The first thing I noticed was the watch.
Black. Heavy. Expensive in a way that screamed power, not taste.
The second thing was the scar on his jaw.
And that was when my heart stopped.
I hadn't seen Dominic Cross in six years, but the moment my eyes locked onto his reflection in the glass doors of the conference room, my body reacted before my mind could catch up. My fingers went numb around the folder I was holding. My breath hitched painfully in my throat.
No.
It couldn't be him.
The Dominic I knew had been thin, quiet, eyes too old for his age, clothes always one wash away from falling apart. The Dominic I knew never wore suits tailored to perfection or carried himself like the world bent to his will.
This man did.
He stood at the head of the room, tall and immovable, dark hair neatly cut, expression carved from stone. The low murmur of executives died the instant he lifted his hand. No one spoke unless he allowed it.
"Start again," he said calmly.
Just two words, but the room stiffened like soldiers awaiting judgment.
I stayed frozen by the door, praying—stupidly—that he wouldn't turn around.
Then he did.
His eyes found mine.
And everything shattered.
The recognition was instant. Violent. His pupils darkened, jaw tightening as if he'd been punched by a memory he never wanted to see again. The room disappeared, the years collapsed, and for a split second, I saw the boy I once knew buried beneath the man he'd become.
Then his lips curved.
Not into a smile.
Into a promise.
"Well," Dominic said slowly, his gaze never leaving my face, "this meeting just got interesting."
My manager cleared his throat nervously. "Mr. Cross, this is Aria Vale. She's one of our senior analysts."
Senior analyst. As if that title could protect me.
Dominic stepped closer, each stride deliberate, controlled. The closer he came, the heavier the air grew, pressing down on my lungs until breathing felt optional.
"Aria," he repeated softly.
My name had never sounded like a weapon before.
"You've changed," he said.
So had you, I wanted to say. So much it terrified me.
Instead, I forced my lips to move. "So have you."
A flicker of something dangerous passed through his eyes.
"Yes," he agreed. "I have."
He stopped directly in front of me, close enough that I could smell his cologne—dark, expensive, unfamiliar. Not the faint soap and rain scent I remembered from long nights when we talked about escaping this city.
"You disappeared," he continued quietly. "No goodbye. No explanation."
The room held its breath.
"I looked for you," he said. "Did you know that?"
My chest tightened painfully. I swallowed. "Dominic, I—"
"Ah," he interrupted smoothly, turning away as if bored. "We'll talk later."
Later.
That single word terrified me more than any accusation.
He faced the room again, all business now. "The acquisition will proceed as planned. I expect full cooperation."
His eyes flicked back to me one last time.
"And Aria Vale," he added, voice dropping just enough for only me to hear, "don't worry."
My stomach twisted.
"I'm not here for revenge," he said softly.
Then, with a pause sharp enough to cut—
"Not yet."
And just like that, I knew.
The past I had buried was standing right in front of me.
And this time, it wasn't going to let me run.
End of Chapter 1