Chapter 2 The Past Returns

The door closed behind him with a soft click.

I stared at his face, frozen.

His eyes looked tired, but there was still that familiar spark.

"Why are you here?" I asked, voice barely above a whisper.

He didn't answer.

He stepped inside, eyes scanning the room like he owned it.

"I heard you got married," he said finally. His voice was cold but held something else-a warning maybe.

"I didn't marry for love," I said quickly.

He laughed-a short, bitter sound.

"So, it's a deal? A contract?"

I nodded.

"Why didn't you call me?" he asked.

My throat tightened.

"I thought you left for good."

He looked away.

"I had my reasons."

"Reasons?" I repeated.

He didn't want to explain.

The tension was thick.

I wanted to scream, to cry.

But I kept quiet.

The silence stretched.

Finally, he broke it.

"I made a mistake," he said.

"Too late."

His eyes met mine, full of regret.

"I want you back."

I shook my head.

"Not now. I'm broken."

He took a step closer.

"Let me help you."

I pulled back.

"No. You hurt me."

The doorbell rang suddenly.

We both jumped.

I went to answer.

Liam Blackwood stood there, calm and unreadable.

His eyes flicked between me and the man inside.

"So," Liam said, voice sharp. "We meet again."

The man's jaw clenched.

"I'm leaving," he said to me.

I nodded.

He looked at Liam again. "This isn't over."

The door shut behind him.

Liam didn't move.

"I don't want trouble," I said.

Liam's eyes darkened.

"Trouble follows you."

He stepped inside.

"You belong to me now."

His words sent a chill down my spine.

That night, I lay awake, heart pounding.

The man who broke me wanted me back.

The man I married wanted control.

I felt trapped.

But I had to survive.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed.

A message from Liam.

"Meet me tomorrow. We need to talk."

I stared at the screen.

What did he want now?

The city lights outside blurred as I closed my eyes.

This marriage was no longer just a deal.

It was a battlefield.

And I was caught in the middle.

The door clicked shut behind him, and my heart raced like it might burst. I couldn't believe he was here - the man who left me when I was weakest. The one who said I was a mistake.

"Why are you here?" I whispered, my voice shaking.

He didn't answer right away. Instead, his eyes roamed the room - my small, lonely apartment, the only place I still had.

Finally, he spoke, his voice low and guarded. "I heard you got married."

I forced myself to stay calm. "Not for love. It's a business deal."

He scoffed. "A contract marriage. Of course."

I nodded, feeling small and tired all at once.

He looked down at his shoes. Then back up, eyes filled with something I didn't recognize - regret, maybe. Or pain.

"Why didn't you call me?" he asked, voice breaking just a little.

I swallowed hard. "I thought you left for good."

He sighed. "I had my reasons."

I wanted to press him, to demand answers. But I knew he wouldn't give me any.

"So you just walked away," I said, barely able to keep the hurt out of my voice.

He flinched but stayed silent.

The room grew heavy with silence. I wanted to say so much but didn't have the strength. Instead, I sat on the worn couch, my hands trembling.

Finally, he spoke again. "I made a mistake."

I looked up at him, hope flickering for a moment, then dying.

"Too late," I said, voice flat.

He took a small step closer. "Let me help you."

I shook my head slowly, tears threatening to spill. "You hurt me. You left me."

His jaw tightened. "I was afraid."

"Afraid of what?"

He didn't answer.

Before I could say more, the doorbell rang sharply.

We both jumped, and I rushed to answer.

There stood Liam Blackwood - tall, sharp, his dark eyes calm but unreadable.

His gaze swept between me and the man inside.

"So," Liam said, voice cold and steady. "We meet again."

The other man's jaw clenched, eyes narrowing.

"I'm leaving," he said, nodding toward me.

I didn't argue.

He looked back at Liam. "This isn't over."

The door shut behind him.

Liam didn't move. He watched the door for a long moment, then turned to me.

"I don't want trouble," I said, voice small.

His eyes darkened. "Trouble follows you, Amara."

He stepped inside, closing the door behind him.

"You belong to me now."

His words sent a cold shiver down my spine.

I wanted to push him away, to tell him I wasn't his to claim.

But I didn't say a word.

That night, sleep refused me.

My mind was a mess of memories and fears.

The man who left me wanted a second chance.

The man I married wanted control.

Both felt dangerous in different ways.

I felt trapped between two worlds.

The next day, Liam sent me a message.

"Meet me tomorrow. We need to talk."

I stared at the screen, my stomach twisting.

What did he want now?

Was this just another command or something more?

I spent hours pacing my small apartment, the silence pressing on me.

I wanted to call my ex, to scream at him, to ask why.

But I didn't.

Instead, I looked at the contract I signed - my new life, my cage.

The city lights flickered outside my window as I sat alone.

This marriage was no longer just a business deal.

It was becoming a battlefield.

And I wasn't sure who would win.