

"Cut off all dealings with the Morgan family. Effective immediately."

The call ended, and she slid the phone back into her coat pocket, turning around to give the house behind her one last, lingering look.

That place no longer felt familiar. It might as well have belonged to a different lifetime.

Everything that tied her to the Morgans was over. From here on, there would be no turning back.

Drawing in a slow breath, Maia gathered herself.

But just as she turned to walk away, she collided hard into a solid figure.

The sudden impact made her stumble, but before she could fall, a hand reached out and caught her firmly by the arm.

"Maia?" a deep voice asked.

Her head tilted up, and for a rare moment, emotion flickered across her usually unreadable gaze.

She hadn't thought her heart could still react like that. Yet somehow, it skipped more than just a beat.

Of all people, it was Vince Ward standing in front of her - the son of Wront's powerful Ward family, her ex-fiancé.

Out of instinct, she yanked her arm free and put a few paces of space between them.

Vince's brows tightened ever so slightly as he took in her cold, unreadable face.

The woman standing there hardly resembled the bright, cheerful girl from the Morgan family Maia used to be.

"You... came back," he said softly, choosing his words with care. He didn't say "got out" - perhaps to spare her dignity - but the gesture only made her chest tighten with disdain.

There had been a time when she loved him out loud, without shame.

She had spoiled him, learned to cook just to see him smile, done everything to win his affection.

But he had never given her more than silence. He never once claimed her in public, never called her his. Still, she held a firm belief, convinced that kindness would melt the wall he kept so firmly built.

And yet, on the day her world collapsed - when she was framed and wrongly accused - he stood right there.

But he had stood by Rosanna's side, and the disgust and warning in his eyes matched those of the Morgans perfectly.

Not a single word of defense had come from Vince when she needed it most.

Years ago, it was Rosanna's grandfather who had pulled Vince's father from the wreckage of an accident. That one act of heroism had sealed a marriage promise between two families.

Back then, the Morgan family's daughter had been Maia. Now, the daughter was Rosanna.

Naturally, the arrangement had fallen onto Rosanna.

So Vince siding with Rosanna wasn't surprising - it was expected.

But even now, whenever Maia thought back on it, a soft ache tugged at her heart.

She tucked that pain away behind a polite smile, lifting her chin. "You must be here for Rosanna, Mr. Ward. I hear the engagement's coming up. Congratulations."

She used to call him "Vince" with warmth, and now, being addressed so formally made him realize that the gap between them had been wider.

Something twisted in Vince's chest, sudden and sharp.

He stared at her, his voice rough around the edges. "Four years, Maia... and that's all you've got to say?"

Back then, Maia would talk his ear off whenever she was near. Now, all he felt from her was a chill and a wall he couldn't get past.

Her silence made his frown deepen, the quiet stretching too long.

After a beat, he nodded toward the Morgan family villa behind her. "I heard your family came to pick you up today. Why are you already walking away?"

Maia replied, "That's none of your business."

Though her tone was cool, her eyes - bright and guarded - flickered with something unspoken.

Those words struck Vince harder than he expected. "I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

A bitter laugh escaped Maia's lips. "Seems like your concern's pointed in the wrong direction, Mr. Ward. Shouldn't it be aimed at your girlfriend? You're nearly engaged, aren't you? Imagine Rosanna catching you circling around me - how do you think she'd take that? So, is the plan now to turn your back on the real Morgan daughter just to chase after someone like me - a woman branded by a criminal past?"

No words followed from Vince. There was just silence - the same kind that had cut through her four years ago.

Maia let out a sharp, humorless snort. "Why don't you do us both a favor and stay out of my sight, Mr. Ward?"

But Vince's hand shot out, grabbing her wrist before she could take another step.

He held on, refusing to let go. His voice dropped to a hush, rough with emotion. His eyes were turning red. "Maia, it's true. Rosanna and I are getting engaged. But things don't have to be any different - if you're willing, we could still go back to the way things were."