Chapter 970

Rachel came back to the country earlier than planned and headed straight to Robert's place. She thought she could pull off a surprise by sneaking back unannounced—but Robert wasn't home. She debated whether or not to go to his office to look for him but held back, worried she might catch him in the middle of something and end up getting in his way. So she stayed put in the house, quietly waiting for him to show up. Rachel hadn't expected this, not after everything she'd been through—this feeling of catching feelings again. It's not like she'd never fallen for someone before. The first time had left her completely shattered. After that, she just stopped trying. She built walls around herself, wary of letting anyone in—always playing it safe. Then Eric reappeared in her life. During those days hiding out, just the two of them stuck in that shabby little rental, it was inevitable—sparks flew. Rachel had definitely fallen for him, but the fear was stronger. She had been through too much to