Chapter 3

"Liam?" My voice cracked. The familiarity of his name on my tongue brought back a flood of memories.

"How... how are you?"

"I'm fine, Ava." A pause. "Are you okay? You sound sad."

My breath caught. After all these years, he could still read me like a book. "I'm..." The lie died on my lips. "No. No, I'm not okay."

"What happened?"

I gripped the phone tighter, watching the city lights blur past the cab window. "Life here... it's not what I thought it would be. I thought I could make it work, but..." A tear slid down my cheek. "I want to come back, Liam."

"Come home." No hesitation. No questions. Just two words that wrapped around me like a warm embrace. "I'll send you an address. Stay there until we figure things out."

Two hours later, I sat perched on the edge of a pristine hotel bed, staring at the door. My hands twisted in my lap as footsteps approached from the hallway.

The knock made me jump. My heart hammered against my ribs as I approached the door. Part of me expected,dreaded,to see Aiden standing there.

But when I opened it, I found myself face-to-face with a stranger. Tall, with tousled dark hair and striking green eyes that seemed to look right through me. A leather jacket hung from his broad shoulders, and the shadow of stubble darkened his jaw.

"Ava?" His voice was deep, with a hint of roughness. "I'm Nathan. Liam sent me to check on you."

I hesitated in the doorway, studying him. There was something about the way he carried himself confident but not threatening. His eyes were kind, despite their intensity.

"May I come in?"

I stepped aside, letting him enter. The room felt smaller with his presence, though he moved with a casual grace that didn't seem imposing.

"How are you holding up?" His eyes scanned the room, lingering on my hastily packed bag.

"I'm okay." I crossed my arms, fighting the urge to fidget. "Just... processing everything."

"That's understandable." He leaned against the wall, hands tucked in his jacket pockets.

"So... how long have you known my brother?"

A ghost of a smile touched his lips. "A while."

"That's vague."

"I'm a vague person." His response came with a hint of humor, but offered no real insight.

I tried again. "What do you do?"

"Work with Liam." He checked his watch. "The limo will be here in ten minutes. We'll stop by your place first, grab what you need, then head straight to the airport."

"Limo?" I blinked. "That's... excessive."

"Standard procedure."

"Standard for what?" The question slipped out before I could stop it.

He just smiled, that same mysterious half-smile that revealed nothing. "Your brother likes to take care of things properly."

The casual mention of a limo, the expensive hotel room, this man who looked like he'd stepped out of an action movie,none of it aligned with the brother I remembered. Liam had always been ambitious, but this level of luxury? Who had he become in these nine years?

"You seem surprised," Nathan observed.

"I just... didn't expect all this. The hotel, the limo..." I gestured vaguely. "Who exactly are you, Nathan?"

"Just someone your brother trusts." He straightened up as his phone buzzed. "Limo's early. Ready to go?"

I stepped into the limo, my fingers trailing over the buttery leather seats. The interior gleamed with polished wood and chrome accents.

"This is..." I shook my head, sinking into the plush seat.

Nathan slid in beside me, his presence filling the space. "Not what you expected?"

"No. I mean, Aiden has money, but this..." I gestured at our surroundings. "This is different."

"Different how?"

"More... refined? Expensive?" I traced the leather stitching. "I don't know how to explain it."

The drive to my apartment passed in a blur of city lights and questions I couldn't voice. Nathan remained quiet, but I felt his eyes on me more than once.

The limo pulled up to my building. "I'll wait here," Nathan said. "Just grab what you need."

I nodded and headed inside, my keys jingling in my trembling hands. The elevator ride felt endless. My mind raced with thoughts of what to pack, what to leave behind.

The apartment door opened silently, and as I stepped inside, my world shattered.