My heart raced, and my thoughts spun into chaos as Ansell, the man who had once haunted my past, stood before me. His piercing green eyes bore into mine, while his demeanour exuded a casual confidence that sent shivers down my spine. It felt as if the walls of of the cabin were closing in around me, making it increasingly difficult to breathe.
My expressions were those of complete shock while he was standing against the door casually, as if he knew that he would find me here.
I am sure he must have done proper research about where I am working and where I am living. He also kept the time of his visit in such a way that Mr. Martin was not present here so that he could interact me.
I am damn sure about this.
But why is he coming into my life again?
Didn’t what he has already done to me be enough for him?
I left him because I thought that he was already regretting his moves and I didn’t have the energy to face him again or mess with him so I decided to let him be his own. I hope he doesn’t make me regret my decision to leave free of any charges.
He didn’t bother to show his face in the last six years. Why now?
After a long minute of silence, he finally took a step inside. One of his hands was tucked in the pocket of his pants, and his eyes were fixed on me. His presence was as commanding as ever, each movement was calculated and authoritative.
His beard had grown, adding to his rugged appearance, and his muscular frame seemed more prominent than I remembered. I couldn’t help but notice the fine lines that had appeared beside his eyes and on his forehead.
What does he have to worry about when all he does is create tension and make the lives of other people a living hell?
Ansell’s actions had always brought turmoil and chaos into my world, and now his reappearance left me with a sense of dread, as if a storm was brewing on the horizon. Yes, I was struggling in life, but still, there was peace, and now it seems like the last thing I had was also going to get snatched from me.
“Good afternoon, Miss” he finally broke the silence, dragging the last words.
His voice has grown thick and authoritative. His words sent chills down my spine and suddenly the temperature of the room dropped by the three degrees.
“Won’t you ask your client to take a seat?” He asked, eyeing me as I was still silent. I was too taken aback by his sudden presence to say anything. I gulped visibly but I didn’t move my gaze away from him.
“It’s okay” he said, his eyes shifting between me and the empty chair in front of me. “I will take a seat on my own”
I was grateful for the table that separated us, providing some much-needed distance. I took a deep breath to steady myself, reminding myself that I needed to be strong and composed. I couldn’t afford to be intimidated by his imposing presence.
But even after repeating these words like a mantra, I couldn’t shrug off the arising fear in my veins. It was not for me but for my Jayden. I was afraid for my baby.
What if he kidnapped?
I mentally slapped myself for thinking negatively.
Suddenly, I felt I needed to call my mom and ask if everything was fine there. I am glad that I didn’t allow Jayden to attend school today or he would have surely reached there.
Determined, I rose from my seat, ready to make my exit from this place and have fresh air far from him, when Ansell spoke up.
“What happened? Why are you behaving as if we are meeting for the first time, and I am some stranger to you?’
His words tugged at my emotions, but I refused to let him draw me into a conversation. I knew he was trying to find a reason to engage with me, which I didn’t want to give.
“I am sorry, sir, I cannot take your case” I stated firmly, avoiding his gaze.
Mr. Martin could assign the case to anyone on his team, it didn’t have to be me. I will talk to him later, telling him that I am not comfortable with this client. He will surely understand.
“But you have to” Ansell shrugged. “Because I have already paid your boss”
I licked my lips before looking directly into his eyes, telling him that the Nara he once knew hasn’t died yet. I may have gone through the worst phase of my life but despite the hardships, I had emerged stronger, and I wasn’t going to let his reappearance break me. I may get distracted for a few minutes but I will not bend in front of him.
“I will have someone from my team attend to your case and file it” I asserted.
Giving him one last stern look and steeling myself, I stepped ahead to leave this cabin. The space between his chair and the exit was narrow, and I had no choice but to walk very close to him. Just as I was about to reach the door, a sudden jolt coursed through me when Ansell seized my wrist, freezing me in my tracks.
Zaps of electricity ran through my body as his warm finger curled around my cold wrist. My eyes closed for a moment when all the memories of our past, from sweet to bitter, played in front of my eyes like a movie.
My jaw clenched as the painful recollections of how badly he had treated me and the turmoil my family had endured because of him came rushing back.
“Leave my wrist and let me go” I said in a stern voice, taking a deep breath.
His response was unexpected, instead of shouting or retaliating , he spoke in a surprisingly soft voice, one that didn’t quite seem like his. The question he asked struck me like a bolt of lightning.
“Didn’t you miss me, Nara?”
My breath became heavy when my name rolled out of his tongue like butter. I could hear pain and regret in his voice.
But I can’t let myself be swayed by his sweet words.
“My name is Leonara Eleanor Skyler” I declared with cold resolve as my eyes shot open. “Kindly address me with that”
My eyes focused on the floor, waiting for him to release my wrist so I could make my exit. I wasn’t looking at him, but I had a strong sense that his gaze was fixed on me.
My words didn’t seem to have any effect on him.
“Don’t you miss me every time you look into his eyes?”
My heart sharply snapped at him. My heart pounded painfully in my chest, and my jaw clenched even tighter. I had been focused on freeing my wrist from his grasp, but question took me by surprise, halting my efforts.
“He is not yours” I spat out, my anger flaring.
He chuckled, taking me by surprise and my struggles stopped all of a sudden.
“I didn’t specify whom I was talking about” he explained, and his grip on my wrist tightened. “One of your teammates also has the green eyes I mentioned, but your words have confirmed it”
He locked eyes with me as there was a sudden shift in his expression from amusement to seriousness, his assertion brimming with confidence.
“He is mine”
Every word was stern and landed with such surety that I shuddered to the core.
“He is not yours” I hissed, my teeth clenched, as I twisted my wrist further. “Leave my hand, or I will file harassment charges against you”
. He started laughing, throwing his head back. It seems like he is making fun of me because, in the past, he has done a lot more than this and I was helpless to do anything.
Suddenly his laughter creased and a dreadful silence settled over us as his expression shifted to very serious.
“Listen to my case, or I will accuse you of deceiving me, which could lead to the suspension of your license. Your other team members are at lunch. I don’t want to disrupt them, and I can’t wait. Time is of the essence for me”
Closing my eyes. I huffed, I am sure he is not leaving me so easily. Even if I went out, he would not hesitate to tell my teammates everything about our past. And I am not sure how he would portray me. I would deal with him later on, for now, it seems like I would have to listen to his case.
When he was sure that I was ready to listen to his case, he left my wrist. Walking back to the seat, I opened the file and took a pen in between my fingers.
He leans forward on the table, tenting his fingers under his chin. His eyes are not leaving mine, even for a second, making me uncomfortable. But I tried my best not to show that to him.
I was waiting for him to start telling me about his case with my eyes fixated on the file.
“Make a case against a girl who ran away with my child and is keeping him from me without my knowledge” he demanded, his words jolting me.
My eyes widened and my breath once again caught in my throat as I looked up at him.
“I want the guardianship of my son”