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This is too much.He told me this was going to be a simple birthday party for his sister, but it’s clear that I’m not welcome, that I don’t belong here.
Tears blur my vision as I push through the door and flee the bathroom. I move out of the building, ignoring the smirks and sneers. All I know is I need to get the hell out of here.
“Harper, wait!” Antonio calls from behind me, but I can’t face him right now. Not when Isabella’s words are still echoing in my head.
Low-class trash—that’s what she called me. And even though I know better, it hurts. It hurts so much that I can barely stand upright.
The cold air outside hits me like a slap, but it’s a welcome relief from the stifling atmosphere within. My breath comes out in shaky puffs, clouding in front of me as I struggle to hold back my emotions.
I round a corner, trying to put some distance between myself and the pain. But instead of finding solace, I collide with someone’s chest, and it feels like I’ve hit a wall. My feet slip out from under me on the slick pavement, and I tumble to the ground with a sharp gasp.
“Hey, watch where you’re going,” the stranger snaps, his voice harsh and unforgiving.
“Sorry,” I mumble, scrambling to get up and away from him. My knee throbs where it hit the ground, but I force myself to ignore it. Pain is nothing new to me; I’ve felt far worse before.
I look up to apologize again until I recognize the man standing in front of me.
Ian Humphrey.
Fear clutches my heart as my world starts to crumble around me.
He found me.
35
HARPER
My gaze locks onto him, and for a second, I can’t look away. Ian Humphrey. My abusive ex-fiancé. Despite all the pain he’s caused, he still looks so good. His dark hair falls effortlessly across his forehead, and his eyes are as blue as the ocean on a sunny day.
But his looks don’t matter to me, because I know the monster that hides underneath.
How?How could he be here, after all this time? Fear courses through my veins, like ice water injected directly into my bloodstream. I can’t let him take the kids away from me, and I can’t go back. I won’t.
“Hey, Harper.” He greets me nonchalantly, as if we’re old friends who just happened to run into each other. But there’s something in his eyes—a predatory glint—that betrays his true intentions. He’s still the same man I ran away from.
“Stay away from me,” I warn him, my voice shaking. But my words only seem to amuse him. His lips twist into a cruel smile as he takes a step closer, causing me to instinctively retreat.
“Harper, Harper,” he taunts, “did you really think you could hide from me forever? Come on now, you know as well as I do all of the connections I have.” My chest tightens, and I struggle to breathe. Panic takes hold of me, threatening to tear me apart from the inside out. I have to stay strong. For my children, for myself.
“Leave me alone, Ian,” I demand. But I can hear the fear in my voice. He knows he’s got me, and it only makes him bolder.
“Or what?” he challenges. “You’ll call the cops? You’ll fight back? Don’t make me laugh. I’ve already painted the perfect picture of you.” The contempt in his voice is palpable, and it feels like a slap in the face. How did I ever love this man? “Woman leaves loving politician husband for a man with bigger pockets. Everyone hates you, even your own mother.”
I swallow.Don’t let his words get to you.He’s already spent too much of my life manipulating me, and I won’t let the cycle continue. “You’re a liar.”
“Doesn’t matter, sweetheart.” He grabs ahold of my wrist.
My body trembles as I try to pull away from Ian, but his grip on my wrist tightens, yanking me back toward him. He pulls me close, so close that I can feel the heat radiating off his body and smell the familiar scent of his cologne.
“Harper,” Ian taunts, his lips curling into a sinister smile, “you broke my heart a little bit, just so you know, leaving like that. That was cruel of you.”
His words are like daggers, piercing through any semblance of hope I had left. My heart races in my chest, pounding against my ribcage like a caged bird desperate for freedom. I search his eyes for any hint of remorse or empathy, but find none.
“You don’t know the meaning of cruel,” I hiss through clenched teeth, struggling to free my wrist from his vise-like grip. But the more I fight, the tighter he holds on. “Let go of me!”
“Ah, sweetheart,” he says mockingly, leaning in until his lips hover just inches from mine. “You should know by now that resistance is futile.”
Desperation gnaws at the edges of my resolve, threatening to consume me. I need to get away, to protect myself and my children from this monster who once held my heart in his hands. But how can I escape when he’s standing right here, gripping me with a strength that feels unbreakable?
