"When a man leaves you with no explanation and returns two years later looking like a god, it means one of two things: he either wants your forgiveness… or your body. Maybe both."
Fatima woke up to a text from Kai Monroe.
Kai: Still on for dinner tonight?
She stared at the message like it was a landmine.
Of course she wasn't "still on" for dinner. She hadn't agreed to anything last night—just five minutes outside the boutique, where he dropped a bomb about his father and then said he still loved her.
Fatima rolled over in bed, clutching her pillow tighter.
This was not how this week was supposed to go.
She'd just gone viral for not wearing underwear. That should've been the craziest thing happening in her life.
Instead, now she had a mysterious artist sliding into her DMs and an ex who looked like sin incarnate showing up at her job.
And yes, she was definitely thinking about both of them.
---
A Morning of Decisions (and Denial)
By the time Fatima got out of bed, she already had three more texts waiting.
One from Jada:
Jada: Did you say yes to Kai yet? I'm live on Instagram if you want to spill.
One from Dante:
Dante: Hope you're having a good morning. Looking forward to painting you soon. 😊
And another from Kai:
Kai: Just let me explain. One meal. That's all I ask.
Fatima groaned and tossed her phone onto the couch.
"I am not doing this today," she muttered under her breath.
But the universe clearly had other plans.
An hour later, she was standing in front of her closet, staring at her reflection in the mirror.
"What are you even doing?" she asked herself.
She wasn't some lovesick fool. She didn't need men complicating her life—not when she was finally getting the attention she deserved for being unapologetically herself.
Still…
There was something about Kai.
It wasn't just that he was gorgeous—though damn, he was. It was the way he looked at her. Like she mattered. Like she was enough.
Even before the fame.
Before #FreeFatima.
Back when they were just two people who couldn't keep their hands off each other.
She shook her head.
Nope.
Not going there.
---
Work Mode
By the time she got to Velvet Curve , she was determined to focus on work.
"Hey, look who's back!" Tasha teased as Fatima walked in.
"Ugh, don't start," Fatima grumbled.
"Oh come on," Laila chimed in. "You're a legend now."
Fatima rolled her eyes but smiled anyway.
As she helped customers and folded clothes, her mind kept drifting back to Kai's face yesterday.
He looked different. Older. More mature. And there was something else in his expression—regret.
Was it possible he was telling the truth?
That his father had threatened her?
Her stomach twisted.
If that was true… what did it mean?
She barely noticed when the bell above the door chimed again.
"Good afternoon," a smooth voice said.
Fatima turned—and nearly lost her breath.
Dante Reyes stood in the doorway, dressed in a fitted black turtleneck and dark jeans, a leather jacket draped casually over his arm.
He grinned at her.
"Ready for our session?"
Fatima blinked. "Session?"
"For the painting," he reminded her. "You said yes."
She hadn't realized she had.
Or maybe she had—somewhere between his charming smile and those intense brown eyes.
"I—I can do this afternoon," she heard herself say.
Perfect.
---
Paint Me Confident
An hour later, Fatima found herself sitting in Dante's studio, surrounded by canvases, brushes, and the scent of oil paint.
"So what exactly am I doing here?" she asked, crossing her legs as she sat on a velvet stool.
Dante leaned against the wall, studying her.
"You're my muse," he said simply.
Fatima raised an eyebrow. "That's a bit dramatic, isn't it?"
He chuckled. "Only if you make it sound like a cliché."
He moved closer, adjusting the lighting around her.
"I want to capture you the way the world sees you now," he said. "Bold. Fearless. Beautiful."
Fatima felt heat rise to her cheeks.
She wasn't used to compliments that weren't laced with ulterior motives.
"So you're not trying to sleep with me?" she asked bluntly.
Dante laughed. "Would it be so bad if I was?"
Fatima smirked. "Depends. Are you any good?"
He stepped closer, lowering his voice.
"I hear I'm very good at making women feel seen."
Fatima's heart skipped a beat.
Damn him.
---
Meanwhile, Elsewhere in the City
Across town, Kai was pacing outside Velvet Curve , watching the window like he could see through it.
He knew Fatima was inside.
He also knew she was seeing someone else.
Dante Reyes.
The name had come up in passing during a meeting with his PR team.
"He's an artist," one of them had said. "Big on Instagram. He's been posting about Fatima."
Kai clenched his jaw.
He didn't like it.
Didn't like the idea of anyone else touching her, looking at her, talking to her the way he used to.
He wanted her back.
But not just for sex.
For everything.
For the laughter. The arguments. The way she challenged him.
The way she made him feel like he wasn't just a pretty boy playing dress-up in his father's empire.
He wanted her to forgive him.
And he was willing to fight for it.
---
Unexpected Interruption
Midway through the painting session, Fatima's phone buzzed.
It was Jada.
"Girl," Jada said without preamble. "Kai is outside the shop."
Fatima frowned. "What?"
"Yeah. He just showed up. Says he needs to talk to you."
Fatima looked at Dante, who was cleaning his brushes.
"I'll be right there," she said.
Five minutes later, she was walking into Velvet Curve , where Kai stood near the counter, arms crossed.
He looked tense.
She stopped a few feet away.
"What are you doing here?"
"I needed to see you," he said.
Fatima crossed her arms. "Why?"
Kai hesitated.
"Because I'm tired of pretending I don't care."
Fatima's breath caught.
"And because I know you're seeing someone else."
She stiffened.
"Is that why you're here? To stake a claim?"
Kai shook his head. "I just… I don't want to lose you again."
Fatima studied him carefully.
"You left me once."
"I never stopped loving you."
"That doesn't fix anything."
Kai took a step closer.
"Then let me try."
Fatima didn't answer immediately.
Instead, she turned and walked away.
Leaving him standing there.
Alone.
---
Choices, Choices
Later that evening, Fatima sat alone in her apartment, replaying the day in her head.
Kai's confession.
Dante's flirtation.
The painting he started of her.
The way Kai looked when she walked away.
She pulled out her phone.
Two unread messages.
One from Kai:
Kai: You deserve better than what I gave you. Let me prove that.
And one from Dante:
Dante: I think we have something special. Let's explore it.
Fatima closed her eyes.
God help her.
She was falling for both of them.
---
Flashback: First Love
Fatima remembered the first time she met Kai.
They were at a rooftop party hosted by one of his designer friends.
She was wearing a red jumpsuit that hugged her curves and heels that screamed confidence.
He approached her with a glass of champagne.
"You're the only woman here who doesn't look like she's trying too hard," he said.
She raised an eyebrow. "Is that supposed to flatter me?"
He laughed. "It is if you take it the right way."
They talked most of the night.
He was smart. Funny. Charming.
And unlike most men, he didn't treat her size like a secret.
He kissed her that night.
Softly. Slowly.
Like he had all the time in the world.
---
Present Day: A Woman Divided
Fatima opened her laptop and checked her social media.
More followers.
More messages.
More pressure.
She was becoming a symbol.
A movement.
And somewhere in the middle of it all, she was still just a woman trying to figure out what she wanted.
Love?
Freedom?
Both?
She typed out a post:
"Sometimes the hardest part of being free is knowing who to share it with."
Then she hit post.
And waited.
---
Fatima Moments
Fatima Fannel went to bed that night with a full heart and a confused mind.
Two men.
Two paths.
One decision.
And a world watching her every move.