Chapter 16: THE TIES THAT BIND

Chapter 16:

 The Ties That Bind

Patricia was fuming.

Her plan to humiliate Stella had backfired spectacularly, and now, whispers swirled around the office—not about Stella’s incompetence, but about who had altered the report. Patricia could feel the shift, the way people looked at her with subtle suspicion.

She needed a new strategy.

Something more devastating. More permanent. But no matter how she schemed, nothing seemed to work. Every subtle attack she planned—spreading rumors, trying to shift blame, even attempting to isolate Stella from her colleagues—David was always there. It was as if he anticipated Patricia’s every move, countering her before she could land a blow. And worse—Richard was acting strange.

Richard was unraveling.

He hadn’t been able to get Stella out of his mind since the meeting.

The way she had stood there, helpless yet strong. The way David had stepped in for her. The way she had looked at David.

That part haunted him.  For the first time since choosing Patricia, Richard felt something unexpected—regret.

At first, he told himself it was just guilt. He had hurt Stella, yes, but she would get over it. She always did.

But when he saw her in the office, laughing—laughing with David—something inside him twisted. She wasn’t broken. She wasn’t waiting for him. She was… moving on.

And that realization burned him more than he was ready to admit. So, without thinking, he found himself gravitating toward her.

It started with small things—catching her in the hallway, offering casual conversation, lingering a little too long near her desk. He told himself it was nothing.

But the truth? He was desperate to pull her back in.

Stella was at war with herself. She had spent years believing Richard was the love of her life. That no matter what happened, they were destined. But destiny wouldn’t have shattered her like this.

And David… David was confusing. He was safe, but mysterious. Kind, but unreadable. Protective, yet distant. An angel she didn’t know.And that was terrifying.

Because if she let herself trust him… if she let herself feel something… she didn’t know if she could handle another heartbreak.

So when Richard started being nice again, started slipping back into her life with the same charm that had once made her fall for him, she hesitated. Would it be easier to go back to the pain she knew? Or should she risk the unknown?

The Shift

It was late when Stella left the office, her mind still tangled in confusion. As she stepped outside, Richard was waiting for her.“Hey,” he said, his voice softer than it had been in months. She stiffened. “Richard, what are you doing here?” He hesitated, then gave a half-smile. “I just… wanted to talk.”. Stella studied him, searching for the man she had loved. And for a moment, just a moment, she almost let herself believe.  

But then—“Stella.”.   She turned—David.

He stood a few feet away, his gaze unreadable, but his presence solid. Unshaken. Richard’s jaw tensed. “We were in the middle of something.”

David’s eyes flicked to him, then back to Stella. He didn’t say a word. He didn’t have to.

Because in that moment, Stella felt it.

The choice.The past that had shattered her. Or the future that could heal her. And she had never been more afraid in her life.