CHAPTER 10
MATT’S POV
Jada had completely disappeared. For weeks, I had called, texted and tried to send her an email. But it seemed like I was blocked everywhere.
Until today.
I sat frozen in front of my phone, staring at the photo lighting up the screen. It was everywhere on Twitter, gossip blogs, and Instagram. A candid shot of Jada Sinclair standing barefoot on a beach, the sun catching in her hair like spun gold. And next to her, was him.
Asher Galanis.
The bastard had his hand on her ass, head bent slightly as though the two of them were sharing some private joke. The world saw “romantic honeymoon vacation.” All I saw was betrayal.
My jaw clenched so hard it hurt.
Of course she’d run to him. Of course she’d hide behind the man who’d spent years circling like a vulture, waiting for her to fall into his arms. I knew Asher had wanted her back then. And now he had her. He had everything that was supposed to be mine.
Not for long.
Before I could think, I was online, booking the next flight to Miami.
By the time the plane touched down, my blood was boiling. I didn’t even wait for my luggage. grabbed only the carry-on I’d stuffed under my seat and bolted out of the airport. The entire ride into the city was a blur of palm trees and neon signs. My driver kept trying to make conversation, but all I could see was that photo. All I could hear was her laughter in my head, the way she used to look at me before everything went to hell.
It wasn’t that hard to find her.
The beach photo had been tagged in Miami, and it didn’t take much to figure out where she might be. Jada Sinclair wasn’t the type to blend in. I scoured half a dozen boutique hotels, malls and cafés, until finally, there she was. Sitting alone by the window of a small coffee shop, a cup of tea steaming in front of her with a romance novel open in front of her.
She looked… different. Not the perfectly polished heiress the world was used to. Her hair was loose, her dress was simple. Softer. Like she didn’t have a care in the world.
For a second, I just stood there on the sidewalk, staring at her through the glass.
Then I pushed the door open.
Her eyes lifted at the sound of the bell, and the second they landed on me, her entire body stiffened.
“What the hell are you doing here?” she snapped, already shoving her novel into her bag.
“Jada, wait.” I moved toward her, ignoring the stares from the barista and other patrons. “Please. Just give five minutes.”
“You followed me all the way here?” Her voice rose, incredulous. “Are you insane? Do you realize how crazy you look?”
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“You left me no choice!” I hissed, leaning in closer so only she could hear. “You disappeared. You shut me out. You cut me off like I was nothing. I had to find you.”
Her eyes blazed, sharp enough to cut glass. “Because you are nothing to me, Matt. After everything you did, after Maya, after my uncle, after the wedding. What makes you think I would ever want to see your face again?”
The words cut him like knives, but I refused to dwell on them. I couldn’t.
I slid into the chair across from her, blocking her from leaving. “Because you don’t mean that. You can’t. You don’t know what you’re saying. You’re just confused. We had years together, Jada. You don’t just throw that away.”
Her laugh was bitter and humorless. “Watch me.”
I swallowed the anger that rose, forcing my voice to become softer and gentler. “I messed up, okay? I was stupid. But I love you. I always have. You can’t tell me you don’t feel anything when you look at me.”
Her lips parted, but no words came out. Her eyes flicked away for just a second, and I caught it. That hesitation. That doubt.
I leaned in. “Please. Just hear me out. One last time. If after this, you still want me gone, I’ll go. But you owe me that much.”
She stared at me for a long moment, jaw tight, then finally slumped back into her chair with a deep sigh. “Fine. Five minutes. That’s it.”
Relief washed through me, loosening the coil in my chest. I had her just where I wanted her.
I opened my mouth to start, to lay out everything I’d rehearsed in my head on the plane. Apologies, promises, explanations. But before I could speak, a flicker of movement caught my
eye.
Outside the window, across the street, someone had their phone up. A stranger. Recording.
And then another.
I felt the prickle of unease crawl up my spine, but forced myself to keep talking, to keep her attention. This could work out in my favor.
Jada didn’t notice. Or maybe she didn’t care.
“Thank you,” I whispered. “That’s all I wanted. Just a chance to make things right.”
She shook her head, but didn’t walk away. That was all I needed.
For a fleeting moment, sitting across from her again, it almost felt like before. Like maybe the
past few months had been a nightmare and I’d finally woken up.
Then finally, she spoke in a calm voice like she was explaining something to a toddler. “Matt. You and I are done. You need to go back home.”
She stood up and left.
But the deed had already been done. And before long, the photo made its way online. NEWLY HEIRESS JADA SINCLAIR SPOTTED WITH EX-FIANCE MATT BENNET IN MIAMI CAFE – ARE THE PAIR GETTING BACK TOGETHER?
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Meanwhile, back home, as Asher got out his phone to call his wife, he was met with news that could threaten their relationship.
Friends had sent him so many links, and every page he opened had posted the photo of his wife with her ex fiancé, looking as cozy as ever.
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