Chapter 103 Never again
Elsie
Walking into the TitanCrest lobby felt nothing like I imagined it would. I had pictured triumph, imagined myself gliding through the space with ease, untouched by the past, but the moment the revolving doors slid open and the familiar scent of polished marble and expensive cologne hit me, my heart began to pound harder than I liked. I kept my shoulders back anyway, my chin lifted, reminding myself with every step that this was my ground now too, that I had earned the right to walk here without fear or apology.
Ms. Margaret walked beside me, tablet tucked against her chest as she briefed me on the day ahead in her crisp, efficient voice. She talked about meetings, investor calls, site inspections, and a late lunch with two senior managers from the west division, and I nodded along, responding where necessary, even though my attention drifted despite my best efforts.
“Your ten o’clock meeting has been moved forward by thirty minutes,” she said. “Mr. Thomas requested—”
I didn’t hear the rest of it, because that was when I saw them.
Aiden and Jacob were coming toward us from the far end of the lobby, both of them dressed in sharp suits that fit them like they’d been tailored around their bodies, both of them looking older, broader, more dangerous than the boys I remembered. For half a second, instinct screamed at me to turn around, to duck into the nearest elevator or disappear into one of the corridors branching off the main hall, but I stopped myself just as quickly.
Running would be cowardice, and I had promised myself seven years ago that I would never let these men make me cower again.
My pulse thundered in my ears as they drew closer, and I hated how my body reacted before my mind could catch up. The tension was immediate, thick, undeniable, curling low in my stomach in a way that had nothing to do with fear and everything to do with memory. I forced my face into calm neutrality, even as my fingers tightened around the strap of my bag.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” Jacob said first, his mouth curving into a slow, dangerous smile as his gaze swept over me. “You cleaned up real good. If I didn’t know better, I’d say I almost didn’t recognize you.”
Aiden didn’t smile, but his eyes were just as intense as they rested on me, searching my face like he was trying to map the girl he knew onto the woman standing in front of him. “You were impressive in the boardroom,” he said. “The way you put Caleb in his place? I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone do that before.”
“I enjoyed that part,” Jacob added easily. “First time someone stood up to him and didn’t flinch. I might’ve even applauded if Mum wasn’t watching.”
Ms. Margaret hesitated beside me, clearly sensing the shift in the air. “Shall I give you a moment, ma’am?” she asked quietly.
“Yes,” I said, my voice steady despite the storm inside me. “I’ll catch up with you later.”
She nodded and walked away, leaving the three of us standing there with nothing but space and unresolved history between us.
Aiden tilted his head slightly, studying me again. “So what’s with the MedLyn name?” he asked. “That wasn’t exactly subtle.”
I met his gaze without blinking. “It’s none of your business.”
The truth stayed locked inside my head, where it belonged. I had chosen that name carefully, built it piece by piece until it fit like armor. MedLyn was the version of me they couldn’t trace, the woman they couldn’t find, the identity that allowed Elsie to die quietly in their minds while I rebuilt myself far away from them. I wanted them to believe I was gone, erased, untraceable, because that was the only way I could survive long enough to come back like this.
Jacob scoffed, shaking his head. “So what now?” he asked. “You’re my sister all of a sudden? That’s bullshit.”
Something sharp flickered in his eyes as he stepped closer, invading my space without asking, and my breath caught despite myself. He smelled familiar, maddeningly so, and for a split second, I hated my body for remembering him so well.
“Don’t,” I warned quietly, even as my heart slammed against my ribs.
“Don’t what?” he asked, his voice low, his gaze dropping briefly to my mouth before lifting again. “Stand too close? Look at you like this?” He leaned in further, close enough that I could feel the heat of him, close enough that if I tilted my head even slightly, our lips would meet.
For a terrifying moment, I thought he might kiss me, and the worst part was realizing how little of me would have resisted if he did.
That was enough.
I stepped back abruptly, my pulse racing, and turned on my heel before either of them could say another word. I walked quickly down the corridor toward the restrooms, ignoring the sound of my heels against the floor and the echo of my own breathing. I didn’t stop until I was safely inside, the door swinging shut behind me with a soft click.
I gripped the edge of the sink, staring at my reflection as I turned on the tap and splashed cold water onto my face. The woman staring back at me looked composed, polished, powerful, but her eyes told a different story, one I refused to let anyone else see.
“Get it together,” I muttered under my breath. “You can’t be weak now. Not again.”
I straightened slowly, meeting my own gaze in the mirror, forcing myself to believe the words even as my hands trembled. They no longer owned my fear. They no longer had the right to my hesitation or my longing.
I was here for a reason, and I would not let desire, guilt, or the ghosts of the past derail everything I had worked so hard to build.
Not this time.