By morning, the storm had cleared up, leaving Windmere looking fresh and new. The air had that mixed smell of rain and sea. It was the kind of morning that made the ocean look all shiny and smooth.
Maya got to her studio early. She hoped the calmness and peace would help her shake off the memory of seeing him the night before, or at least help her clear her mind about it. She told herself the storm was messing with her head, that it was lightning playing tricks. But when she got to the door, what she saw made her freeze.
There was a paper cup of coffee, still warm, sitting on the step.
She looked up and he was there. Adrian was just a few feet away, leaning against a lamppost, like he had been waiting forever for her. His clothes were wet, and he looked like he hadn't slept at all. He didn't look like the billionaire the tabloids loved to gossip about. He looked real and a bit lost.
She tried to keep her voice steady and said "You're up early,"
"I didn't sleep."
"I didn't ask." She responded immediately
He gave a faint, humorless smile.
"Still sharp as ever."
She moved past him to unlock the door, but he followed.
"Maya, please. Just five minutes."
"You had five years," she shot back, unlocking the door.
He flinched. "You mean months."
"I mean 'every moment' you chose work over us."
The key jammed, her hand shaking with frustration. She hated that he could still get to her like this, making her feel a mixed feeling of anger and pain all at the same time.
Adrian took a deep breath. "I know I don't deserve to ask you for anything. But I had to see you. My world is falling apart and…"
He paused, trying to find words that didn't sound weak. "You are the only thing that has ever made sense."
Maya turned to face him, her eyes tired but not unkind.
"Making sense was never the problem, Adrian. 'The heart' was."
He took a careful step closer. "I'm trying to find it again."
"And you think I'm the shortcut?"
"No. I think you're the truth."
That made her pause, just for a second. Then she opened the studio door and stepped inside.
"Five minutes," she said without looking back.
Inside, the air smelled like paint and the ocean. Light spilled through the big windows, illuminating unfinished canvases. Adrian took the details all in, the brushes, the sketches, the neatness in her chaos. It was everything his world was not.
He reached for one of the canvases leaning against the wall, it was a wild, blue ocean scene.
"Don't," she said.
He froze, his hand just inches away from touching it.
"That one has not been finished," she murmured.
"Neither are we," he replied softly.
Her laugh was sharp, like breaking glass. "You really think you can just walk in here, drop some poetic line, and I will forgive you?"
"I am not after forgiveness. I want you to give me a chance."
Maya turned to face him, her voice shaking. "A chance for what? To be the version of you who promises everything and disappears the second your phone rings?"
He flinched and looked down. "I've left that world behind."
"Really?" she said, arms crossed. "Because the last time I checked, every news outlet thinks you are running from a federal investigation."
Adrian held her gaze. "I'm not running. I'm fighting."
"Fighting what?"
"I'm fighting lies, betrayal. My own damn reflection."
Something in his tone made her hesitate. "So why did you come back here?"
"Because I needed to remember what it's like to be seen for more than what I have."
Her throat tightened. "And what if I can't see you that way anymore?"
"Then I will stay until you can."
She looked at him, with pain written all over her face, then shook her head. "Don't even think about staying around out of guilt, Adrian. You'll mess things up like you've messed yourself up."
He stepped closer, close enough that she could smell the rain still clinging to his shirt.
"What if I'm here to rebuild?"
Her breath caught. "You don't know how."
"Then teach me." The words lingered, heavy and raw.
Outside, the whole world felt like it was on a pause. Maya stepped back, her defenses slamming shut. "You need to leave. I have work to do."
Adrian didn't budge. "You said five minutes."
"It's over."
He nodded slowly, jaw tight, and walked out. But just before he reached the door, he paused. "I'll be at the art fair this weekend," he said quietly. "Volunteering."
She frowned. "You what?"
"I saw the flyer. Seems like it is a solid place to start over."
Maya's eyes widened. "Don't you dare"
But the door had already closed behind him
That night, Windmere buzzed with gossip. The new stranger in town, all tall, and sharp in his suit… he is definitely not someone you would expect to see around the docks. He was spotted everywhere: the hardware store, the bakery, and even asking about permits.
By dusk, half the town knew his name and by midnight, the local paper had caught on too.
The next morning, when Maya opened her studio door, there was a fresh copy of The 'Windmere Gazette' sitting on the step.
The front page read:
"DISGRACED BILLIONAIRE REAPPEARS IN WINDMERE, VOLUNTEERING AT LOCAL ART FAIR."
Her hands trembled as she read the caption under his photo. Adrian stood by the harbor, looking straight into the camera without flinching. It looks like He hadn't slipped back in quietly after all. And now, whether she liked it or not… He was back in her world.