Chapter 6: The Man from My Past

I stared at Edward Fox’s name on my screen for nearly five minutes before finally agreeing to meet him.

I wasn’t sure what I was expecting. In my memory, Edward was a quiet college student with cheap glasses and an oversized jacket—the brilliant, impoverished boy who always carried a stack of heavy textbooks. My father had funded his scholarship because he was so impressive.

I remembered passing him in the university hallways. A polite nod. A brief exchange of pleasantries. Nothing more.

Certainly nothing that explained why my husband looked like he wanted to murder him, or why Edward was texting me as if we were close.

The restaurant was impeccably elegant, perched on the top floor of a skyscraper—the kind of place twenty-year-old me would only see in movies. I sat near the window, nervously sipping my water.

Five minutes later, a man stepped through the entrance.

I almost didn't recognize him. He was tall, impeccably dressed in an expensive dark suit, and carried himself with effortless confidence.

The moment his gaze landed on me, his eyes softened with a warm, intimate smile. He walked straight to my table, leaned down before I could even react, and kissed my cheek.

"I missed you, sweetheart," he murmured softly.

My entire body went rigid. Sweetheart?!

I pushed myself back in my chair, staring at him in sheer shock. "Edward?"

He pulled out the chair opposite me and chuckled. "What’s with that reaction? You look like you’ve just seen a ghost."

"You... you look different," I managed to say, my brain frantically trying to process why a guy I barely remembered just kissed my cheek and called me sweetheart.

"Ten years will do that," Edward smiled, resting his chin on his hand as he looked at me with deep, romantic intensity. "You look radiant today, Abigail. Though... you seem a bit distant. Still angry about our last fight?"

Fight? What fight?!

I cleared my throat, feeling incredibly awkward. "Edward, look... I asked to meet because I need to ask you something important."

"Anything for you, darling," he replied smoothly, leaning forward and reaching out to cover my hand with his.

I flinched, pulling my hand away to pick up my glass of water just to have something to hold. Edward frowned slightly at my reaction, but his charming smile quickly returned.

"Did I... did I give you Hart Enterprises?" I asked directly.

Edward paused, studying my face with a faint, knowing smile. "You didn't just give it to me, Abigail. We built our vision together. You trusted me with your family’s legacy because you knew I was the only one who could handle it."

"And... my father?"

Edward’s expression softened into one of gentle sympathy—a look that felt suspiciously rehearsed. "Your father is stuck. But you chose me. You chose us."

Us?! My head was spinning. Was I actually in a romantic relationship with this guy?!

"Edward... were we... a couple?" I squeaked out, feeling mortified.

Edward laughed softly, a low, melodic sound. "Are you playing hard to get today? Or is this your way of teasing me after ignoring my calls?" He reached across the table again, his fingers lightly brushing my wrist. "You came to me years ago, Abigail. You told me you loved me, remember?"

Before I could digest the horrifying thought of twenty-year-old me falling for my father's scholarship student, a shadow fell over our table.

The air in the restaurant instantly plunged below freezing.

"Take your hands off my wife."

A dangerously calm, low voice echoed above us.

I gasped and turned around. Liam was standing right behind my chair, clad in his sharp work suit, looking like an absolute Greek god of wrath. His jaw was clenched so hard I thought his teeth might shatter, and his eyes were locked on Edward’s hand with lethal precision.

Edward didn't flinch. Instead, he slowly pulled his hand back and smiled smoothly. "Ah, Mr. Montgomery. Still playing the possessive husband?"

"I don't play," Liam said coldly.

I blinked, looking back and forth between the two gorgeous men towering over my lunch table. The drama was so intense it felt like I was sitting in the middle of a prime-time soap opera.

Liam turned his gaze down to me, his eyes burning. "We're leaving. Now."

"Wait, I haven't even ordered food yet!" I blurted out without thinking.

Liam’s brows twitched. "Abigail."

"What? I'm hungry!"

Edward let out a light laugh, highly amused by the exchange. "Let her eat, Liam. Or does your jealousy extend to her lunch menu as well?"

Liam’s eyes narrowed into slits. He stepped closer, grabbed the back of my chair, and pulled it back slightly—effectively sweeping me away from Edward's side.

"Get up, Abigail," Liam ordered, his tone leaving zero room for debate.

I crossed my arms and looked up at him, entirely ignoring the life-or-death tension in the air. "You're ordering me around again. What’s wrong with you?"

Liam froze. His imposing, menacing aura instantly cracked for a fraction of a second. "What?"

"You!" I pointed a finger at him, a sudden urge to tease him bubbling up. "You followed me here!"

"I did not follow you," Liam snapped, his cheeks suddenly taking on a very faint, almost imperceptible shade of pink. "I had a meeting nearby."

"On the top floor of a Italian restaurant?" I raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Riiight."

Edward cleared his throat quietly, watching us with a mix of fascination and annoyance. "Should I leave you two to resolve your marital spat?"

"No," Liam barked.

"Yes, please," I said at the exact same time.

Edward stood up, picking up his suit jacket. He flashed me one last, lingering, overly dramatic smile. "Call me later, sweetheart. When you're free from your leash."

"Don't call her that," Liam growled, stepping forward as if he was about to punch him right there.

Edward simply gave a smug smirk and walked away, disappearing into the elevator.

Once he was gone, the heavy silence settled between Liam and me. Liam stood there, breathing heavily, still looking thoroughly offended.

I grabbed my purse, stood up, and patted his arm playfully. "Relax, big guy. I didn't even like his vibe anyway."

Liam stared at me, completely thrown off by my casual attitude. "You... what?"

"He's too slick. And he called me sweetheart like five times, it was weird," I muttered, walking past him toward the exit.

Liam stood frozen for a second before turning around to catch up with my fast pace. "Abigail, wait."