Chapter Five

PRISCILLA'S POV

I sighed as I read the email sent by my assistant to me. It was about our investors rescheduling our meeting and also changing the location.

And not just changing it, but changing it to New York, the one place I had always tried to avoid and had managed to do so far. But it seems my luck had now run out.

Ugh. Why New York of all places?

That city held nothing but bad memories for me — and going back would no doubt trigger them back.

I had lost everything I had in New York, my marriage, my business — everything and had ended up being a single mother.

I stared at my laptop screen, blinking a few times to make sure I wasn’t misreading the email. It was still the same:

"Priscilla, just a quick update—there’s been a location change for the investor meeting. We’ll now be convening in New York next week. I’ve taken the liberty to adjust the itinerary accordingly. Let me know if you need anything else. – Alyssa"

New York, New York — the name was like a sore taste at the back of my mind.

My stomach twisted at the mere mention of the city. It was there that my world crumbled—when my ex-husband, Brent, handed me those divorce papers with a look of cold indifference. Where every piece of my life fell apart in the space of a few short, agonizing months. The humiliation, the loneliness, the gut-wrenching realization that everything I had built with him was gone.

I rubbed my temples, feeling the familiar ache behind my eyes. I had avoided New York like the plague since then. Too many memories, too much pain. But that was years ago, I reminded myself. I wasn’t that broken woman anymore. I had my business, my independence, and most importantly, my twins.

My eyes flickered toward the living room, where my children played. Their voices drifted in—a chaotic mix of laughter and bickering.

Aiden and Avery, my six-year-old twins, were everything to me. They had been my lifeline through the darkest days, even when they were too young to understand the storm I was weathering. They had been the reason why I woke up every day to work my ass off. I wanted to give them the kind of privileges I didn't have when growing up. I also did not want them to suffer from the absence of a father so aside from my business, I made sure to be available to them at all times.

I had made something out of nothing through sheer strength and determination.

It hadn't been easy, but I had pulled through. Every tear, every sweat had been worth it. I was now the CEO of one of the fastest-growing fashion brands in the world, as well as a loving mother to adoring twins, so was I going to let a little trip break me down?

No. It didn't happen then, it won't happen now.

I glanced at the calendar. The meeting was in a few days. I had enough time to get everything sorted out. With a deep breath, I clicked over to the airline’s website and began booking tickets for the three of us.

I mean, what are the chances that I would come into contact with Brent? Zero to none, so New York, it was.

*****

TWO DAYS LATER

The flight was uneventful, though the twins kept me on my toes with their endless energy. Avery wanted to look out the window every five minutes, and Aiden was fascinated with the flight attendant’s cart. By the time we touched down at the airport, I was both exhausted and relieved.

We met the waiting drivers from my investors and soon we were on the way to our hotel.

The hotel lobby was sleek and modern, the kind of place where business people hurried in and out, clutching their phones and suitcases like lifelines. I checked in at the front desk while keeping half an eye on the twins, who were bouncing around the lobby, marveling at the giant chandelier.

“Avery, Aiden stay close,” I warned, waving them back toward me as I signed the check-in forms.

As I turned to gather our luggage, a voice I hadn’t heard in years stopped me cold.

“Priscilla?”

I froze, my hand still gripping the handle of the suitcase. Slowly, I turned around to face the last person I ever expected to see here.

“Laura?”

There she was, Laura—the friend I had lost touch with after everything went down with Brent. Seeing her was like a blast from a life I had tried to put behind me. She looked the same—sharp, elegant like she had just stepped off the cover of some high-end fashion magazine.

“Oh my God, it’s you!” She came forward, arms open wide for a hug.

I stiffened but let her embrace me, my mind racing. This was too much, too soon. First New York, now Laura? What next, Brent himself walking through the door?

“I can’t believe it’s been so long,” Laura gushed, stepping back to look me over. “You look amazing. How about your family?”

I glanced around at that and felt my heart drop into my stomach. “The twins,” I muttered, my eyes scanning the lobby. “Where did they—?”

Panic surged through me as I realized I didn’t see them anywhere.

“They were just here,” I stuttered, scanning the area frantically. “They were right here.”

“Oh, don’t worry, I’m sure they haven’t gone far,” Laura said, but her words barely registered as I rushed toward the other side of the lobby, calling out their names. My heart was racing, pounding in my ears. They could be anywhere in this huge hotel.

Then I saw them, just around the corner by the elevators. My breath caught in my throat, and I felt like I was in some horrible nightmare. There, kneeling and talking to my kids, was the one man I didn't want to see again in my life — Brent Kingston.