Chapter 6: The Man Who Came Back

The automatic doors of St. Mary’s Hospital slid open as Ariana stepped outside with Ethan holding one hand and Emma holding the other.

The warm afternoon breeze brushed against her face, but it did nothing to ease the heaviness in her chest.

Ethan was finally discharged.

The doctors had confirmed it was only a sudden drop in blood sugar caused by skipping breakfast before school. He needed proper meals and regular checkups, but there was nothing life-threatening.

Ariana silently thanked God.

Behind them, Damien followed at a respectful distance.

“I’ll have Daniel bring your car from the office,” he said. “You don’t need to worry about getting home.”

“You’ve already done more than enough, Mr. Blackwood.”

His lips curved slightly.

“I thought we agreed you’d call me Damien.”

“We didn’t.”

“I distinctly remember asking.”

“And I distinctly remember ignoring the request.”

Emma giggled.

“You two argue like an old married couple.”

Ariana nearly choked.

“Emma!”

“What?” Emma blinked innocently. “Mrs. Harper says people who argue like that secretly like each other.”

Damien let out a genuine laugh.

“I think your daughter is very observant.”

Ariana covered her face with one hand.

“I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be.”

Damien crouched to Emma’s level.

“You’ve made my day.”

Emma grinned proudly.

“I know.”

Before anyone could say another word, a familiar voice shattered the lighthearted moment.

“Ariana.”

Her smile vanished instantly.

Ryan.

He was leaning against a silver SUV parked a few feet away.

Gone was the polished smile he used to wear.

Instead, there was something desperate in his eyes.

“I need five minutes.”

“You’ve had six years.”

Ryan flinched.

“I deserve that.”

“No.”

Ariana’s voice was calm but cold.

“You deserve much worse.”

Ethan looked up at his mother.

“Mom?”

She squeezed his little hand.

“It’s okay, sweetheart.”

Ryan’s gaze lingered on the twins.

“They’ve grown.”

“They’re not your concern.”

His shoulders sagged.

“I know.”

Damien stepped forward without saying a word.

He wasn’t trying to interfere.

He was simply making sure Ariana wasn’t cornered.

Ryan noticed.

His jaw tightened.

“So… you’re the boss.”

Damien met his stare calmly.

“And you are?”

“Ryan Williams.”

He deliberately extended his hand.

Damien accepted it.

The handshake was polite.

But neither man smiled.

“I’ve heard a lot about you,” Ryan said.

Damien raised an eyebrow.

“Really?”

“Ariana works for you.”

“She does.”

Ryan looked toward Ariana.

“I didn’t know she had someone looking after her.”

“I’m perfectly capable of looking after myself.”

“I know.”

“Do you?”

Ryan fell silent.

For the first time in years, he realized just how much had changed.

The timid woman who once begged him to explain why he left her no longer existed.

This Ariana stood tall.

Confident.

Untouchable.

And somehow…

Even more beautiful.

“Ariana…”

His voice softened.

“I’ve wanted to apologize for a long time.”

She laughed.

It wasn’t a happy laugh.

It was the kind that came after years of heartbreak.

“An apology?”

“Yes.”

“For leaving you.”

“For humiliating me.”

“For marrying my sister.”

Ryan lowered his head.

“For everything.”

Emma looked between the adults, confused.

“Mommy…”

Ariana knelt beside her daughter.

“Why don’t you and Ethan wait over there with Mrs. Harper for a minute?”

The twins nodded and walked away.

Only then did Ariana face Ryan again.

“Say what you came to say.”

He inhaled deeply.

“I made the biggest mistake of my life.”

She didn’t react.

“I believed Victoria.”

“And?”

“I thought she was pregnant.”

Ariana’s expression remained unreadable.

“I know that’s no excuse.”

“No.”

“It isn’t.”

“I was weak.”

“You were selfish.”

Ryan closed his eyes.

“I’ve regretted it every day.”

Ariana folded her arms.

“Regret doesn’t change the past.”

“It doesn’t.”

“But maybe it can change the future.”

Her eyes turned icy.

“There is no future for us.”

Ryan looked devastated.

“I still love you.”

The words hung heavily in the air.

Ariana stared at him for several seconds.

Then she smiled.

A sad, pitying smile.

“No.”

“You love the woman you lost.”

“You don’t love the woman I’ve become.”

Ryan’s lips parted.

He had no answer.

Because she was right.

He didn’t know this version of Ariana.

He only knew the woman he had broken.

Damien had remained silent throughout the exchange.

But hearing Ryan confess his feelings stirred something unexpected inside him.

Something uncomfortable.

Something that looked a lot like jealousy.

Ryan looked at Damien again.

“Are you two together?”

Before Ariana could answer, Damien spoke calmly.

“My relationship with Miss Cole is none of your concern.”

Ryan scoffed.

“So that’s a yes?”

“It’s an answer you don’t deserve.”

Ryan’s fists clenched.

For a moment, Ariana feared the situation would escalate.

Instead, Ryan took a step back.

“I won’t give up.”

He looked directly at Ariana.

“I’ll prove I’ve changed.”

She shook her head.

“You had your chance six years ago.”

“And you threw it away.”

Without another word, Ariana took Ethan’s hand.

Damien walked beside them toward his car.

Ryan stood frozen, watching them leave.

His chest tightened.

He had spent years convincing himself Ariana would always be waiting.

He had been wrong.

Very wrong.

…

Several streets away, inside a black luxury sedan, Victoria lowered the pair of binoculars in her hands.

Her nails dug into her designer handbag.

“So it’s true.”

Damien Blackwood had personally taken Ariana to the hospital.

He had stayed.

He had protected her.

And worst of all…

He looked at Ariana in a way Victoria recognized all too well.

Interest.

Real interest.

Victoria’s eyes darkened.

She reached for her phone and dialed a familiar number.

“We have a problem.”

A deep voice answered.

“What happened?”

“Damien Blackwood is getting close to my sister.”

A brief silence followed.

Then the man replied,

“Then make sure she loses him…”

“…just like she lost everything else.”

Victoria slowly smiled.

“I was planning to.”

She ended the call.

Watching Damien’s car disappear into traffic, she whispered,

“This time, Ariana…”

“You won’t survive what I’m about to do.”