Meliza Lizondra had spent years on the run, hiding from a powerful man she had dared to cross all because of her first love. She blamed her foolish heart for the choices that had cost her everything: her family, friends, and the security of a normal life. Now, she lived in the shadows, moving from city to city, constantly looking over her shoulder, trapped in a relentless cycle of regret and survival.

Ethan Almendraz was more than just the country's most eligible bachelor. He wasn't famous for his striking looks or sharp intellect alone; he was the formidable CEO of one of the nation's most powerful conglomerates. Ruthless in business and even more merciless when it came to matters of the heart, he had spent years hunting down the woman who had betrayed him.

Iza.

The only woman he had ever loved. The one who had shattered his heart and disappeared without a trace.

He couldn't forgive her. He wouldn't. His only goal was to make her suffer, to make her realize exactly what she had lost. And when he found her, he would ensure she paid the price for her deception.

But fate had other plans.

When Meliza received an invitation to her best friend's wedding, she hesitated. The idea of stepping back into familiar territory, of surrounding herself with ghosts from a life she had abandoned, sent a shiver of fear down her spine. But loneliness was a cruel companion, and despite the risk, she longed for a taste of the past, if only for two days.

She convinced herself she would be careful.

She was wrong.

Because Ethan was there too.

The moment their eyes met for the first time after five years, the past came crashing down. For Meliza, it was like being thrust into a nightmare, the suffocating reminder of the man who had destroyed her, the one she had once loved so desperately. Hatred burned through her veins, but underneath it, buried beneath layers of pain and regret, was something far more dangerous. Something she refused to name.

For Ethan, the sight of her was a spark to a fire that had never truly died. Years of fury and betrayal reignited in his chest, fueling the storm that had driven him to search for her all this time. He had waited too long for this moment. Now, she was within reach, and there would be no escape this time.

She had once brought him to his knees. Now, it was his turn to make her beg.

As their worlds collided once more, hatred and desire tangled in a dangerous game of vengeance and longing.

Would they destroy each other, or would the fire consume them both again?

"Do you want to see the pictures?" Jessa asked as she dove onto my bed, her excitement practically radiating off her.


I turned my head away, pretending to be uninterested. "No."


She gasped dramatically. "Are you sure? Because your hot ex-boyfriend looked so handsome in all of them." She wiggled her brows, nudging me with her elbow.


But Jessa wasn't one to be ignored—especially when she had gossip material.


"I'm actually glad he didn't complain when I took his photos," she continued, flipping through her phone. "I mean, look at this one! And this! Ugh, I love all of them."


She shoved her phone into my hands, and despite myself, I looked.


These are the kind of photos that capture someone's real essence, the parts they didn't always show to the world.


Chapter 88 - Pain In My Heart