Chapter 8

"Ange," Ismael called out again as I started walking towards my own car.

I stopped and turned. "Yes?"

A look of relief washed over his face, as if my simple acknowledgment meant he had reeled me back in from the edge. "We can help you. Let us take you." He was already planning, the old dynamic clicking back into place in his mind. "Danial can handle your luggage, and I'll get the car."

For a fleeting second, I saw it-the ghost of our past. The easy, comfortable way we used to move around each other, a three-person team that could conquer anything. But it was just an echo.

"That won't be necessary," I said, my voice polite but firm. "I've already arranged for a car service."

I didn't wait for a reply. I got into my car and drove away, leaving them standing on the curb with my aunt, their faces a portrait of confusion.

I went to a hotel near the airport, checked in, and turned my phone off. I needed a few hours of absolute silence before my new life began.

Later that evening, I turned my phone back on. A string of messages had come through. The last one was from Judi. It was a picture of her in my old bedroom, sitting on my bed. She was wearing a silk robe that I recognized as a birthday gift from Danial.

Finally settled in! It' s so big and beautiful. Danial and Ismael are the best. They even gave me the master suite! They said you wouldn't mind. Hope your trip is fun! XOXO

She was claiming my space, my relationships, my life. And they were letting her. They were handing it all to her on a silver platter.

I deleted the message and the photo. Then I blocked her number.

My phone rang again. It was a video call from a friend, Clara, who had moved to New York a few years ago.

"You're really doing it?" she shrieked when I answered. "You're getting married? To the Bryant guy? I always thought you and Danial or Ismael would end up together!"

"That was never going to happen, Clara," I said, my voice tired.

"But you three were... you!"

"I have the right to choose my own life," I said, more to myself than to her.

Clara's face softened. "Of course, you do. I'm sorry. It's just... what about that intern? Judi? I saw her posts. She seems like a real piece of work."

"She won't matter once I'm gone," I said. It was the truth. Judi was only powerful because she was in my orbit. Once I was gone, she would just be a girl living in a house with two men who were mourning a ghost.

Suddenly, a commotion erupted behind Clara on the screen. The door to her cafe burst open, and Judi herself stormed in, with Danial and Ismael in tow.

"There you are!" Judi cried, pointing at Clara's phone. "I knew you'd be talking to her!"

She had no sense of boundaries, no concept of a private conversation.

Clara's face hardened. "This is a private call, Judi. Go away."

Judi' s face crumpled instantly. "I'm sorry," she whimpered, turning to Danial. "She's so mean to me."

Danial immediately stepped in, his protective instincts on full display. He put his arm around Judi. "It's okay. We're here." He glared at Clara. "What did you say to her?"

Ismael looked at me on the phone screen, his expression conflicted.

"I'm going to make you the happiest girl in the world, Judi," Danial declared, his voice loud enough for me to hear clearly. "I'll give you everything Angelina has and more."

He was trying to hurt me, to provoke a reaction. But all I felt was a profound sense of pity for him. He was so blind.

I ended the call. A few minutes later,my phone buzzed with the notification of my flight's boarding time. It was time to go.