Chapter 5

Kayla’s POV

Four years later.

Sometimes, I wonder if the woman I used to be would even recognize me now.

Back then, I was soft… always waiting, hoping, forgiving. Now, I’m steel beneath silk. Still kind, but never naive.

The world broke me once. I rebuilt myself with the pieces.

The morning sunlight poured through the tall glass windows of Brooks Atelier, my company… my empire. What had started as a small interior design studio in a rented office now occupied two floors of a high-rise building in downtown Manhattan.

The faint hum of the city below always energized me. It reminded me of how far I’d come… from crying on cold floors to walking in heels worth more than my old rent.

My phone buzzed on the desk. My assistant, Maya, peeked in through the glass door, holding a tablet.

“Good morning, Ms. Brooks,” she said with her usual bright smile. “You have a 10 a.m. meeting with the investors from Halden Properties, and your 11:30 call with the new luxury hotel in Milan.”

“Perfect,” I replied, taking a sip of my coffee. “And the contract draft with Leighton Interiors?”

“Already in your email, ma’am. Oh, and the PR team sent over the final campaign shots for the new collection.”

I nodded. “Bring them in after the meeting.”

She left, her heels clicking lightly on the polished marble floor.

I leaned back in my chair for a moment, gazing out at the skyline. Every tower, every reflection of sunlight off the glass felt like a quiet reminder of victory.

Brooks Atelier had grown into one of the most sought-after interior design firms in the city, specializing in luxury corporate spaces, hotels, and penthouses. We didn’t just decorate — we transformed spaces into statements.

And I did it all without him.

No Adrian. No Vivian. No past haunting me.

I had taken the pain they gave me and turned it into profit, into power, into peace.

My phone buzzed again. A message from Maya:

Investors are here. Should I send them in?

I smiled faintly. Showtime.

The meeting went smoothly… smoother than I could have hoped. Three men in crisp suits and one woman in a sharp blazer sat across from me, all impressed with our portfolio and proposal.

“So, Ms. Brooks,” the lead investor, Mr. Halden, said, adjusting his glasses. “How did you manage to build this kind of brand in just four years? You seem to have appeared out of nowhere.”

I smiled politely, crossing my legs. “I didn’t appear out of nowhere, Mr. Halden. I just learned how to build quietly until I couldn’t be ignored.”

He chuckled, clearly impressed. “Well said.”

By the time the meeting ended, we’d secured another seven-figure project. Maya entered right after they left, excitement glowing on her face.

“Another deal closed?” she grinned.

I nodded, signing the final page. “Send the contracts to legal for review.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She lingered for a second. “You know, sometimes I forget you’re human, Ms. Brooks. You make this look so easy.”

I laughed softly. “It wasn’t easy, Maya. It just looks that way now.”

Because no one saw the nights I worked until dawn, trying to stretch the little savings I had into something meaningful.

No one saw me when I couldn’t afford rent, when I had to design from my tiny apartment floor, surrounded by paint samples and debt.

No one saw the tears that built this company.

But I did. I remembered every single one.

At lunch, I stepped out of my office and into the main floor of the company,  a space filled with warm light, modern furniture, and the hum of productivity. My employees moved with purpose, exchanging ideas over design boards and fabric swatches.

I greeted a few as I passed, smiling genuinely. I wasn’t the kind of boss who ruled with fear. Respect worked better.

In the far corner, our head designer, Liam Torres, waved me over.

“Kayla! I wanted your opinion on this new layout for the Windsor project.”

I joined him, scanning the blueprint on the table. “This is good. But move the seating area closer to the window — they paid for that skyline view, let them have it.”

He nodded, scribbling notes. “Got it. You always catch the details I miss.”

“That’s why I own the place,” I said with a small smirk.

We both laughed, and for a brief second, I felt something warm… contentment. The kind that didn’t come from love or validation, but from building something real.

This was my new life. My peace.

By evening, after everyone had left, I stood by the window again, sipping wine as the city lights flickered on. The sky glowed orange fading into purple, the color of new beginnings.

I checked my reflection faintly in the glass. My long brown hair was styled neatly, my makeup soft but elegant, my white silk blouse crisp and immaculate. I looked like a woman who’d never cried over anyone.

But I remembered.

I remembered everything.

The betrayal, the humiliation, the nights I prayed for strength instead of revenge.

I’d given up everything — my marriage, my home, my pride — and started over with nothing but a dream and a stubborn refusal to stay broken.

Now, I own my own life again.

My phone buzzed,  Maya again.

Reminder: Charity gala this Saturday at The Grand Regency Hotel. You’re a guest of honor.

I froze for a moment, my glass halfway to my lips.

The Grand Regency Hotel.

The same place where my marriage had fallen apart.

A place I had sworn never to step into again.

But I smiled to myself.

Maybe fate had a twisted sense of humor… or maybe, it was just time for me to show the world, and whoever happened to be watching, exactly who Kayla Brooks had become.

Four years ago, I’d walked away from everything.

Now, people walked into my world,  a world I built from scratch.

And if destiny ever decided to bring my past back into my path…

Well, this time, I wouldn’t be the one left broken.