Chapter 17

Five years later. Tucked away in a tiny house on the outskirts of the city, Lila had just finished cooking and sat quietly, waiting. Oliver rubbed his eyes as he sat up in bed, still groggy, but his little hands automatically reached for the TV remote. “Bringing you the latest local update — CEO of the Mitchell Group, Ethan Mitchell, returned from the U.S. yesterday. Reportedly, he secured several major deals with international companies during his stay…” Before the sentence could end, Lila rushed over and turned the TV off, her whole body trembling. But it was too late. Ethan's face had already burned itself into her memory. Her heart was pounding like crazy in the silence, almost echoing in the room. He looked thinner now. That black trench coat he had on — she bought it for him ages ago. It used to fit perfectly, but now it looked a bit too loose. She dug her nails into her palm, hard. The sharp pain snapped her out of the spiral she felt herself falling into. No. Not again. Don’t g