Chapter 177: Echoes of a Past We Buried
Chapter 177: Echoes of a Past We Buried
Chapter 177: Echoes of a Past We Buried
ANNA SERRANO
I stood in front of the mirror, staring at my reflection longer than necessary.
The woman looking back at me was… composed. Elegant. Put together in a way that didn’t leave room for weakness.
I wore a white fitted dress that stopped just above my knees—simple, classy, but undeniably flattering. It hugged my figure just enough to make a statement without trying too hard. My makeup was light, enhancing rather than masking. My hair was neatly packed up, exposing my neck and shoulders.
I looked good.
No—I looked beautiful.
And that was exactly the problem.
My brows furrowed slightly as I tilted my head, studying myself like I was a stranger.
Why did I put in this much effort?
Why did I care?
A slow breath slipped past my lips as my fingers brushed against the fabric of my dress.
“I’m just going to talk,” I muttered under my breath, as if saying it out loud would make it more believable.
Just a conversation.
Nothing more.
So why did it feel like something more?
Why did my chest feel tight?
Why was there a strange mix of nervousness and anticipation sitting uncomfortably in my stomach?
It didn’t make sense.
It shouldn’t make sense.
This was Abel Donovan.
My ex-husband.
The same man who had made my life unbearable.
The same man who had chosen others over me.
The same man who hadn’t even known the simplest things about me when we were married.
And yet here I was… dressed like I was going somewhere important.
Like I cared about how I looked in front of him.
A quiet scoff left my lips.
“This is ridiculous.”
I straightened, folding my arms briefly.
He doesn’t deserve this.
Not the effort.
Not the nerves.
Not even a second thought.
My jaw tightened slightly.
Was I trying to prove something?
Show him what he lost?
Show him what he failed to value?
The thought made my stomach twist.
That would be… petty.
And beneath me.
Wouldn’t it?
A flicker of doubt crept in.
Maybe Flora was right.
Maybe Selena was right.
Maybe there was still a part of me that cared more than I wanted to admit.
I clicked my tongue in annoyance, shutting down that line of thought immediately.
“No.”
I wasn’t doing this for him.
I refused to.
Grabbing my small red purse from the table, I turned sharply and walked out of my room before I could overthink it any further.
My heels clicked softly against the floor as I made my way down the hallway, stopping in front of Hermione’s room.
I knocked once before pushing the door open.
“Baby?” I called gently.
She was sprawled comfortably on her bed, her attention glued to the iPad in her hands. Bright colors reflected on her face—cartoons, most likely.
Typical.
“Mom!” she exclaimed immediately when she saw me, sitting up with excitement lighting up her eyes. “Are you going somewhere?”
Her innocent curiosity made something in my chest soften.
“Yes,” I said, stepping into the room. “I have something to attend to.”
I crouched slightly to her level, smoothing down her hair.
“Be a good girl, okay? Your nanny will take care of you. Make sure you eat and go to bed early. I won’t be long.”
That was the plan, at least.
I didn’t intend to drag this out.
Not tonight.
“Okay…” she said slowly, but her expression shifted—her excitement dimming slightly.
A small frown formed on her lips.
“But you said we were going to have a movie night tonight.”
My heart skipped.
Oh.
Right.
The words hit me like a sudden realization I couldn’t dodge.
I had forgotten.
Completely.
Guilt crept in instantly, settling heavily in my chest.
“I…” I hesitated, forcing a smile onto my face. “No, I didn’t forget.”
A lie.
A terrible one.
“Let’s do it tomorrow instead, okay?” I added quickly, brushing it off lightly even though it didn’t feel light at all. “I promise. We’ll make it even better.”
Her eyes searched mine for a moment.
Children always knew.
They just didn’t always call you out on it.
“Okay then,” she said after a second, nodding slowly. “Be safe.”
The simplicity of her response made the guilt worse.
“I will,” I said softly, pulling her into a quick hug and pressing a kiss to her cheek.
“I’ll be back soon.”
I stood up before I could dwell on it too much.
“Bye, Mom,” she waved.
“Bye, baby.”
I walked out of the room, closing the door behind me with a quiet click.
For a brief moment, I stood there.
Still.
The silence pressing against me.
Then I exhaled and forced myself to move.
You can’t blame me.
That was the thought I clung to as I headed downstairs.
It wasn’t like I planned to forget.
Things just… happened.
Right?
When I reached the living room, I found Alexander seated comfortably, flipping through something on his tablet.
His gaze lifted the moment he noticed me.
“Going somewhere?” he asked casually, though his eyes flicked over my outfit with a subtle hint of curiosity.
“Yes,” I replied without hesitation. “A business associate.”
The words rolled off my tongue smoothly.
Detached.
Neutral.
“That’s all.”
He nodded, accepting the answer without probing further.
“Don’t stay out too late,” he said.
“I won’t.”
With that, I turned and headed out.
The evening air greeted me the moment I stepped outside—cool and calm, brushing lightly against my skin.
I walked to my car, unlocked it, and slid inside.
For a second, I just sat there.
Hands resting on the steering wheel.
Breathing.
Thinking.
Then my phone buzzed slightly with the location Abel had sent earlier.
Without giving myself time to reconsider, I opened it and connected it to the GPS.
The map lit up, the route appearing clearly.
I didn’t even bother reading the name of the place.
I just started the engine.
And drove.
—
Thirty minutes later, I pulled to a stop.
The engine went silent.
And so did I.
My fingers tightened slightly around the steering wheel as my eyes fixed on the building in front of me.
The restaurant.
A bitter laugh almost escaped me, but it got stuck somewhere in my throat instead.
“You’ve got to be kidding me…”
The words came out in a low whisper, laced with disbelief—and anger.
Of all places.
Of all the restaurants in the entire city.
He chose this one.
Memories crept in uninvited.
This place had once been… ours.
If that was even the right word.
A quiet, low-key restaurant tucked away from prying eyes.
Back then, Abel had preferred it that way.
Private.
Hidden.
Because publicly…
He had been a bachelor.
And I?
I had been the secret.
We came here occasionally.
“Dates,” he had called them.
But they never felt like dates.
They felt… scheduled.
Forced.
Like obligations he had to fulfill rather than moments he wanted to share.
He never held my hand here.
Never looked at me the way a husband should look at his wife.
Never made me feel like I mattered.
And now—
Now he brought me back here?
For what?
Nostalgia?
Regret?
Or some twisted attempt to rewrite the past?
My jaw clenched.
“What kind of game are you playing, Abel?”
My grip tightened on the steering wheel.
For a moment, I considered it.
Leaving.
Just turning the car around and driving off.
Ending this before it even began.
I didn’t owe him anything.
Not my time.
Not my presence.
Not even this conversation.
My hand moved slightly toward the ignition.
Ready.
Prepared to leave—
And then I saw him.
Through the glass doors of the restaurant.
His silhouette appeared as he stepped outside.
He paused, glancing around like he was searching for something… or someone.
Me.
A flicker of something twisted in my chest.
Annoyance.
Bitterness.
Something deeper I refused to name.
After a few seconds, he turned and went back inside.
Just like that.
I leaned back in my seat, exhaling slowly.
“Let’s just get this over with,” I muttered.
My voice sounded steadier than I felt.
Grabbing my purse, I pushed the door open and stepped out of the car.
The night air wrapped around me again, cooler this time.
Or maybe it was just me.
I straightened my posture, lifting my chin slightly.
Composed.
Untouchable.
That was who I needed to be right now.
Not the woman who remembered.
Not the woman who felt.
Just Anna Serrano.
I walked toward the restaurant.
And toward the past I thought I had already left behind.