Chapter 141 010
FIONA had just waved off her fiancé at the departure gate, standing still until the final boarding call echoed and the glass doors slid shut behind him. She remained there a little longer than necessary, arms folded across her chest, eyes fixed on the runway beyond the tall windows, waiting for the familiar surge of relief that always came once the plane lifted off.
Only after she was sure his flight had taken off did she turn and merge into the steady flow of travelers heading out of the terminal.
The airport was busy, as always. Rolling suitcases bumped into heels, voices overlapped in different accents, and announcements floated overhead. Fiona weaved through the crowd, her mind already shifting to errands she needed to run immediately after heading home.
Then she saw him.
It was only a glance at first, nothing deliberate. Just a passing flick of her eyes. She turned away instinctively, took two more steps… then stopped cold.
Her heart skipped.
She turned back slowly, her gaze locking onto the man walking toward the counter ahead.
No.
It couldn’t be.
But it was.
“Oh my God…” she whispered, one hand flying to her mouth.
Adrian Cole.
There was no mistaking him. The broad shoulders, the confident stride, the calm authority in the way he carried himself, even with a small carry-on in hand. He looked… exactly the same. If anything, better. The years had been kind to him, smoothing rather than hardening him, giving him a quiet, composed air that only made him more striking.
Still handsome. Still devastatingly so.
Fiona felt her pulse race as she watched him from a distance. He paused briefly, checking something on his phone before continuing toward the counter, completely unaware of the storm he had just stirred.
“Jesus,” she muttered under her breath. “It is really him.”
Memories stirred, conversations, names, a past that refused to stay buried.
Her anxiety bubbled over, sharp and electric.
She didn’t wait another second.
Spinning on her heel, Fiona hurried toward the exit, nearly colliding with a man dragging a suitcase behind him. She mumbled a quick apology and broke into a faster pace, heels clicking urgently against the polished floor.
Outside, the air felt cooler, fresher, buzzing with possibility.
She reached the parking lot, unlocked her car with trembling fingers, and slid into the driver’s seat. As she started the engine, a wide, almost disbelieving smile spread across her face.
Vivian.
She couldn’t wait to tell Vivian what she had just seen.
With that thought burning bright in her mind, Fiona pulled out of the lot and drove straight for home.
Fiona barely parked properly before jumping out of her car. The door slammed behind her as she rushed toward the house, her heart racing with excitement, words already tumbling in her head.
“Vivian!” she shouted as she pushed the door open. “Vivian!”
Her voice echoed down the hallway as she hurried inside, ready to burst into the living room with news that would shake the walls.
But the moment she stepped in, she froze.
Vivian was seated on the couch, slouched in on herself like she had shrunk. Her usually sleek hair was pulled back messily, strands framing a face that looked tired and broken. Her eyes were swollen, red-rimmed, lashes clumped together as though she had cried until there were no tears left. Her phone lay loosely in her hand, screen dark, while her gaze was fixed on nothing in particular.
The excitement in Fiona’s chest fizzled out instantly.
She slowed her steps and walked over quietly.
“Hey,” she called softly. “What’s up? You look… a mess.”
Vivian didn’t answer.
Fiona sat beside her, turning slightly to face her.
“What happened?”
Vivian’s lips trembled. She swallowed, then laughed humorlessly.
“He called,” she said. “Or rather… he finally said it.”
“Said what?” Fiona asked gently.
“That he doesn’t feel anything,” Vivian muttered. “That he enjoys talking to me, that I’m cool to hang out with, but that’s all. Friends. Just friends.”
Fiona frowned.
“After all those late-night calls? The plans? The ‘let’s see where this goes’ nonsense?”
Vivian nodded slowly.
“Exactly that. Apparently, I imagined the rest.”
She rubbed her face with her hands.
“I thought… I really thought this time was different. He talked about the future like it was real. About settling down, about being tired of games.”
Her voice cracked.
“Turns out, I was the game.”
Fiona placed a comforting hand on her arm.
“Viv—”
“And don’t even start,” Vivian snapped suddenly, pulling away. “Look at you. You have been with one man since college. One. He loved you, stayed, and put a ring on your finger.” She gestured bitterly. “Now you are engaged. A fiancée. Meanwhile, I can’t even graduate from a talking stage.”
She laughed again, hollow and sharp.
“Three times. Three men in less than five months. All of them telling me the same thing. ‘You are amazing, Vivian, but…’” She scoffed. “But what? What is so wrong with me?”
Fiona shook her head firmly.
“Nothing is wrong with you.”
Vivian wiped at her tears angrily.
“Then why does nobody stay?”
“Because they are not worthy,” Fiona said without hesitation. “Not because you are lacking something, but because they are.”
Vivian stared at her, unconvinced.
“Listen to me,” Fiona continued. “You don’t need to rush into anything just to prove you are lovable. The right person won’t need convincing. He will come and stay.”
Vivian looked away, silent for a long moment.
Then she sighed, her shoulders slumping.
“I’m just… tired, Fi.”
“I know,” Fiona said softly. “But you are not alone.”
Vivian sniffed and wiped her face again, sitting up properly this time.
“Has your fiancé left?” she asked suddenly.
Fiona nodded.
“Oh yes. He has.”
“Nice.” Vivian exhaled slowly. “Then why were you screaming my name like that earlier?”
Fiona’s expression shifted instantly, her eyes lighting up.
“Oh,” she said. “Right. Guess.”
Vivian frowned. “Guess what?”
“You wouldn’t believe who I saw at the airport.”
Vivian looked at her, curiosity finally breaking through the haze.
“Who?”
Fiona leaned closer.
“Adrian,” she said. “Adrian Cole.”