chapter 5

ANNALISE'S POV

I froze, my body going cold as my eyes landed on the one person I never expected to see again.

Diego Lopez.

Here. After all this time?

My heart slammed against my chest, each beat louder than the last.

The air in the room thickened, and I had never felt so suffocated in my entire life.

For years, I had imagined what it would be like if I ever saw him again, but not like this. Not here with my one night stand as his cousin, and certainly not when I was completely off guard.

I stared at him, and my heart ached.

Diego's face was so familiar, those sharp features still striking.

How could someone still look the same after all these years, still be the man I had once loved?

But now, he was nothing more than a ghost from a past I thought I’d buried. Seeing him ripped open old wounds—wounds I had spent five years pretending had healed.

He took a step toward me, his voice gentle, like he was afraid I might shatter.

"Annalise, I can't believe you're here."

I clenched my fists as I held my breath.

Before I had the chance to stop it, a tear fell down my cheek.

His voice was still the same. Gentle. Always so damn gentle.

Then suddenly, I felt something boil up inside me.

My stomach churned with rage. How dare he?

How dare he speak to me like nothing had happened, like he hadn't been the one to leave me in pieces?

I blinked rapidly, trying to steady my breathing.

The shock gave way to something darker, something raw. First came the hurt, and then the fury.

My body tensed, fists clenching even tighter at my sides. I had to get out of there.

If I stayed, the tears I had been holding back for five long years would spill even more. I could not let that happen.

I didn’t want him to know he still had so much effect on me.

"I—" I tried to speak, but the words stuck in my throat, suffocating me.

I turned sharply toward the exit, desperate for an escape, my eyes fixed on the door.

"Annalise, wait!" Jackson’s voice pierced through the air.

But I didn’t stop. I didn't want to.

The walls were closing in, my vision blurring as I pushed the door open and rushed out of the conference room.

My assistant, Jenny, hurried after me, her voice full of concern.

"Miss, are you alright?" she asked, trying to keep up.

I didn’t answer.

My heels clicked against the marble floor as I made my way to the elevators, head pounding, breath coming in sharp, ragged gasps.

Nothing mattered anymore—not the meeting, not Jackson, not Jab’s Enterprise. All I cared about was getting as far away from Diego as possible.

I thought I was healed.

I thought I was stronger.

Why does it still hurt so much?

Why does it still feel like my heart was ripped from my chest?

I reached the garage and frantically pressed the elevator button, over and over again, but it was taking too long.

The footsteps behind me were getting closer.

Diego.

No. Not now. Not when I could barely hold myself together.

My hands shook as I fumbled through my purse for my keys, every second stretching into an eternity.

"Annalise, wait!" His voice echoed through the garage, sending a wave of panic through me.

I squeezed my eyes shut, willing the tears back. No. I won’t give him the satisfaction.

I won’t let him see me like this.

In my haste, the keys slipped from my hand, clattering onto the ground.

I cursed under my breath, bending down to pick them up, my vision swimming.

My hands trembled as I stood and reached for the car door.

But before I could open it, a strong hand grabbed my wrist, yanking me back.

I spun around, my fury igniting.

“Let go of me!” My voice was shaking, my control slipping, but Diego didn’t let go.

“Annalise, please,” he said, his grip firm but not harsh.

His eyes were full of something I couldn’t quite place—sorrow? Regret?

Whatever, I didn't care because it doesn't matter.

"Are you out of your mind, I said let go." I groaned but he pressed harder.

“Just give me a minute.”

The sound of his voice, so soft, so familiar, made me want to scream. How could he ask for a minute?

He had taken everything from me.

“Why?” I hissed, my voice thick with emotion.

“What could you possibly have to say after all these years?”

He loosened his grip, and I yanked my wrist free, stepping back.

My body trembled with anger, the effort of holding myself together taking everything I had.

The tears threatened to spill, burning at the back of my eyes, but I wouldn’t let them. Not in front of him.

“I don’t owe you anything, Diego. Nothing.” My words were cold, but I could feel myself cracking, the tears pressing harder against the walls I had built around them.

His face softened, like my pain was hurting him too.

He reached out again, but I slapped his hand away.

The sound echoed in the garage, sharp and final.

“Don’t you dare touch me, ever or I swear to God I will hurt.” I warned.

My hand stung from the slap, but the pain in my chest was far worse.

He opened his mouth to speak, but I wasn’t about to let him.

“I’m done with you,” I whispered, my voice barely.

If I stood there any longer, I would fall apart right in front of him, and I couldn’t bear it.

I turned away, yanking the car door open. Jenny was already in the driver’s seat, watching me with wide eyes, but she said nothing.

I could feel Diego’s gaze on me as I climbed in, the weight of it pressing down on me, making it harder to breathe.

Just as I was about to slam the door shut, his voice came on again.

“Annalise, wait—”

"Daddy!" I heard a voice yell, cutting him off.

I froze, my hand gripping the door so tightly my knuckles turned white.

Whose child was that?

I spun around quickly to see a little boy, probably almost the same age as Hope, clutching Diego's feet.

He stared at me, and I saw the guilt in his eyes.

Diego scooped the little boy into his arms, and my chest tightened.

The way he held the boy with such affection made me realize that it was his son.

Just when I thought this day couldn’t get any worse, I heard footsteps approaching us.

It was Katherine, my sister.

"Hey babe," she called out before moving further to kiss Diego on the lips.