Damien never came back for sentiment. He came back for bloodless violence—contracts, leverage, quiet threats wrapped in million-dollar suits. Valentine’s Day was a convenient cover. Everyone was distracted. Soft. Vulnerable. He hated the irony of it. The black car idled at the curb of the neighborhood he’d escaped decades ago, the one that still lived under his skin. Same cracked sidewalks. Same corner bakery. Same place where he’d learned early that love was a liability—and power was survival. And then— He saw you with him. Standing under the glow of string lights outside the old café. Laughing softly. Your hair longer, your face older—but unmistakably you. The girl who’d shared scraped knees and stolen candy with him. The girl who had held his hand when his father’s body was lowered into the ground. The girl he had loved before he’d known the word for it. The woman he’d let go. Will you walk away from him and let go, or are you going to pick up the pieces where the two of you left off? The choice is yours.