7YRS AFTER MY FUNERAL- I RETURN WITH THE BILLIONAIRE'S TWINS

Rain fell mercilessly over Ashford City.

Not soft rain.

Violent rain.

The kind that made the world feel colder than it already was.

Black umbrellas filled the cemetery while reporters stood behind barricades whispering into microphones about the tragedy that had shaken the entire city.

Because three days ago...

Cate Sullivan died in a fire.

And according to rumors-

She had been carrying Dylan Carter's child.

The headlines had exploded instantly:

BILLIONAIRE HEIR LOSES PREGNANT FIANCÉE IN MYSTERIOUS FIRE

WAS IT AN ACCIDENT OR SOMETHING MORE?

THE TRAGIC LOVE STORY OF DYLAN CARTER

The media called it heartbreaking.

But heartbreak was too small a word for what stood beside Cate's coffin now.

Dylan Carter did not look heartbroken.

He looked destroyed.

At thirty-two, the billionaire CEO of Carter Enterprises had always been feared for his coldness:

emotionless,

untouchable,

impossible to read.

But today...

He looked like a man barely holding himself together through sheer force.

Rain soaked through his black suit untouched.

People whispered nervously nearby:

"He hasn't slept."

"He hasn't spoken properly since the fire."

"They say he identified her himself."

"No... they say there wasn't enough left to identify completely..."

That rumor spread quietly through the crowd.

Because the truth was horrifying.

The apartment explosion had burned almost everything.

Even now... some investigators privately questioned whether Cate's body had truly been recovered fully.

But no one dared say that near Dylan.

Not today.

At the front row, Evelyn Carter silently cried into a handkerchief while Dylan's grandmother clutched her arm weakly.

Meanwhile...

Vanessa Whitmore stood several feet behind them dressed in elegant black.

Perfect posture. Perfect makeup. Perfect fake sadness.

But her eyes remained fixed on Dylan.

Obsessively.

And the longer she watched him stare at Cate's coffin...

...the more hatred quietly grew inside her chest.

Because even now- even after death-

Cate Sullivan still owned every piece of Dylan Carter.

The priest's voice softened through the rain.

"Catherine Sullivan was remembered as kind, selfless, and deeply loved-"

Dylan suddenly walked forward.

The entire cemetery went silent instantly.

Because this was the first movement he had made in almost twenty minutes.

Slowly...

Dylan placed one trembling hand against the coffin.

And for the first time since the funeral began-

emotion cracked visibly across his face.

Pain.

Raw devastating pain.

His voice came out rough. Broken.

"She hated storms."

Silence crushed the cemetery.

Evelyn burst into tears instantly.

Because God...

Dylan remembered everything about Cate.

Tiny things. Meaningless things. Things only people deeply in love remembered.

Rain continued pouring around them while Dylan stared at the coffin like his entire soul had been buried inside it.

Then quietly-

"She used to climb into my bed whenever it rained."

The guests began crying openly now.

Even reporters lowered cameras slowly.

Because suddenly...

This no longer felt like billionaire tragedy gossip.

This felt horrifyingly real.

Dylan's fingers tightened slightly against the coffin edge.

"She said thunder made her feel alone."

His voice cracked completely.

And suddenly everyone understood something terrifying:

Dylan Carter was not surviving this.

Not really.

The priest quietly stepped back allowing him space.

But Dylan barely seemed aware anyone else existed.

Because in his mind...

He still saw her:

laughing,

arguing with him,

stealing his coffee,

placing his hand against her stomach when the baby first kicked.

God.

The baby.

The thought nearly destroyed him again.

His child.

Gone before he even got the chance to meet them.

Dylan closed his eyes briefly.

And suddenly-

A memory hit him violently.

Cate smiling against city lights.

Red wine spilling across his suit.

Her voice teasing softly:

"You look emotionally unavailable."

The memory hurt so sharply he almost staggered.

Because that was the exact moment everything began.

And now...

She was gone.

The cemetery remained painfully silent while rain poured endlessly around them.

Then somewhere behind the crowd-

a reporter whispered carefully:

"They were supposed to get married next month."

Dylan heard it.

Every word.

Slowly...

His gray eyes lifted toward the dark sky above the cemetery.

Empty.

Broken.

And for the first time since the fire...

He allowed himself to remember her properly.

Three days before Cate Sullivan died...

another woman publicly embarrassed herself over Dylan Carter.

And the entire elite circle of Ashford City still talked about it in whispers.

Because everyone knew one dangerous truth:

Dylan Carter never belonged to anyone.

Not emotionally. Not publicly. Not even temporarily.

Unfortunately...

Sophia Laurent refused accepting that reality.

The Laurent family hosted one of the largest luxury empire galas in Europe and Asia. Old money. International influence. Generational wealth.

Sophia herself was:

stunning,

shamelessly confident,

and dangerously obsessed with Dylan.

For almost a year she chased him publicly:

appearing at his office,

interrupting meetings,

grabbing his arm during events,

calling him "future husband" in interviews.

Most men would have loved the attention.

Dylan hated every second of it.

Unfortunately for Sophia...

Rejection only made her more obsessed.

And that night at the Laurent Gala?

She finally pushed too far.

The ballroom glittered beneath crystal lights while international business elites filled the massive hall with expensive laughter and fake sophistication.

At the center of it all-

Sophia stood beside Dylan in a silver dress designed to attract destruction.

Her hand rested possessively against his arm while photographers flashed cameras around them.

Meanwhile Dylan looked exactly as he always did at public events:

cold,

detached,

emotionally unreachable.

Sophia ignored it confidently.

Because in her mind...

Dylan simply needed the "right woman" to soften him.

And naturally... she believed that woman was herself.

The live orchestra softened into applause after Sophia finished a charity speech.

Then suddenly-

She smiled toward the crowd and lifted a champagne glass.

"I have one more announcement tonight."

The ballroom quieted curiously.

Across the room, Vanessa Whitmore immediately narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

Because she knew Sophia well enough to recognize danger.

Sophia turned toward Dylan dramatically.

And before anyone could process what was happening-

she took his hand publicly.

The ballroom erupted into excited whispers instantly.

Sophia smiled beautifully toward the crowd.

"I think everyone already knows how much I adore Dylan Carter."

Photographers exploded with flashes immediately.

Dylan slowly looked down at her hand on his.

Expressionless.

Sophia continued boldly:

"And honestly..."

She looked up at him with obsessive confidence.

"...I think it's time he finally stopped pretending we aren't perfect together."

The ballroom practically stopped breathing.

Because everyone knew:

Sophia chased Dylan aggressively,

their families approved,

and the media already treated them like future royalty.

But nobody expected THIS.

Vanessa quietly tightened her grip around her champagne glass.

Meanwhile Dylan remained terrifyingly calm.

Sophia smiled wider.

Then publicly announced:

"I love you, Dylan."

Gasps spread instantly through the ballroom.

Reporters practically vibrated with excitement.

And for one dangerous second...

Sophia truly believed she won.

Until Dylan slowly removed her hand from his arm.

The movement was calm.

Careful.

Cold.

The ballroom fell silent instantly.

Sophia's smile weakened slightly.

"...Dylan?"

His gray eyes finally settled on her fully.

Emotionless.

Then quietly-

"You keep mistaking obsession for love."

Silence.

Complete devastating silence.

Sophia's face lost color instantly.

But Dylan continued.

Calmly. Publicly. Mercilessly.

"I have never encouraged this."

Every camera flashed violently now.

People stared in shock.

Because Dylan Carter almost never humiliated people publicly.

Especially powerful heiresses.

Sophia laughed nervously.

"You're joking."

"I'm not."

The simplicity of his answer destroyed the room.

Vanessa watched silently from across the ballroom.

And deep down...

Even she felt uncomfortable.

Because Dylan looked genuinely done.

Sophia's eyes slowly filled with humiliation.

"You're embarrassing me."

Dylan's expression never changed.

"You embarrassed yourself."

The ballroom gasped softly.

Then finally- the final blow.

Dylan stepped slightly back from her.

And said the words elite society would repeat for months afterward:

"I would rather remain alone forever..." "...than belong to someone I do not love."

Silence crushed the ballroom.

Sophia stared at him like he physically slapped her.

Then suddenly-

She burst into tears publicly.

The humiliation was catastrophic.

Reporters captured everything:

her crying,

Dylan walking away coldly,

the destruction of the Laurent-Carter fantasy.

The scandal spread globally overnight.

And within forty-eight hours...

The Laurent family quietly sent Sophia abroad to "recover from stress."

But Ashford City never forgot.

Because that night proved something terrifying:

If Dylan Carter rejected Sophia Laurent...

then what kind of woman could possibly reach his heart?

Three days later...

Cate Sullivan died.

And suddenly the answer to that question disappeared in flames.

The night before the funeral...

Dylan Carter locked himself inside Cate's apartment alone.

Nobody stopped him.

Nobody dared to.

Not after seeing the state he was already in.

The apartment still smelled like her:

vanilla candles,

coffee,

faint lavender lotion.

God.

That somehow hurt more than the funeral itself.

Because everything inside still looked alive.

Like Cate might walk through the door any second laughing about something ridiculous.

But she wouldn't.

She couldn't.

The explosion destroyed everything.

Dylan slowly walked through the apartment in silence while rain battered the windows outside.

The living room still held traces of their life together:

her blanket thrown carelessly across the couch,

medical journals stacked beside fashion magazines,

tiny sticky notes reminding him to eat properly.

His chest tightened painfully.

Then suddenly-

His eyes landed on the nursery door.

Half-finished.

The breath nearly left his lungs.

For several seconds...

He couldn't move.

Because behind that door existed every future he just lost.

Slowly...

Dylan pushed it open.

And completely shattered.

Tiny white furniture stood unfinished near the walls. Baby clothes still folded inside open boxes. A stuffed rabbit sitting beside the crib.

Cate bought it two weeks ago.

Because she said:

"Every baby deserves emotional support."

God.

The memory hit violently.

Dylan pressed one hand against the nursery wall breathing unevenly now.

Because suddenly he could hear her laughter again.

See her smiling.

Feel her placing his hand against her stomach excitedly whenever the baby kicked.

His child.

Their child.

Gone.

A broken sound escaped his throat before he could stop it.

Meanwhile across the city...

Elite society whispered endlessly.

Because despite the funeral...

despite the tragedy...

people remained obsessed with one terrifying detail:

Dylan Carter loved Cate Sullivan more than he ever looked at another woman.

And nobody understood why.

Not Vanessa. Not the media. Not his family.

Especially after Sophia Laurent.

Because everyone still remembered: Dylan rejected one of the most powerful heiresses in the world...

only to fall obsessively in love with a common nurse.

It made no sense to them.

Meanwhile inside the apartment...

Dylan slowly sat down beside the unfinished crib.

Completely broken now.

His phone vibrated repeatedly with ignored calls:

board members,

reporters,

family friends,

condolences.

He ignored everything.

Then suddenly-

A notification appeared.

1 unheard voice message.

Cate.

Dylan froze instantly.

His breathing stopped.

Because somehow...

He never noticed it before.

The timestamp shattered him immediately.

Sent: Three hours before the explosion.

His hands trembled violently while pressing play.

Static crackled softly first.

Then-

Cate's voice.

Warm. Breathless. Alive.

"Hey emotionally unavailable billionaire..."

Dylan closed his eyes instantly.

God.

Her voice.

The recording continued softly.

"You're probably still working and pretending coffee counts as food..."

A broken laugh escaped him painfully.

Because yes.

That sounded exactly like Cate.

Then her tone softened slightly.

"I know you told me not to move around too much while pregnant..."

A pause.

Soft laughter.

"But your child apparently wants mangoes at eleven p.m."

Dylan physically bent forward now covering his face.

Because suddenly she felt alive again.

Close. Real.

The voice message continued.

"Anyway... I just wanted to say I miss you already."

Silence.

Then quietly-

"And I think our baby is going to love you very much someday."

The recording cracked slightly.

Then the final words came softly enough to destroy him completely:

"Come home soon, Dylan."

The voice message ended.

Silence swallowed the nursery whole.

And suddenly...

Dylan broke.

Not quietly.

Not gracefully.

The sound that left him didn't even feel human.

Years later people would still whisper about that night.

About how security heard Dylan Carter screaming inside the apartment alone.

Because in that moment...

The most powerful man in Ashford City became just another grieving man begging the dead woman he loved to come back.

Three years earlier...

Before the funeral. Before the fire. Before the grief destroyed him.

Dylan Carter first met Cate Sullivan on a rainy night.

And unfortunately for him...

Nothing felt normal afterward.

The Carter Foundation Charity Gala overflowed with wealth and artificial elegance that evening.

Crystal chandeliers glowed above Ashford's elite while expensive laughter echoed across the ballroom.

Dylan hated every second of it.

At twenty-nine, he already ruled Carter Enterprises like a machine:

brilliant,

feared,

emotionally unreachable.

Women chased him constantly.

Mostly because:

he was rich,

powerful,

devastatingly handsome,

and impossible to get.

Unfortunately for them...

Dylan rarely noticed anyone.

After losing his parents young, he buried himself inside work completely.

Relationships felt exhausting. Performative. Temporary.

So while socialites laughed around him pretending sophistication...

Dylan mentally planned escape routes.

Beside him, Victor Carter sipped champagne casually.

"You look homicidal."

Dylan adjusted his cufflinks calmly.

"I'm considering it."

Victor laughed.

"Try smiling tonight." "The shareholders think you're emotionally dead."

"I probably am."

Before Victor could answer-

someone crashed directly into Dylan.

Red wine splashed violently across his black suit.

The ballroom gasped collectively.

"Oh no-"

A female voice.

Panicked. Real.

Not fake elegant panic.

Actual panic.

Dylan slowly looked down.

And froze.

The woman standing before him looked horrified.

Not because he was Dylan Carter.

Because she genuinely felt bad.

That alone shocked him slightly.

"I'm so sorry," she rushed out quickly while grabbing napkins desperately. "I wasn't looking where I was going."

Dylan just stared.

Because for the first time that entire night...

Someone felt real.

No calculated flirting. No polished seduction.

Just chaos.

Beautiful chaos.

She finally looked up fully.

And Dylan's chest tightened unexpectedly.

God.

She was beautiful.

Not the polished billionaire-wife kind.

No.

Warm beautiful. Alive beautiful.

Big expressive brown eyes. Soft dark curls slipping loose around her face. Lips trembling slightly from embarrassment.

Victor immediately noticed Dylan staring.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

The woman kept apologizing nervously while trying to clean the wine herself.

"I can pay for the cleaning."

Victor almost laughed aloud.

The suit cost more than some cars.

But before he could speak-

Dylan surprised even himself.

"It's fine."

The woman blinked in shock.

"Really?"

"Yes."

She stared suspiciously now.

Like she expected hidden anger eventually.

Interesting again.

Finally she sighed dramatically in relief.

"Thank God." "My best friend said rich people are terrifying."

Victor completely lost composure laughing.

Meanwhile Dylan raised one eyebrow slightly.

"And what do you think?"

The woman studied him carefully for a second.

Then answered honestly:

"You look emotionally unavailable."

Silence.

Victor choked on champagne instantly.

Dylan just stared at her.

Nobody spoke to him like this.

Ever.

Realizing what she said aloud, the woman covered her face immediately.

"Oh my God." "I'm leaving the country."

And for the first time in weeks-

Dylan smiled.

Small. Quick. Real.

The woman froze after seeing it.

Because suddenly...

The cold billionaire became unfairly handsome.

Victor looked personally amazed.

"You smiled." "At a woman."

Dylan ignored him completely.

Meanwhile the woman slowly lowered her hands.

"You can laugh?"

"It happens occasionally."

Something warm fluttered unexpectedly inside her chest.

Then awkwardly she held out her hand.

"I'm Cate Sullivan."

Dylan looked down at her hand briefly before taking it.

Warm fingers.

Soft skin.

Dangerous feeling.

"Dylan Carter."

Cate blinked once.

Then horror filled her face instantly.

"Oh."

Victor burst into laughter again.

"The emotionally unavailable billionaire himself."

Cate groaned softly.

"This is humiliating."

Dylan unexpectedly wanted to keep listening to her talk.

Which honestly annoyed him slightly.

Because women normally exhausted him within minutes.

Meanwhile Cate nervously stepped backward slightly.

"I should probably disappear now."

"Why?"

The question surprised both of them.

Cate blinked.

"What?"

"You're leaving because of wine?"

"And accidental personality analysis."

One corner of Dylan's mouth lifted faintly again.

Victor looked ready to collapse from shock entirely now.

Because Dylan Carter looked interested.

Actually interested.

Cate slowly narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"You're weirdly calm about this."

Dylan looked at her carefully.

"You're weirdly honest."

Silence settled briefly between them.

And somehow...

Neither looked away.

For the rest of the gala, Dylan Carter could not stop noticing her.

It irritated him immediately.

Because Dylan was not a man easily distracted. His entire life revolved around control, discipline, routine, and emotional distance. He attended galas because business demanded it, smiled when necessary, and ignored women politely but efficiently. That was how things worked for him.

But somehow...

his eyes kept returning to Cate Sullivan.

Across the ballroom she laughed with another woman near the dessert table, completely unaware that Ashford City's most feared billionaire kept watching her between conversations. Unlike every other woman at the gala, Cate looked painfully out of place there. Not uncomfortable exactly. Just... uninterested in pretending. While elite women adjusted designer gowns and monitored who was looking at them, Cate stole tiny pastries when waiters passed by and rolled her eyes at long political speeches.

At one point she caught Dylan staring.

Instead of blushing flirtatiously like most women would...

she narrowed her eyes suspiciously at him.

As if HE was the strange one.

God.

That almost made him smile again.

Victor noticed everything from beside him and looked deeply entertained. "You're doing it again."

Dylan didn't look away from Cate. "Doing what?"

"Looking emotionally invested."

"I'm observing."

Victor laughed into his drink. "That's even worse."

Meanwhile across the ballroom, Cate leaned toward her best friend Joyce with growing concern. "Why does he keep staring?"

Joyce nearly dropped her champagne glass. "OH MY GOD, YOU NOTICED?"

"How could I not notice? He looks like he's analyzing my bloodline."

Joyce grabbed Cate's arm dramatically and peeked toward Dylan before squealing quietly. "Cate... that man hasn't voluntarily looked interested in a woman since dinosaurs existed."

Cate looked unconvinced. "Maybe he's still angry about the wine."

"No," Joyce whispered with absolute certainty. "That man wants to know you."

The thought unsettled Cate far more than it should have.

Because unfortunately...

she wanted to know him too.

And that was dangerous.

Very dangerous.

The gala finally ended near midnight. Guests slowly filtered out beneath flashing cameras and city lights while luxury cars lined the entrance outside. Cate quietly exhaled in relief while pulling her coat tighter around herself. Her social battery died at least two hours ago.

"I'm never attending another rich people event," she muttered.

Joyce ignored her completely because she was too busy staring toward the entrance. "Uh... Cate?"

Cate frowned. "What?"

Joyce looked seconds away from fainting. "Don't panic."

Naturally Cate panicked immediately.

Slowly she turned.

And froze.

Dylan Carter stood near the exit watching her again.

Not casually.

Intentionally.

The cold night air suddenly felt thinner somehow.

Joyce immediately abandoned her emotionally. "Okay bye, I suddenly remembered I support romance."

"JOYCE."

Too late.

The traitor disappeared into the crowd instantly.

Cate considered following her.

Unfortunately Dylan started walking toward her before escape became possible.

Every woman near the entrance immediately noticed. Whispers spread instantly through the crowd because Dylan Carter did not approach women publicly. Usually women approached him.

Cate's heartbeat betrayed her embarrassingly fast the closer he came.

When he finally stopped in front of her, she realized something unfair immediately.

He looked even more attractive outside the ballroom.

Less polished. More real. Dangerously real.

For several quiet seconds neither spoke.

Then Dylan looked at her calmly and said, "You disappeared earlier."

Cate blinked. "What?"

"You left the ballroom for twenty-three minutes."

Silence.

Complete silence.

Cate stared at him slowly. "That is honestly terrifying."

One corner of his mouth lifted faintly. "You're expressive. Easy to track."

She should not have found that attractive.

And yet...

Dylan studied her face quietly before asking, "Do you always hate events like this?"

Cate folded her arms. "Do you always interrogate women outside buildings?"

"No."

"Then why are you interrogating me?"

A pause.

Then calmly, honestly-

"Because I wanted another conversation."

The answer hit her harder than expected.

No games. No fake billionaire charm. Just direct honesty.

And somehow...

that felt far more dangerous.

Before Cate could respond, a female voice suddenly interrupted behind them.

"Dylan."

The warmth disappeared from Dylan's face instantly.

Cate turned.

And immediately understood trouble had arrived.

Vanessa Whitmore stood a few feet away in an elegant black dress, her expression calm but her eyes fixed sharply on Cate like she already disliked her on sight.

Then Vanessa smiled beautifully and asked the question that made the atmosphere change completely.

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your nurse?"

The moment Vanessa Whitmore looked at Cate Sullivan...

something cold moved silently through the air.

Cate felt it immediately.

Not obvious hostility.

Worse.

Polished hostility.

The kind wealthy women mastered young.

Beside her, Dylan Carter's expression cooled noticeably, and somehow that alone told Cate everything she needed to know.

Vanessa was important enough to affect him.

Not emotionally.

Historically.

And for reasons Cate didn't fully understand yet...

that realization unsettled her slightly.

Vanessa stepped closer gracefully, rain softly misting the city lights around them while cameras flashed near the entrance. Every movement about her looked expensive and practiced. Unlike Cate, who suddenly felt painfully aware of her simple black dress and tired posture after hours trapped inside a ballroom she never belonged in.

Dylan's voice turned flat. "Vanessa."

Vanessa ignored his tone completely. Her eyes remained fixed on Cate with elegant curiosity that somehow felt insulting. "You disappeared with her during half the gala," she said lightly. "People are beginning to think miracles exist."

Cate immediately understood one thing:

This woman knew Dylan well.

Well enough to recognize unusual behavior instantly.

Vanessa finally extended her hand toward Cate. "Vanessa Whitmore."

Cate shook it politely. "Cate Sullivan."

"Ah yes," Vanessa said softly, smiling without warmth. "The nurse."

Something about the way she said it made Cate's chest tighten slightly.

Not because she was ashamed of being a nurse.

But because Vanessa clearly believed she should be.

Dylan noticed too.

His jaw tightened almost invisibly before he calmly stepped slightly closer beside Cate. Small movement. Barely noticeable.

Protective.

Vanessa noticed THAT immediately.

And suddenly...

something sharp flashed through her eyes.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

"You left before dessert," Dylan said quietly to Cate, completely ignoring Vanessa now.

Cate blinked slightly at the sudden shift back to her. "I was socially exhausted."

One corner of Dylan's mouth almost lifted again. "I noticed."

Vanessa stared at him in disbelief.

Because Dylan Carter almost never adjusted conversations around other people's comfort.

Yet here he was speaking softly to Cate Sullivan like the rest of the world barely existed.

Vanessa's fingers tightened subtly around her clutch purse.

"No wonder Sophia embarrassed herself," she murmured lightly. "You do seem distracted lately."

The atmosphere shifted instantly.

Cate frowned slightly, confused by the sudden mention of another woman.

But Dylan's expression hardened completely.

"Don't," he said coldly.

Vanessa lifted one elegant eyebrow innocently. "Don't what?"

"You know exactly what."

Cate looked quietly between them while tension thickened in the rain around the entrance. Something clearly existed beneath this conversation. History. Rivalry. Warnings she didn't understand yet.

Vanessa sighed softly like Dylan was exhausting her emotionally. "You humiliated a woman publicly last week and now the media is convinced you're secretly in love with a stranger. Forgive me for being curious."

Cate froze slightly.

Publicly humiliated a woman?

Dylan immediately looked toward her. "Cate-"

But Vanessa continued smoothly before he could explain. "Sophia Laurent practically proposed marriage to him in front of half the city."

The breath caught in Cate's chest unexpectedly.

Because everyone knew Sophia Laurent.

International billionaire heiress. Magazine cover royalty. The kind of woman who looked born beside powerful men.

Vanessa's gaze sharpened slightly while watching Cate absorb the information. "Poor thing cried for two days after Dylan rejected her."

Something uncomfortable twisted inside Cate now.

Not jealousy exactly.

More like sudden awareness.

This was Dylan's world.

Women like Sophia. Women like Vanessa.

Beautiful, wealthy, sophisticated women who understood elite society naturally.

Meanwhile Cate worked twelve-hour hospital shifts and sometimes forgot matching socks existed.

The difference suddenly felt enormous.

Dylan noticed the exact second she emotionally withdrew.

God.

He noticed everything about her already.

"Vanessa," he said quietly, dangerously, "go home."

Vanessa looked stunned for half a second.

Not because of the words.

Because of the tone.

Dylan had chosen a side.

Publicly.

Again.

Vanessa slowly looked at Cate.

Then smiled faintly.

Coldly.

"You should be careful, Miss Sullivan."

Cate held her gaze despite the growing discomfort in her chest. "About what?"

Vanessa's eyes flickered briefly toward Dylan before returning to Cate.

"Men like him don't fall softly."

Silence settled heavily around them.

Then Vanessa stepped back toward her waiting car, elegance flawless as ever.

But before getting inside, she looked at Dylan one last time and quietly said-

"Your grandmother already hates this."

And just like that...

she drove away into the rain.

Leaving Cate standing beside Dylan with one terrifying realization slowly forming inside her chest.

His family didn't know her.

And somehow...

they already wanted her gone.