95

95
  Selene's POV  

I’ve been feeling completely overwhelmed ever since Maximus found out about the children. I know I’ve been acting differently—on edge, constantly looking over my shoulder. 

Every time I hear a knock on the door, I expect it to be him, barging in, demanding that I hand over Anna and Asher. Or worse, that he takes it to court, dragging my children into a battle they don’t deserve.  

I don’t want them to go through that trauma.  

And now, the threats.  

The same unknown number that called me at the mall—taunting me while my children were missing—called Nelly, too. That can’t be a coincidence. 

No one else knows about my children except Maximus. It has to be him. He’s trying to spook me, to make me panic, to make me slip up.  

But I won’t.  

What worries me most is the thought of him telling his family. If they find out, they’ll come after us. Cecilia Hemsworth especially. She was the one who made my life a living hell, calling me barren, telling me I was a disgrace to their family. 

That I could never give Maximus a child.  

And yet, here I am. Raising the children she swore I could never have.  

I’ve been trying to get my mind off things for days now, and thankfully, Neo has been a good distraction. He makes me laugh, keeps me grounded. I know he has feelings for me, and maybe..just maybe..I feel something for him too.  

But it’s not the same.  

It’s nothing compared to what I felt for Maximus.

But I was tired. Tired of torturing myself, tired of justifying things that no longer made sense. I needed to move on. Maximus had already done so. Why was I still stuck in the past?  

There was no point dwelling on what could have been. He divorced me. What’s done is done.  

So, I finally agreed to go on a date with Neo. It wasn’t an impulsive decision. Before that, I had to let Mason know that whatever was between us couldn’t work. I expected him to be upset, maybe even distant, but instead, he surprised me. He said we could still be friends, and honestly, I was relieved.  

This was my chance to finally move forward. Giving Neo a chance meant stepping away from the shadows of my past.  

He’s been in New York for a while, and maybe it’s time I stop running from my own happiness. Maybe it’s time I let myself feel something again—something that isn’t tied to heartbreak.  

“You have no idea how happy I am that you finally agreed to go on a date with me,” Neo says, his eyes bright with excitement as he sits across from me. “For years, Selene, you kept turning me down, and I almost gave up.” He pauses, taking a breath before continuing, his voice softer this time. “I didn’t think I’d ever love again until I met you. You make my life brighter. You make me excited to wake up every morning.”  

His honesty catches me off guard. There’s a hint of shyness in his expression, as if he’s afraid of saying too much.

That was the difference between him and Maximus.  

I don’t know why I kept comparing them. I’ve told myself countless times that I feel nothing for my ex-husband, yet every time someone shows interest in me, I measure them against him. Mom always warns me against it, tells me I need to stop living in the past. But how could I?  

I was madly in love with Maximus. I wanted forever with him—to build a life, to have children, to grow old together. And for a while, I believed we would. Until he left me for Jess.  

I need to stop comparing Neo to him. It’s not fair. To Neo or to myself. Holding on to a ghost isn’t helping me move forward.  

But seeing Maximus with Anna and Asher stirred something deep inside me. The way they clung to him, how they recognized him without me ever saying a word. Anna is his mirror image—a tiny female version of Maximus. Looking at her is like looking at the past I lost.  

And yet, no matter how much it warms my heart, I know we will never be a family. Not the way my children might dream.  

Telling them their father is dead is the only choice I have.
"I'm sorry for being such a pain before," I say, a small smile tugging at the corner of my lips. "I just had a lot on my mind."  

“I understand, Selene.”

"Thank you.” I say. “Being pregnant, dealing with heartbreak, and surviving med school all at once—it was a lot. But you're right. I'm ready to put myself out there again, and I see a wonderful future with you. You're a great guy, Neo. Although, I have to say, I'm a little surprised you picked my usual café for our date instead of a fancy restaurant. How did you come up with that?"  

Neo chuckles nervously, scratching the back of his neck as he avoids my gaze.  

I tilt my head, curious. Why is he suddenly so shy?  

"I, uh... I asked Avery," he admits. "She said you’ve always preferred this café over those fancy restaurants—"  

He stops as the waiter places my usual iced latte in front of me.  

I offer a quick thanks and take a sip, but my face scrunches up. Something tastes... off.  

Neo notices immediately. "What's wrong? You always make that face when you're confused. Did they mess up your order?"  

"It's nothing," I say, swirling the drink in my cup. "It just tastes a little different. Want to try it?"

Neo shakes his head, a smile tugging at his lips.  

I shrug, taking a long sip of my drink and teasing him.  

"You sure have a sweet tooth," he says with a grin. "You haven't changed your usual order. I remember when I used to call that a poisonous drink. It was hilarious how you couldn't last a day without your iced latte, extra whipped cream." He cringes, as if the memory’s too much.  

I roll my eyes, leaning back in my seat as I push the empty cup forward.  

"Slow down, Selene," he teases. "Your drink isn’t going anywhere. You’re almost done with it anyway."  

I laugh softly, but something feels off. I blink, noticing that my vision’s getting blurry, and Neo’s voice fades into the background. A wave of dizziness crashes over me, and my heart tightens, like someone's squeezing it.  

I feel nauseous, the room spinning. I grab a napkin, coughing into it, but my stomach drops when I see blood on the cloth.  

Everything goes black before I can react, my body collapsing into the darkness.