Chapter 5 The Truth Always Finds a Way.

It rained the next day. The kind of soft, misty rain that made the streets of San Francisco shimmer like they'd been washed in secrets.

Amara sat in her office at the gallery, the note Daniel had left tucked between two pages of an art catalog. She hadn't told anyone about it-not Lyla, not Ethan. Especially not Ethan.

Her phone buzzed again. A message from Ethan.

"I'm outside. Dinner reservation at 7. You're wearing the red dress."

It wasn't a question. It never was with Ethan.

She exhaled, gathering her things. On her way out, she paused by a small canvas-a stormy abstract she'd painted years ago after Daniel left.

Funny. It still felt unfinished.

Later That Night - The Bay Room Restaurant

The restaurant was dim, upscale, and intimate. Soft jazz hummed in the background. Wine glasses sparkled under the chandelier.

Ethan sat across from her, his jaw tight, his smile tighter.

"You've been distracted lately," he said casually, sipping his wine.

"Just work," Amara replied.

"You've barely touched your food. And you ignored my message this morning."

"I've been busy, Ethan."

"Busy seeing someone from your past?"

Amara froze, fork suspended in mid-air.

He leaned forward, his voice low. "Don't insult me by pretending, Amara. I know about Daniel."

Her heart dropped. "You're spying on me?"

"I'm protecting what's mine."

"I'm not yours, Ethan."

His eyes darkened. "You were about to be."

She shook her head. "What do you want me to say? That I saw someone I used to love? That maybe I still have questions? Maybe I still feel something?"

"Feel what, Amara?" he snapped. "Regret? Guilt? Nostalgia?"

"Confusion," she said quietly.

He stood up, throwing his napkin on the table. "Well, let me clear it up for you. You're either with me, or you're not. But if you're not, don't expect this world to wait for you."

People were staring now.

Amara rose slowly, her voice calm. "Then maybe I should stop pretending I belong in this world at all."

And with that, she walked out-leaving Ethan stunned in the center of everything he controlled.

That Night - Amara's Apartment

Her phone buzzed again. This time, it wasn't Ethan.

Daniel: "I meant what I said. There's more to what happened back then. Meet me. Tomorrow. Please."

She stared at the message.

Her hands were trembling.

Then she typed:

"Where?"

Meanwhile - Daniel's Hotel Room

Daniel paced the room, rehearsing everything he had kept buried.

The pressure from his family. His father's threats. The ultimatum he never told her about. How he was forced to choose between the woman he loved and the man whose approval had always come with strings.

Now, he was done running.

When Amara replied, his chest tightened.

"Pier 39. 2 PM."

Back in her bedroom, Amara stood at the mirror, eyes locked on her reflection.

One tear slid down her cheek-but this time, it wasn't from heartbreak.

It was from the quiet, terrifying feeling that everything was about to change.