LOGINChloe spent the rest of the afternoon waiting for Ruan to arrive. She kept staring at the door, wondering where he could have gone, sometimes feeling like an idiot for still worrying about her ex-husband.She was getting ready to abandon everything that tied her to the past, yet she still anxious about Ruan's opinion.The house had been empty for a few hours now; Grace had taken Christopher for a walk in the park, and Chloe had no clue what time they might return. She walked over to the side window, parted the curtain, and stared out at the Phoenix sunset just as Elijah parked his car.She clicked her tongue; he was the last person she wanted to see. His presence also dragged drama into her life. Samantha, Leonidas... all of that had completely ruined any chance of a romance between the two of them.Chloe had actually developed feelings for him. For a moment, she believed things would work out, that he was the right man for a fresh start, until the ghosts came back to haunt her.She b
Chloe's only concern at that moment was Christopher. She studied her son's face, tracing every feature, but she found nothing that could worry her. Christopher remained completely distracted by the phone in his hands, playing his favorite game.She let out a heavy sigh and closed her eyes. She didn't give a damn about what Ruan would think of her decision; her biggest fear was letting Christopher down.Grace hurried over, grabbing Christopher by the arm and inviting him to head to the bedroom. He agreed silently, leaving Chloe entirely alone with Ruan. It was the absolute last thing she wanted right then.She turned her back to him and stared down at her empty plate when she heard his footsteps heading straight for her. Ruan pulled out the chair directly across from her and sat down. He placed his hands on the table and locked his fingers together. It felt like the start of a damn interrogation. The intense way he stared made her feel like a criminal waiting to receive her sentence.A
Chloe stepped into the room, the door sliding quickly through her fingers until it slammed hard against the wall. She wasn't angry—she would fiercely deny it if asked—but her chest ached the moment she sucked in a sharp breath. She buried her face in her hands as the morning's chaos flooded her mind like painful memories.This wasn't the life she wanted to live. She would rather not keep running into the ghosts of her past. Perhaps her story in Phoenix needed to end. The very next second, the phone inside her purse vibrated.Chloe dragged herself up lazily, leaning over to grab the phone she dropped on the floor when she first walked into the room. She unzipped her purse, pulled out the warm device, and slid it free.A notification flashed across the screen the moment she unlocked it. Her eyes took a moment to adjust to the small print, but she collapsed backward onto the bed the second she read the message:“Miss Chloe, after extensive review, we have decided to accept your applicati
Ruan watched the exact moment tears streamed down Megan's face. Not too long ago, that sight would have broken his heart. He used to hate seeing her cry, but now he felt absolutely nothing but indifference. He saw no sincerity in her grief.“I want to know where I can find Alexander,” Ruan said, and the sudden shift in topic startled Megan. “He needs to pay for assault and property damage.”“You could face charges for making false accusations,” Josephine snapped, raising her voice again. “You don't know who you're messing with, Ruan. If I were you, I'd back off before it's too late.”“If I learned how to deal with you, Josephine, I can handle anyone.”His words hit like targeted bullets, and judging by Josephine's reaction, Ruan had struck a nerve.“Please, Ruan,” Megan rushed forward so quickly he couldn't stop her from touching him. “Stay away from Alexander. My mother is right—he's a dangerous man.”“If you knew he was dangerous, why did you marry him?” Ruan violently shook her off
Ruan left the school, glancing back and trying to convince himself that staying away was for the best. Seeing Chloe's ex-boyfriend court her had infuriated him, and the feeling tormented him all the way home.However, he didn't stop in front of Grace’s house; he kept driving, knowing it was useless to hide and pretend nothing was happening. Chloe still haunted his thoughts—it was disturbing to obsess over his ex-wife this way. Megan was the one he should still love; Megan was the one he should be thinking about and mourning. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them, he focused on the road. He had a more important matter to handle this time.Not only that, but he parked the car a few yards away. He turned off the engine and looked around, making sure the street was empty. Visiting his ex-mother-in-law's house wasn't suspicious in itself, but Ruan knew what he might find there. He also knew that all of Phoenix was talking about the incident involving Megan's current husband.People u
Chloe immediately walked to her classroom. She would rather not allow Elijah any time to question her about Leonidas and their long-past relationship. She felt his intense gaze on her as soon as she crossed the room. Even with the students being rowdy and running around, the atmosphere inside the classroom felt more welcoming than the world outside.It took her ten minutes to calm the children. Chloe loved working with kids and hardly noticed the time passing while she taught. In there, she had no adult problems to solve, no ghosts from the past, and no Ruan constantly reminding her that they were once married and shared an unbreakable bond.She didn't realize the class had ended until she saw the children rushing into the hallway. Chloe had a clear plan: wait for every student to leave, pack her things, run to Christopher’s classroom, and sneak away unnoticed. But her plans fell apart the moment she turned around and saw Elijah standing in the doorway.Their eyes met, and his lips ti
The sound of Ruan’s voice grew louder when he crossed the front door of the house. He grumbled impatiently, treating the entire episode as if it were completely absurd.“You still haven’t given me an explanation,” his heated voice rose close to Chloe’s face. “What were you doing in the car with you
“You are truly a gift to this family,” Margot’s voice, Chloe’s mother-in-law, echoed through the house. “You are the perfect woman to give Ruan the child he needs.”The smile on Chloe’s face slowly faded. It had already been a year since they married, and after she lost their first child, she never
When Chloe entered Arnold’s office, Samantha stood in front of his desk, smiling, waiting for him to sign some documents. She turned, shot Chloe a deadly look, and left.Chloe hunched her shoulders and wondered if that could become a problem. What terrifying thing could Samantha do to make her life
The silence of the morning invaded Chloe’s ears as soon as she woke up. She looked at the ceiling and remembered she was still in Ruan’s bed and in his room. It should have been their bed and their room since they were married. But in that small place, nothing was shared between them except the mar







