Chapter 3

Alondra POV:

The vibrant chaos of Paris was a balm to my raw soul, a stark contrast to the sterile calculations of Alden' s revenge. The École des Beaux-Arts accepted my application with a scholarship, a lifeline thrown to a drowning woman. I embraced the foreign language, the new friends, the demanding curriculum, anything to silence the echo of Alden' s betrayal. My apartment in the Latin Quarter was small, overlooking a bustling street, but it was mine. A sanctuary. For the first time in months, I started to breathe.

One crisp autumn evening, a little over a year after I' d fled New York, I found myself sketching in a quiet café near the Seine. The city lights twinkled on the water, mirroring the hesitant flicker of hope within me. I was finally healing. I was finally moving on.

"Alondra Pittman," a voice, smooth as aged wine and carrying a distinct American accent, said from beside my table.

My hand froze. The charcoal stick snapped. My heart leaped into my throat, a familiar icy grip taking hold. It couldn't be. Not here. Not now.

I looked up, my eyes wide with terror, only to find myself staring into the kindest pair of hazel eyes I had ever seen. He was tall, impeccably dressed, with a warm smile that crinkled at the corners of his eyes. He wasn't Alden. He was Kolton Stout.

Kolton, a venture capitalist I' d met through a mutual friend at a gallery opening a few months prior, was everything Alden wasn't. Patient, gentle, honest. He didn' t play games. He simply... cared. We'd had a few casual dinners, pleasant conversations, but I had kept my guard up, a fortress around my bruised heart.

"Kolton," I managed, my voice a little shaky. "You startled me."

He chuckled, a rich, comforting sound. "My apologies. I saw you deep in thought. May I?" He gestured to the empty chair.

I nodded, still trying to calm my racing pulse. He pulled out the chair, his movements fluid and unhurried. "You seem a million miles away," he observed, his gaze gentle. "Are you alright?"

I forced a smile. "Just... lost in thought. A new project." I gestured vaguely at my sketchbook, hiding the broken charcoal.

He leaned forward, his eyes genuinely interested. "Tell me about it. Your work is always so captivating."

We talked for hours that night, about art, about life, about the subtle nuances of French politics. He listened, truly listened, absorbing every word, every hesitation. He didn't push. He didn't pry. He simply offered his presence, his genuine interest. It was a stark contrast to Alden's calculated charm, his performance. With Kolton, there was no hidden agenda, no undercurrent of manipulation. Just a steady, comforting presence.

Over the next few months, Kolton became my anchor. He celebrated my small victories, offered a steady hand when I doubted myself, and never once made me feel like I owed him anything. His affection was a quiet, constant stream, slowly eroding the walls I had built around my heart. He would bring me warm croissants and coffee to my studio on cold mornings, simply because he knew I' d often forget to eat. He' d spend hours in galleries with me, patiently discussing the brushstrokes of masters, even though his world was numbers and markets.

He was the kind of man who would hold my hand, simply hold it, without any expectation. He offered a love that felt like a quiet sunrise after a long, dark night. A love based on respect, on honesty, on simply being there.

I was slowly, tentatively, falling in love again. A different kind of love. A healthy, healing love.

One rainy afternoon, as we walked hand-in-hand through the Jardin du Luxembourg, the autumn leaves a vibrant tapestry underfoot, Kolton stopped. He turned to me, his hazel eyes serious, yet full of warmth. "Alondra," he began, his voice soft, "I know you've been hurt. I know you carry a lot of pain. And I don't want to rush you, ever."

My heart hammered against my ribs. I knew what was coming.

"But I want you to know," he continued, gently taking my other hand, his touch firm and reassuring, "that I'm here. I'm all in. I see you, Alondra. All of you. The brilliant artist, the resilient woman, the beautiful soul. And I love you."

My breath caught in my throat. Tears welled in my eyes, not of pain, but of overwhelming gratitude and a burgeoning joy. It had been so long since anyone had simply seen me, without an agenda. He was offering me a future, not a trap.

"I... I love you too, Kolton," I whispered, the words feeling fragile, yet incredibly real.

He smiled, a genuine, radiant smile that melted the last vestiges of ice around my heart. He leaned in, his lips soft and warm against mine. It wasn't the fiery, consuming passion I'd once shared with Alden. It was something deeper, more profound. It was peace. It was home.

We spent that evening in his cozy apartment, a light dinner, quiet conversation, and the comforting rhythm of simply being together. There was no urgency, no hidden cameras, no performance. Just two people, finding solace and joy in each other's presence. I felt safe, truly safe, for the first time in years.

I awoke the next morning in Kolton's arms, the Parisian sunlight filtering through the curtains. I felt a lightness I hadn't known was possible. This was it. This was my new beginning. The past was a distant, fading nightmare.

"Good morning, my love," Kolton murmured, his voice husky with sleep, as he pulled me closer.

I nestled against him, my heart full. "Morning."

Just as I was about to drift back to sleep, a sharp, insistent knocking echoed through the apartment. It was heavy, rhythmic, almost violent. My eyes flew open. My body tensed, an ancient fear stirring within me. No one ever knocked like that here.

Kolton stirred, rubbing his eyes. "Who on earth?" he mumbled, pushing himself up.

The knocking intensified, rattling the doorframe. My blood ran cold. A wave of dread washed over me, chilling me to the bone. This wasn't a friendly visit. This wasn't normal.

"Kolton, wait," I whispered, my voice barely audible. A name, a face, flashed through my mind, a phantom from a past I had desperately tried to bury.

The knocking stopped. A voice, cold and laced with an unnerving familiarity, cut through the silence. "Alondra. I know you're in there. Open the door."

My breath hitched. The world spun. No. It couldn't be. Not him. Not here.

Kolton looked at me, a question in his eyes. He saw the terror on my face, the sudden pallor. "Alondra? What's wrong?"

I couldn't speak. My throat was dry, constricted. The voice outside, however, left no room for doubt. It was the voice that had shattered my world once before. The voice of my tormentor.

"Alondra, it's Alden. And I'm not leaving until you talk to me."

The calm, collected voice was a stark contrast to the frantic pounding in my chest. He had found me. After all this time, all this distance, he had found me. My sanctuary had been invaded. My new life, my fragile peace, was crumbling.

Kolton, seeing my frozen terror, squared his shoulders. "Alden? Who is Alden?" he asked, his voice firm, protective. He didn't know. He couldn't know the monster I had tried to escape.

"Don't," I choked out, grabbing his arm. "Don't open it."

But it was too late. Before I could utter another word, the door burst open with a violent crash, tearing from its hinges. And there he stood, framed against the Parisian morning light, a ghost from my past, his eyes, dark and intense, fixed solely on me. Alden Scott.

And in his hand, clutched tightly, was a single, withered black rose.

My stomach dropped. The black rose. His symbol of our "undying, secret love." He had remembered. He still remembered. And he was here. My past had finally caught up, tearing through the fragile tapestry of my present. The world went silent, save for the frantic pounding of my own heart, a drumbeat of impending doom.