A tall figure stood outside. At first glance, I only saw his chest. I slowly raised my eyes. That face that had appeared countless times in my dreams now stood on my doorstep, less than a step away.
Enzo wore the same outfit as that stranger in the flower shop, just without the sunglasses. Those daisies—he'd bought them. He'd stood in the flower shop watching me talk to Noah, watching me laugh, watching me turn his real identity into a dead husband.
He'd heard everything.
Facing this face—so familiar it was carved into my bones—the feelings I thought had died completely in that pool of blood in New York surged up with pain beyond my control.
Enzo looked much thinner, jawline drawn tight, those deep black eyes locked on me, churning with too many emotions I could barely withstand.
God, even after all that cruel hurt and betrayal, in this second of reunion, my body was still pathetically aching for him.
But this fatal weakness lasted only an instant before despair flooded my heart.
He'd still found me. No matter how far I ran, no matter how deep I hid, he still tracked me down to this remote town like a ghost I could never escape. The new name, new identity I'd worked so hard for, the freedom I'd finally won back—all declared worthless the moment he appeared.
I gasped, stepped back hard, hands gripping the doorknob, using every ounce of strength to slam the door shut.
But Enzo was faster. He stepped onto the porch in one stride, hand blocking the door, then pressed forward, arms locking me tight in his embrace.
"Get out! Get the hell out!"
I felt my eyes heating up fast, but the terror of being taken away made me struggle desperately. I kicked his shins, pounded his chest with my fists, and rammed my shoulder into his chin. But he didn't make a sound, didn't move, arms tightening further until my ribs hurt.
I couldn't budge this monster of a man, but I still fought back—opened my mouth and bit down hard on Enzo.
My teeth sank into the spot between his shoulder and neck. I used all my strength. I felt my teeth break through skin and flesh, tasted rust. Enzo groaned but still didn't let go.
"I'm not going back!" My voice squeezed through clenched teeth, shrill and shaking. "You hear me? I will never go back with you! Let me go!"
"Chloe." His voice came from above my head, hoarse and nearly broken. "God, Chloe. You're alive."
My struggling stopped for a second.
"You're alive. You're really alive." He buried his face in my hair, voice shaking, every word trembling. "I knelt by that pool of blood, thinking you were dead. I thought I'd never see you again."
Enzo's voice broke with tears, like a drowning man clinging to his last piece of driftwood. His heartbeat pressed against my ear, terrifyingly fast, his whole body hanging on me like he'd been drained of strength.
I froze briefly, almost softened, but in the end, I shoved him away hard.
Enzo stumbled back half a step. He looked at me, eyes rimmed red.
"Don't touch me." My voice shook, but I forced it steady. "Why did you come find me? Why couldn't you just pretend I was dead? I wish I'd never met you, Enzo."
Every word was sincere. I hated him. I wished I'd never seen him,never gone to that damned company, never given him my heart, then I wouldn't have been hurt this deeply.
Enzo's hand—reaching for me—froze mid-air, finally dropping helplessly, even wretchedly.
"You can hate me, Chloe. You can even shoot me right now..." He swallowed hard. "But please... don't say that. Don't casually erase everything that happened between us."
He moved closer half a step, chest heaving violently, eyes churning with heartbreaking desperation and fear.
"How can you be so cruel? Disappearing like that? Do you know that pool of blood and news of your death nearly drove me insane?!" Enzo's voice was low, hoarse, broken, almost like a sob. "After you disappeared, I nearly went mad. I'm sorry, Chloe. I'm an idiot. Only now do I understand what you mean to me. You're my only one. You're the true love I'd give up everything to keep."
My tears fell.
He said that now? After he was already married? After I'd completely given up? Only now did he suddenly discover I was his only one? The thing he'd protect even if he lost everything?
"Too late." I wiped my face, but new tears immediately welled up. "You apologize now? You say this now? You know it's too late? I can't trust you anymore, Enzo. I'm afraid of your feelings because you don't understand what love is. You only understand imprisonment, lies, and control. You never truly cared about my feelings. Never. You just treated me like a pet you kept, only allowed to live in the cage you built, breathe by your rules."
