Chapter 3 3

Seven years.

Los Angeles was good to me.

The million from Eleanor Davenport, I invested it. Smartly.

I went to night school. Business. Finance.

I found a niche: executive recruiting. Tech.

I was good at it. I understood people, what drove them.

Now, I was a partner. My firm, Callahan & Associates, was making waves.

Sarah Jenkins.

I met her a year ago. She was a venture capitalist. Sharp, funny, self-made.

Like me.

We were taking it slow. But it felt right. Real.

The Boston deal. A big one. A major tech company wanted a new CEO.

It meant flying to Boston.

I hadn't been back to the East Coast since I left the Davenport mansion.

A tremor of unease. I pushed it down.

Business was business.

The restaurant was high-end. Polished wood, hushed tones.

Sarah looked beautiful. We were celebrating the preliminary agreement.

"To new horizons," she said, clinking her wine glass against mine.

"To new horizons," I echoed.

Then I saw her.

Izzy.

Older, but unmistakably Izzy.

Expensive dress, diamonds at her throat.

And Julian Vance, his arm possessively around her waist.

Our eyes met.

Shock flared in hers. Then something else. Hunger.

She disentangled herself from Julian, moved towards our table.

"Liam?" Her voice was a breathless whisper.

Sarah looked from Izzy to me, her expression questioning.

"Izzy," I said. My voice was even. "Julian. Fancy meeting you here."

Izzy ignored Sarah. Her eyes devoured me.

The expensive suit. The confident air. This wasn't the mechanic she'd discarded.

"Liam, I... I can't believe it." She reached for my arm.

I subtly moved it away.

"This is Sarah Jenkins," I said. "My partner."

Izzy's eyes flicked to Sarah. Dismissive.

"We need to talk," Izzy said to me, urgent.

"I don't think we do," I replied, my tone firm but polite.

Julian arrived, his smile tight. "Well, well. Callahan. Still alive, I see."

His eyes held the old contempt. And something new. Unease.

"Thriving, actually," I said.

Sarah stood. "Liam, perhaps we should go."

"Yes," I said. "Izzy. Julian. Goodnight."

We walked out, Izzy's gaze burning into my back. The past had a way of finding you, no matter how far you ran.