Arabella sat on the edge of her bed, the morning light filtering in through the sheer curtains, painting soft golden streaks across her face. Her heart still felt heavy from the conversation with Nathaniel the night before. His intensity had shaken her to the core, and now, in the quiet aftermath, she felt the weight of her secrets more than ever.
She reached for her phone and saw a message from Elina.
> Elina: "Are you okay? I had a weird feeling something happened last night."
Arabella smiled faintly. Elina always knew when something was off.
> Arabella: "I'll explain everything later. I promise. Just… it was a long night."
She placed her phone aside and walked to the mirror, brushing out her hair slowly, trying to calm the storm in her chest. But nothing could erase the image of Nathaniel's eyes burning into hers, his voice echoing in her mind.
"I know you're hiding something."
And he was right. She was hiding everything.
Suddenly, her phone buzzed again. This time, it wasn't Elina.
> Unknown Number: "You can run, but the past always finds you."
Arabella's breath caught. Her fingers trembled as she read the message over and over again. Her past — the one she had buried so deep — was clawing its way back into her life.
She deleted the message immediately, but her heart raced. She knew that number. She would never forget it. It belonged to someone she had hoped never to hear from again.
Damien.
The man who had made her life a living nightmare. The one who had pushed her to fake her own death and disappear.
"No," she whispered, pacing the room. "Not now. Not when I've just started to live again."
---
Nathaniel arrived at the office earlier than usual. Despite the confrontation with Arabella, he couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right. There was something in her eyes last night — fear, guilt, maybe even heartbreak.
And he wanted to know why.
"Mr. King," his assistant, Mia, said, entering his office. "There's a visitor asking to see you. He says it's urgent."
Nathaniel raised a brow. "Who is it?"
"A man named Damien Grey."
The name struck a chord. Nathaniel leaned back slowly, his expression darkening.
"Send him in," he said coolly.
Moments later, the door opened and a man walked in. He was dressed sharply, but his smirk was anything but friendly.
"Mr. King," Damien said, extending a hand Nathaniel didn't take. "Nice office."
Nathaniel stood and folded his arms. "Cut the small talk. What do you want?"
Damien laughed. "Straight to the point. I like that."
Nathaniel didn't respond. He studied Damien's face, his sharp jaw, the arrogant glint in his eyes. Something about him felt… wrong.
"I'm here about a woman," Damien said. "Arabella."
Nathaniel's body tensed instantly. "What do you know about her?"
"Oh, I know everything," Damien said, his tone slick. "More than you ever will."
Nathaniel walked around his desk, standing just a few feet away from Damien. "Start talking. Now."
Damien smiled. "Let's just say… she owes me. And I've come to collect."
---
Arabella sat frozen in the café across from Elina, her hands wrapped tightly around her coffee cup though she hadn't taken a sip.
"I got a message," she whispered. "From him."
Elina's expression dropped. "Damien?"
Arabella nodded. "He knows where I am, Elina. He knows I'm alive."
"Oh my God…" Elina reached across the table and grabbed her hand. "What are we going to do?"
Arabella's mind raced. She felt the walls closing in again, the same way they had when she first ran from him. The manipulation, the control, the threats — it was all coming back.
"I have to disappear again," she whispered.
"No," Elina said firmly. "You can't just run. Not this time. Arabella, you have Nathaniel now."
Arabella shook her head. "He doesn't know. About my past. About Damien. About any of it."
"Then tell him."
"I can't!" she snapped, then immediately softened. "I can't drag him into this. He's already suspicious. If he finds out the truth, he'll never forgive me."
Elina leaned closer. "Arabella, you've built a new life. A good life. Running will only give Damien more power. You need to fight."
"But how?" Arabella whispered, voice cracking.
---
Nathaniel stared out of his office window long after Damien had left. He hadn't gotten much out of the man, but one thing was clear — Damien Grey had history with Arabella, and it wasn't the kind that ended well.
His gut twisted. He had seen Arabella struggle to hold herself together. And now, someone from her past was threatening to tear everything apart.
He picked up his phone and called Mia.
"Get me everything you can on Damien Grey. I want background, business ties, criminal records — if he ever stepped foot in a parking lot illegally, I want to know."
"Yes, sir."
He ended the call and sat back, fists clenched.
What are you hiding, Arabella? And why won't you let me in?
---
That evening, Arabella stood outside Nathaniel's penthouse, debating whether or not to knock. Her heart was hammering. After what happened last night — and now with Damien — she wasn't sure she had the strength to face him.
But she had to.
She knocked.
Nathaniel opened the door faster than she expected, as if he'd been waiting for her.
"Arabella," he said, his voice low. "Come in."
She stepped inside, and he closed the door behind her.
They stood in silence for a long moment before he spoke.
"You got a visitor today," he said, his eyes never leaving her face. "Damien Grey."
Arabella's knees almost buckled. "You… saw him?"
"Yes." His tone was flat. "He said you owe him. Care to explain what that means?"
Arabella turned away, hugging herself. Her silence said more than words ever could.
Nathaniel walked closer. "You don't have to be afraid of me. But I need the truth. Who is he to you?"
She closed her eyes, then finally said, "He was my fiancé. Years ago. I left him after he… after he hurt me."
Nathaniel's jaw clenched. "Hurt you?"
Arabella nodded. "He was controlling. Abusive. Manipulative. I tried to leave, but he threatened to ruin me. So I did the only thing I could. I disappeared."
"And changed your name."
"Yes."
Nathaniel stared at her, trying to piece it all together.
"I had no choice," Arabella whispered. "I was scared. I didn't know what else to do."
Nathaniel was silent for a long time, then said, "You should've told me."
I didn't want to drag you into it. I thought I could handle it on my own," Arabella said, her voice tight with emotion.
Nathaniel took a deep breath, pacing slowly. "Arabella, I'm not just some stranger passing through your life. I told you before — I want to protect you. But I can't do that if you keep shutting me out."
Her eyes met his. "I was trying to protect you, Nathaniel. Damien is dangerous. He doesn't just ruin people — he destroys them."
"I'm not afraid of him," he said firmly. "And I won't let him touch you."
Arabella looked down, feeling the warmth of his words wrap around her like a shield. For the first time in years, someone was standing up for her. Not out of pity or obligation — but out of something deeper. Something that terrified her almost as much as Damien did.
"Then what now?" she asked quietly.
"We go after him," Nathaniel said without hesitation. "Legally, strategically — whatever it takes. I've already asked Mia to gather information. If he has a record, we'll find it. If he has weaknesses, we'll exploit them."
Arabella felt a flicker of hope. "You'd do that… for me?"
Nathaniel stepped closer. "I'd do anything for you."
---
The next day, Arabella returned to her boutique, but she couldn't focus. Every knock on the door made her jump. Every customer that walked in was scrutinized. Her world, once quiet and safe, felt like it was cracking open again.
She stepped into the back room, needing a moment to breathe, when Elina burst in with her phone in hand.
"Arabella," Elina panted, "you need to see this."
Arabella took the phone and saw a social media post with a headline:
> "Heir to Grey Enterprises Searching for His 'Lost Love' – Claims She Was Kidnapped Years Ago"
Below it was Damien's smug face and a blurry photo from Arabella's college days.
"He's framing me," Arabella whispered in horror. "He's making it look like I was the villain."
Elina's fists clenched. "He's manipulating the media — again."
Arabella stared at the screen, her mind racing. "If he gets public sympathy, it'll be harder for me to prove anything. He'll turn people against me."
"Then you fight fire with fire," Elina said. "Tell your story first. We go public — but on our terms. No hiding. No more silence."
Arabella's throat tightened. "But what if it backfires?"
Elina placed a hand on her shoulder. "You have Nathaniel now. And you have me. We won't let it."
---
That evening, Arabella met Nathaniel at his private office. He was already reviewing a thick folder filled with reports Mia had compiled.
"Damien Grey has a long list of business violations," Nathaniel said. "Fraud, blackmail, coercion — most of it buried under settlements and NDAs."
Arabella's stomach twisted. "That sounds like him."
"He's untouchable publicly, but not legally. If we gather the right testimony, especially from people he's hurt, we can bring him down."
Nathaniel pulled out a tablet and showed her a document. "I had my legal team draft this. A restraining order. If you sign it, we'll file it first thing tomorrow."
Arabella nodded slowly. "Yes. Do it."
Nathaniel placed a hand over hers. "We'll handle this together. No more hiding, Arabella."
Emotion welled up in her throat. For the first time in years, she wasn't facing her past alone.
---
Later that night, Arabella stood on her balcony, looking out at the city lights. The wind brushed through her hair as she hugged herself, deep in thought.
Nathaniel joined her, wrapping his arms gently around her waist from behind.
"You're safe now," he murmured against her ear.
She leaned back into him. "You say that so easily."
"I mean it."
"I know," she whispered. "And that's what scares me."
Nathaniel turned her around to face him. "Why?"
"Because I'm starting to trust you more than I trust myself. And if I lose you…"
"You won't," he said firmly. "Whatever happens, I'm not going anywhere."
Arabella looked into his eyes and saw no hesitation, no doubt — just raw, unwavering truth. She felt something shift in her, something fragile beginning to heal.
Then her phone buzzed again.
Another message.
> "You think he can protect you? You're wrong."
Nathaniel saw the message over her shoulder and snatched the phone. "That's it. I'm done playing games with this bastard."
He pulled out his own phone. "Mia. I want Damien Grey's location tracked. Now."
Arabella's breath hitched. "Nathaniel—"
He turned to her, voice cold and calm. "He crossed a line. And I'm going to end this before it gets worse."