Chapter 4

MATEA’S POV

The days that followed felt like stepping into a life I’d only ever dreamed of. Soft morning sunlight, the smell of coffee brewing, Kael’s quiet laugh as he flipped through a book on the sofa — these small, ordinary moments felt more precious than any grand gesture I’d ever known. He didn’t just love me; he cherished me. He listened. He remembered the little thing how I took my tea, the songs I hummed when I was happy, the way I tucked my hair behind my ear when I was nervous. Every day, he showed me what it meant to be chosen, not just tolerated.

I’d started applying for jobs, too. Kael encouraged me endlessly, never letting me doubt myself even when I felt unqualified. “You’re capable, Matea,” he’d say gently. “You’ve handled harder things than a job interview. You’ve survived a broken heart and kept going. That takes strength most people don’t have.”

His belief in me slowly became my own. I practiced interviews in the evenings, and he’d sit across from me, nodding, asking thoughtful questions, treating my dreams with the same respect he gave his own.

One Tuesday afternoon, I got the call. My hands trembled as I set the phone down, staring at the wall in disbelief. I’d gotten the job — a junior position at a design studio I’d only dared to hope for. It was exactly the kind of work I’d always wanted to do, the kind of thing I’d given up on when Jace told me my hobbies were “cute but not real careers.”

“I got it,” I whispered when Kael walked through the door, my voice shaking. “I got the job, Kael.”

He dropped his bag and crossed the room in two steps, pulling me into a warm, tight embrace. “I knew you would. I’m so proud of you, Matea. So incredibly proud.” He pulled back, his eyes shining. “This is yours. You earned every bit of it.”

For the first time, I didn’t feel like I was shrinking to fit someone else’s world. I felt like I was growing — expanding, blooming, becoming more of myself every single day. And Kael stood right beside me, watering that growth, never trying to prune it back.

But the past, it seemed, wasn’t quite ready to let go.

It started small — a feeling of being watched when I walked to the bus stop. A shadowy figure across the street who vanished when I turned to look. At first, I told myself I was imagining things — that the stress of the new job, the new life, was making me jumpy. But then things got worse.

One evening, I came home to find the front door slightly ajar. My heart hammered as I pushed it open. Nothing was stolen — not my phone, not my wallet, not the jewelry Kael had given me. But on the kitchen table, sitting right in the center, was a single, withered black rose. And beneath it, in messy, familiar handwriting: You think you can replace me? We’re not done, Matea. Not by a long shot.

My hands shook so badly I could barely set it down. Jace. He’d been here. He’d come into the one place I’d felt safe.

When Kael came home, I was sitting on the sofa, staring blankly at the rose, my knees pulled to my chest. He saw my face and crossed the room in an instant.

“What happened? Matea, what’s wrong?”

I pointed to the table, my throat too tight to speak. He picked up the note, read it, and his expression hardened — not with anger at me, but with a cold, protective fury I’d never seen before.

“He came here,” Kael said quietly, his voice tight. “He violated our home. Our space.” He looked at me, his gaze softening immediately as he brushed my cheek. “Did he hurt you? Did he touch you?”

“No,” I whispered. “But he was here, Kael. He was inside. And he knows where we live.”

“Then we’ll fix that,” he said firmly, pulling out his phone. “We’re changing the locks today. I’m installing security cameras. And I’m going to talk to him — clearly, firmly, once and for all. He will not come near you again. Not while I’m alive.”

“You don’t have to fight my battles,” I said, though my heart ached at how ready he was to protect me. “This is my mess.”

“Your mess?” He set the phone down and took my hands in his. “Matea, we’re a team. That means your battles are mine. Your safety is my priority. And no one — no one — gets to threaten the woman I love in her own home.”

The words hung in the air, soft but certain. The woman I love.

“You love me?” I breathed, my heart skipping a beat.

He smiled, that tender, genuine smile that always reached his eyes. “Of course I do. I’ve loved you for a while now. I just wanted you to be sure — to be sure it wasn’t just gratitude or loneliness. But seeing you, happy and growing and thriving… how could I not love you?”

“I love you too,” I said, tears spilling over — happy tears, relieved tears, finally-found-you tears. “So much.”

He kissed my forehead, then stood up, his jaw set with determination. “Then let’s handle this. Together. He doesn’t get to live in our heads or our home anymore. We close this chapter — for good.”

That night, the new locks were installed. Cameras went up at every entrance. And Kael sent a clear, firm message to Jace — through a mutual friend, since Jace wouldn’t answer his calls — that if he ever came near me, contacted me, or set foot on our property again, we would file a formal harassment report.

“He’ll try to scare you,” Kael warned gently as we got ready for bed. “He knows fear — it’s the only tool he has. But don’t let him. You’re not that girl anymore, Matea. You’re stronger. You’re loved. And you’re not alone.”

I curled into his arms, feeling safer than I’d ever felt in my life. “I know. Because I have you. And that’s enough to face anything.”

But as I drifted off to sleep, one thought lingered — quiet, unshakable, like a shadow at the edge of my vision. He’s not going to stop easily. He made it clearhe’s not done. And until he truly lets go… neither are we.

TO BE CONTINUED