Chapter 2 – The Chase Begins

The rain had stopped, but the city streets still glistened under the streetlights. Ethan stood outside the Imperial Crown Hotel, watching the black car disappear into the traffic. Every instinct told him to let her go—to avoid reopening wounds that had never truly healed.

But regret was a stubborn shadow. It followed him everywhere.

He pulled out his phone and typed a quick message to his driver.

"Follow the black sedan that just pulled out from the hotel driveway. Plate number TXR 6745."

Minutes later, he was inside his own car, the city passing in a blur. He leaned back in the seat, his jaw tight, his thoughts loud. He had spent years trying to convince himself he could live without her. But one look at her one real look and all that effort crumbled like it was never there.

The car slowed as they approached a modern glass building downtown. Mia’s sedan pulled into the driveway, and she stepped out, her heels clicking against the pavement. A man in a gray suit greeted her at the entrance. He was tall, maybe in his early forties, with an easy smile.

Ethan’s hands curled into fists. "Who the hell is that?"

He leaned forward, eyes narrowing as Mia shook the man’s hand. They walked together into the building, their conversation light but professional. The way she tilted her head when she listened—he remembered that. She used to do the same with him.

“Sir, should we wait here?” his driver asked.

“Yes,” Ethan replied, though the word came out more like a growl.

Thirty minutes later, Mia emerged from the building, holding a slim folder. The man in the gray suit escorted her to the car. Ethan watched every movement, the smallest details sticking to his mind like glue. When the man placed a hand lightly on her elbow, Ethan’s jaw clenched so hard it ached.

She got into her car, and this time, Ethan didn’t follow. Instead, he told his driver to head home. He needed to think.

That night, Ethan sat in his study, the city lights twinkling beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows. A glass of whiskey rested on the desk, untouched. His laptop was open, displaying Mia’s name in the search bar.

He told himself it wasn’t obsession it was closure. He just needed to know how she had been, what she had done these past five years.

It didn’t take long. She was now a marketing consultant, handling big-name clients in the city. She had her own firm, her own apartment, and apparently a reputation for being sharp, reliable, and impossible to intimidate.

A small smile tugged at his lips. "That’s my Mia."

But the thought quickly soured. "No… she’s not mine anymore."

Two days later, Ethan found himself standing outside a trendy café in the business district. He knew Mia had a client meeting there at 10:00 AM—he had called a “friend” in the hotel industry to confirm.

At exactly 10:05, she arrived. The same confident stride. The same understated elegance.

She spotted him almost instantly, her brows drawing together in mild irritation.

“Are you following me now?” she asked, her voice low but firm.

“I just happened to be here,” Ethan lied smoothly.

Mia crossed her arms. “Do you think I’m stupid?”

“No,” he said softly. “I think you’re the smartest woman I’ve ever met. Which is why I know it’s pointless to pretend we don’t need to talk.”

Her eyes hardened. “You’re five years too late for that conversation, Ethan.”

He stepped closer, lowering his voice. “Maybe. But I’m here now. And I’m not leaving until you give me a chance to explain.”

Mia let out a humorless laugh. “Explain? You think one conversation will erase everything? The nights I cried alone? The way you made me feel like I wasn’t enough?”

Ethan flinched. “I never thought you weren’t enough, Mia. I thought… I thought I needed to prove myself. To the world. To my family. And in doing that… I lost the one thing that mattered.”

Her jaw tightened. “You didn’t lose me, Ethan. You let me go.”

The words hit him harder than he expected. He swallowed hard, trying to keep his composure. “Let me make it right.”

She shook her head. “I’m not the same woman you married. And I’m definitely not the same woman who begged you to fight for us.”

“Good,” he said without hesitation. “Because the woman standing in front of me now… she’s even more incredible. And I’m going to spend however long it takes proving I’m worthy of her.”

Mia’s lips parted in surprise, but before she could respond, her client arrived, greeting her warmly. She gave Ethan one last unreadable look before walking into the café.

Ethan stayed outside, watching through the glass as she sat across from her client, her face composed and focused. She didn’t glance his way even once.

But he didn’t need her to.

He’d already made his decision.

That evening, Ethan made a phone call.

“Find out everything about Mia’s company—clients, schedules, events. I want it by tomorrow morning.”

“Yes, sir,” his assistant replied.

This wasn’t about control. It was about opportunity. If she wouldn’t meet him halfway, he’d go to her world, step by step, until she couldn’t ignore him anymore.

And if that meant breaking down every wall she had built around her heart, he was ready.

Flashback – Five Years Ago

The argument had started over something small a missed dinner, another late night at the office. But it escalated quickly, their words sharp and cold.

“You promised me, Ethan,” Mia had said, her voice trembling. “You promised you’d be there. That we’d matter as much as your work.”

“I’m doing this for us,” he’d shot back. “Do you think this lifestyle pays for itself? I’m trying to secure our future.”

“Our future?” she repeated, tears brimming in her eyes. “What future? You’re never here. I’m not asking for riches, Ethan. I’m asking for you.”

But instead of answering, he had turned away, pride sealing his lips. He told himself she was being dramatic, that she’d calm down.

She didn’t.

The next morning, her side of the closet was empty.

Present Day

Ethan stood at his office window, the city alive beneath him. He had spent years building an empire, but what good was it if the one person he had built it for wasn’t there to share it?

He wasn’t naive—he knew winning her back would take more than apologies and grand gestures. But he also knew he had never stopped loving her.

And this time, he wasn’t going to let pride get in the way.

To Be Continued…