Elena Sterling's heels clicked sharply against the cobblestone street, a sound that had once been so familiar to her but now felt foreign, like an echo from a past life. The town of Ashford was just as she remembered: quaint, small, and filled with an old-world charm that felt like a time capsule. There were the same flower baskets hanging from the lampposts, the familiar smell of fresh coffee wafting from the café down the street, and the soft hum of the small-town rhythm she had left behind a decade ago.
She hadn't meant to return. The thought of coming back to Ashford was something she'd pushed away for years—buried beneath the layers of her career and the life she'd built as a successful CEO. But when the invitation to the charity gala arrived, the memories of a life she'd once shared here, with the people she once loved, came rushing back. The event was important for her company, but it also felt like fate had pulled her back to where it all began.
Her fingers tightened around the strap of her handbag as she approached the community center. She could hear the laughter and chatter of guests inside, but it felt like a world away. The air here was filled with the same warmth, the same homey scent of fresh grass and earth she'd taken for granted all those years ago.
But it was the faces she hadn't forgotten that haunted her most.
"Don't be silly, Elena. It's just a visit," she murmured to herself, shaking off the unease that had settled deep in her chest.
But then, as she turned the corner, her breath caught. There, leaning casually against the brick wall of the café just across the street, stood David Harris. The sight of him sent an unexpected jolt through her. Time had only made him more handsome—his once-boyish features now chiseled, his frame tall and confident. The brown eyes that had once looked at her with so much warmth and love were now filled with something else—something she couldn't quite place.
For a brief moment, Elena stood frozen, staring at him as the years melted away. She remembered their long walks in the park, the summer nights they spent talking for hours, their plans for the future—the plans that had been abruptly torn apart when she left without a word.
David hadn't changed, not really. But she had. And now, standing on this familiar street, she was unsure whether she wanted him to see the woman she had become.
She took a deep breath, forcing herself to move forward, but her heart was racing. As if he had sensed her presence, David's gaze lifted from the ground, locking onto hers. His lips parted in surprise, then slowly curled into a smile that made her heart ache. The same smile that had once made her believe they could conquer the world together.
"Elena?" His voice was like a gentle breeze, familiar and soft, yet with a tinge of hesitation.
For a moment, neither of them moved. The world around them seemed to disappear, leaving only the two of them standing there in a space suspended in time.
"David," she finally said, her voice quieter than she'd intended. She took a small step forward, suddenly feeling like the young girl who had once adored him and dreamed of forever.
But that dream had slipped away so long ago.
"Long time no see," he said, his eyes searching her face, as though looking for answers in the changes that had come over her. "What brings you back to Ashford?"
Elena felt the old ache in her chest as she met his gaze, the weight of their history hanging between them like an invisible thread.
"I'm here for the gala," she replied, her voice steady but guarded. "And... I suppose a little bit of unfinished business."