A bitter reunion

Vivienne's POV

I opened my mouth to tell them he wasn't. That I would never bring them to the city where that man stayed but I couldn't lie to my children.

"Yes," I whispered. "He's here."

Gia's lower lip wobbled and she refused to look at me.

"I want to go back home." She demanded.

Leo didn't say anything. He just pulled his hand from my grasp silently supporting his sister.

"Gia," I said softly, reaching out to take her hand. "We can't go back home."

Gia moved away, her face a deep red as she threw a tantrum.

"I said I want to go home!"

The few people passing by glanced at us and I crouched next to Gia, meeting her angry gaze.

"Gia, I'm sorry but we can't," I reached for her again, silently pleading with my gaze. "This can be our new home too."

Fat tears spilled down Gia's cheeks.

"I hate you," She yelled, shoving me away and running across the road, uncaring of the fact that cars were speeding across the road.

My heart stopped beating, and I went after her; only Leo was faster.

"Gia!" He cried, going after her, but I managed to pull him back to the sidewalk just before a vehicle sped past, almost hitting him.

Gia made it to the other side of the road without incident, quickly disappearing among the crowd, and by the time I made it across, she was gone.

Devon had arrived within minutes getting Leo escorted to our new home while helping out with the search.

He suggested I wait in the car till they found her, but my daughter was missing, and I wasn't going to sit down and do nothing.

Gia had a temper but I knew it wouldn't be long before she was scared and alone in an unfamiliar city.

How could I have failed her like this?

I shouldn't have accepted Isle's offer.

I should never have returned to this cursed cit-

I caught sight of the pink bow that had been in Gia's hair an hour ago right on the steps of a cathedral a few metres away.

I ran into the premises not caring about the media vans parked around or the buzz from the crowd within the church.

All I could see was that dirt-streaked pink bow.

Gia was nearby.

I picked the bow off the stairs. Could she have followed the crowd into the chur-

I froze at the sight in front of me, Gia's bow slipping from my stiff fingers.

I took a step forward, unaware of my body even moving.

The doors were wide open, a service ongoing, and the church was luxuriously decorated with so much pressure at the doors, taking pictures of the couple staring at each other lovestruck.

"I do," The groom said before leaning in to give his bride a searing kiss.

Mr Prescott hadn't aged a day since the last day I saw him in his study when he shattered my heart.

His ink-black hair was longer now, almost unruly, but it only drew attention to those gray eyes that doomed me.

Those gray eyes my children shared with him.

I thought I was over him.

I knew I was over him.

But seeing him kiss Daphne East, seeing them have a real wedding and happily ever after that I'd stupidly hoped for those days we'd been together was too much.

I felt a sharp pain in my chest and for the life of me, I couldn't breathe.

So I turned on my heels and ran out of the church, my feet carrying me to the adjourning garden to the side of the building.

I ran there, wanting some solitude, but as I rounded the corner, I heard soft, familiar sobs.

I forgot all about what I had just seen, following the cries to where a little girl sat, her face red as she sobbed.

"Gia!"

"Mom?" My baby blinked up at me, her sobs halting momentarily but I'd already closed the distance between us, pulling her into my arms.

"Mom, I'm sorry," Gia began to cry once more, her voice small and shaky.

I held her tight, relief flooding my veins.

"I'm sorry too, baby."

She was fine. As long as she was fine, nothing else mattered.

Gia refused to let go of me even after I ended our hug.

"I got lost and…" She hiccuped, her lower lip wobbling. "I just really miss Granny and our home."

My heart ached.

"I know," I whispered, leaning in to kiss her forehead. "I'm sorry I kept the fact that your father lives here from you and Leo."

I'd intended to tell them after we were already settled here but maybe I should have anticipated this and told them sooner.

I grasped my daughter's hands, meeting her gray gaze resolutely.

"Your dad isn't the reason we are here," I said firmly. "We are here for Terrence's Corporation. Our company."

And I meant every word I said.

I might have been initially shaken by seeing Reid Prescott but not anymore.

Now more than ever, my goals were certain, and they didn't include him.

That man didn't even deserve a second in my thoughts, much less our life.

Gia nodded solemnly, her cheeks reddening as she spoke.

"I'm so sorry,"

"It's okay, Mom's sorry too." I pulled her into another embrace, dropping a kiss on her forehead.

"Let's go home to your brother, okay?"

Gia nodded, holding onto my hand.

"Okay."

I straightened and the entire ambience shifted.

Even before I looked to where he stood barely a few feet away, I knew he was there.

Reid Prescott.

And his gaze was focused on me.

A chill went up my spine.

I couldn't read those gray eyes anymore than I could in the past but that twisted spark of chemistry that had always been between us had never seemed more deadly.

I stepped in front of Gia instinctively blocking her from his view.

Reid's gaze followed the motion, slowly tracking down my body provocatively.

He took a step towards me…

The swarm of press flooded the garden.

"Mr Prescott, is this a reunion with your ex-wife?"

Cameras were flashing everywhere.

"Will you be starting an alliance with Terrence Corporation?"

"Miss Vivienne, a word-"

More cameras. More people. Yet Reid Prescott was still staring at me shamelessly.

As if he hadn't used me. As if he hadn't broken my heart and gotten engaged the moment he threw me out.

As if he hadn't just gotten married.

As though summoned by my thoughts, Daphne cut through the press, two guards at her side as she made her way to her husband.

"Reid, the photographers-" She began only to pause, her eyes widening almost comically at the sight of me.

My security details broke through the press the very next moment, holding them back as Devon made his way to me.

Devon didn't spare a glance at Reid and his wife. Instead, he lifted a startled Gia into his arms before taking my arm and escorting me out of that garden.

The only thing I had to tell the press as I walked out of that place feeling Reid's piercing gaze on my skin was.

"No comment."