Chapter 5

Ada Mcfadden POV:

The salty tang of the sea air filled my lungs, a stark contrast to the sterile, climate-controlled environments I'd inhabited for the past five years. My fingers, accustomed to the delicate precision of a stylus on a digital canvas, now traced the rough edges of driftwood on a deserted beach in Bali. I had found a small studio here, far from the gleaming skyscrapers and the suffocating opulence of Clayton's world. I was a freelance artist again, painting intricate mandalas on surfboards, my designs weaving stories of the ocean, the sky, and everything in between. It was honest work, liberating work.

Julian's ashes were safe, stored respectfully in a small, hand-carved wooden box, awaiting their journey. I wore a simple silver band on my ring finger now, a placeholder for the promise Julian and I had made, a silent vow to chase adventure.

Life was simple, peaceful. I woke with the sun, painted until my fingers ached, and watched the sunsets paint the sky in fiery hues. I learned to surf, picked up a smattering of Indonesian, and found a quiet joy in the rhythm of the waves. I was finally living the life Julian and I had planned, the one I had put on hold.

One sweltering afternoon, as I was adding the finishing touches to a particularly vibrant piece, a familiar, grating voice pierced the tranquility of the open-air market.

"This is ridiculous, Clayton! I told you, my fans expect five-star luxury, not some sweaty local bazaar!"

My heart seized. It couldn't be. Not here. Not in this tiny, remote corner of the world.

But then I saw him. Clayton. Taller, broader, his expensive linen shirt a stark contrast to the colorful chaos of the market. And clinging to his arm, a furious Gisele, her designer sunglasses perched on her perfectly coiffed head, her every movement radiating disdain.

I ducked behind a stall overflowing with batik fabrics, my breath catching in my throat. This was impossible. I had left them behind. I had severed all ties.

"It's an 'authentic experience', Gisele," Clayton said, his voice tight, strained. He looked different. Haggard, perhaps. A faint stubble shadowed his jaw, and his eyes seemed to carry a restless, haunted quality.

My blood ran cold as I realized he was scanning the crowd, his gaze sweeping over faces, searching. He wasn't looking for trinkets. He was looking for me.

Suddenly, his phone buzzed, loud and insistent. He snatched it, his expression turning to grim concentration. "What? The data servers? What do you mean, compromised? Who would dare-" His voice dropped to a furious whisper. "Get Jovan on it. Immediately. Find out who did this. And I want that security footage, now!"

He ended the call, his face a thundercloud. Gisele, oblivious, tugged at his arm. "Clayton, darling, who was that? Is everything alright? You're scaring me."

He ignored her, his eyes still sweeping the market, a desperate urgency now mingled with his anger. His gaze snagged on my hidden stall. Our eyes met.

For a split second, the world fell silent. The vibrant colors of Bali, the chatter of the market, Gisele's complaints-all faded into nothingness. His eyes, so like Julian's, widened in disbelief, then narrowed with a terrible, possessive hunger.

He snarled Gisele's name, pulling his arm free from her grasp with unexpected force. "Stay here."

Then he moved. Fast.

I didn't think. I reacted. I turned to run, to lose myself in the throng of tourists and locals. But he was faster. His hand clamped around my wrist, his grip iron-hard, pulling me back with brutal force.

"Ada!" he growled, his voice a raw, primal sound. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Gisele, startled, finally registered what was happening. Her eyes glittered with venom. "Ada? Still stalking him, are we? You pathetic little leech. Can't you leave him alone?" She lunged forward, trying to pry his hand from my wrist. "Let her go, Clayton! She's nothing!"

But Clayton held firm, ignoring Gisele entirely. His gaze was fixed on me, intense, desperate. "Why didn't you answer my calls? My messages? Ada, where have you been?"

His questions tumbled out, urgent, accusatory. "Did you take it? My data server. Was it you? After everything, are you trying to ruin me?"

I stared at him, bewildered. My mind struggled to process his accusations, his presence here, Gisele's shrill voice.

"You're divorced, Clayton," I said, my voice barely a whisper. "You have no right to question me. I owe you nothing."

His grip tightened, his knuckles white. "Nothing? Ada, you were my wife! For five years! You can't just disappear and pretend none of it happened!"

"She's a gold-digger, Clayton!" Gisele shrieked, pulling at his arm again. "She probably tracked you here to extort more money! Just like she tried to back in New York!"

"He's right, Ada," a gentle voice interjected. "You owe him nothing. But you probably owe me a hug, considering I haven't seen you since your impromptu wedding, have I?"

I looked up, my eyes widening in surprise. Standing beside me, a warm smile on his face, was a man I hadn't seen in years. He was an old friend, a fellow graphic designer, someone Julian and I had known well before Clayton entered my life. His name was Leo, and he had been a quiet supporter, a friend who had seen my heartbreak and my determination.

Leo stepped forward, his arm circling my waist protectively. He pulled me gently away from Clayton's grasp. "Long time no see, Ada. I heard you finally secured what you were looking for. Is it done?"

My eyes welled up. "It's done, Leo," I whispered, the relief washing over me in a powerful wave. "It's finally done."

Leo squeezed my waist. "That's wonderful news. You deserve all the peace in the world now, my friend. All that sacrifice... it finally paid off." He looked at Clayton, his smile fading, replaced by a steely gaze. "She went through hell for someone she loved. A selfless act. Something you, Clayton, wouldn't understand."

Gisele, hearing "loved" and "Ada" in the same sentence, burst out laughing. "Loved? She loved him? She loved his money, darling! You think she actually cared about that astronaut brother of yours? Please!" She turned to Leo, shaking her head. "You clearly don't know this woman. She's a master manipulator. She used Julian's death to worm her way into Clayton's life, and now she's trying to play the innocent victim."

Clayton, however, was no longer looking at Gisele, or at Leo. His eyes had become wide, a dawning horror spreading across his face. He stared at Leo, at me, at the locket I unconsciously touched under my dress.

"Someone she loved?" Clayton repeated, his voice barely a whisper, ragged with sudden, terrible comprehension. "Sacrifice? For... for who, Ada?" He pointed a trembling finger at me. "Who did you love? Who did you do all of this for?"

The question hung in the humid Bali air, heavy with unspoken truths. I met his gaze, my eyes clear, my resolve unshaken.

"Julian," I said, my voice soft, but firm, the name a sacred vow, a final, definitive answer. "I did it all for Julian."