The moment Vivian stepped off the plane, the city felt different.
New York had always been alive, pulsing with an energy that had once made her feel at home. But now, as she walked through the terminal, flanked by two of her father’s security personnel, she felt the weight of her presence in a way she never had before.
The news had already spread.
“Vivian Beaumont Returns to New York: Business Mogul or Unfinished Business?”
“Beaumont Heiress Joins Elite Program, Is This a Move to Expand Her Empire?”
“Single Mother, CEO, and Powerhouse, Vivian Beaumont Takes New York by Storm!”
She ignored the flashing cameras as she slid into the backseat of her car. The moment the door shut, she exhaled.
She was here. After six years.
Her heart thumped against her ribs as the car pulled away, the city blurring past her window. Every street corner held a memory, every turn a reminder of what she had left behind.
And who she had left behind. Max.
Her fingers curled into her lap at the thought of him. She didn’t know if he was still in the city, didn’t know if he had moved on, found someone else.
No! She cut the thought short before it could take root.
It didn’t matter.
She was here for business. And that was all.
Or at least, that was what she kept telling herself.
**_____**
The leadership program was being held at one of the most exclusive venues in the city, a luxurious high-rise that overlooked Manhattan. The room buzzed with conversation, the air thick with power and prestige. The best minds in the industry were gathered here, all eager to forge alliances, to make connections that could shift the tides of business.
Vivian moved through the crowd with ease, her presence commanding, her name alone enough to turn heads. She shook hands, exchanged polite smiles, but her mind was elsewhere until someone called out from behind.
“Vivian.” Her breath caught.
She turned, and there he was. Daniel.
Dressed in a tailored navy suit, his blonde hair neatly styled, Daniel looked every bit the successful man he had become. But his eyes, those same warm brown eyes still held familiarity.
“Daniel.” A slow smile spread across his face as he stepped closer. “I heard you were back in town, but I didn’t believe it until now.”
Vivian let out a soft chuckle, shaking her head. “I didn’t expect to see you here either.”
He gave her a knowing look. “You should’ve.”
Before she could respond, he pulled her into a warm embrace. Although It wasn’t without feelings , but it was filled with nostalgia, with the comfort of an old friend.
Vivian closed her eyes for a brief second, allowing herself the moment. It had been years since she had seen him, years since they had spoken properly. And for a moment, it felt nice and safe.
But safety was a fleeting thing.
Because just as she pulled back from the hug, just as she opened her eyes, she saw him.
Max stood in the doorway, his broad frame tense, his hands curled into fists at his sides.
He looked devastatingly handsome.
The years had only sharpened his features, his jawline more defined, his dark hair tousled just enough to look effortless, his eyes still the same piercing gray that once undid her. He was dressed in all black, exuding a quiet power that made people step aside without him having to utter a word.
And right now? Right now, those eyes were locked onto her and Daniel, on the closeness between them, on the way Daniel’s hand still rested lightly on her waist.
For a brief, shattering second, the world stilled.
Vivian felt her breath hitch, her pulse stammering as she took in the sight of him.
But Max? Max said nothing to her, to them.
Instead, his expression hardened, and before she could even call his name, he turned on his heel and walked away.
Vivian’s stomach twisted.
“Max-” The name barely left her lips before she was moving, her heels clicking against the marble floor as she hurried after him.
Daniel grabbed her wrist. “Vivian, wait-”
“I have to go,” she said, shaking him off and then she ran after him.
Max moved fast, Vivian barely caught up with him as he stormed out of the venue, pushing past a small crowd before stepping onto the city sidewalk. The cold air hit her skin, but she didn’t care.
“Max!” she called out, breathless.
He didn’t stop.
Her chest tightened as she picked up her pace. “Max, stop walking away from me!”
That did it.
He halted, his back still turned to her. His shoulders rose and fell with measured breaths, his posture rigid.
Slowly, he turned around.
Vivian sucked in a breath.
His expression was unreadable, but his eyes, God, his eyes held everything. Frustration. Pain. Jealousy.
For a long moment, neither of them spoke. The sounds of the crowd filled the silence between them, but it was nothing compared to the tension brewing in the air.
Max was the first to break it.
“What the hell are you doing here, Vivian?”
His voice was low, rough, like he had to force the words out.
Vivian swallowed, steadying herself. “I came for the program.”
His jaw ticked. “Of course, you did. And Daniel? What, was that just a bonus?”
Her heart twisted. “It’s not what you think.”
A sharp laugh left him, but there was no humor in it. “You have no idea what I think.”
Vivian took a step closer. “Then tell me.”
Max exhaled harshly, running a hand through his hair before pinning her with a look so intense, it made her insides tremble.
“You left,” he said, voice quieter now but no less raw. “You disappeared. And now, six years later, you just show up in my city, smiling, hugging another man, acting like nothing happened?”
Her breath caught. “Max-”
“You don’t get to do that,” he cut in, his tone sharp. “You don’t get to stand here and pretend like you didn’t rip me apart Vivian.”
Vivian’s eyes burned. “I never wanted to hurt you.”
“But you did.”
The weight of his words slammed into her chest.
For a moment, she saw it, the ghost of the man he had been six years ago. The man whom she had once looked at him like he was his world and still was but then, she had shattered him to protect her baby.
Vivian inhaled deeply, forcing herself to stay steady. “I had no choice, Max.”
His jaw clenched. “There’s always a choice.”
She stepped even closer now, close enough to feel the warmth of him, close enough that if she reached out, she could touch him. “Not back then,” she whispered. “Not when everything was at stake.”
Something flickered in his gaze, confusion, hesitation but it was gone in an instant, buried beneath the years of pain.
He exhaled sharply, looking away. “It doesn’t matter anymore.”
Vivian felt her chest constrict. “It does.”
“No, Vivian,” he said, turning back to her. “It doesn’t. You made your choice. And I made mine.”
Her fingers curled. “And what was your choice?”
Max studied her for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then, with a final shake of his head, he stepped back.
“To let you go.”
Vivian felt something crack inside her.
And then, without another word, Max turned and disappeared into the crowd, leaving her standing there, staring after him, her heart pounding.
Because this time…She didn’t know if she could let him go again.