Amelia sat nervously in the café, watching the door every few seconds. James had replied to her invitation with a terse We need to talk, and the tone of his text had left her uneasy. She fiddled with the napkin on the table, wringing it between her fingers as the minutes ticked by.
When James arrived, his posture was rigid, his face a mask of tightly controlled emotions. He slid into the seat opposite her without a word, placing his phone face down on the table with deliberate precision.
“James,” Amelia began cautiously, her voice soft, “I’m so glad you came. I—”
“Spare me, Amelia,” he interrupted, his voice low and sharp. “I just need to know one thing.” His eyes met hers, filled with a mixture of anger and hurt. “Were you with him?”
Her breath caught. She had anticipated questions, even accusations, but the bluntness of his words stunned her. “James, it’s not what you think—”
“So you weren’t at his apartment recently?” he cut in, leaning forward, his voice rising. “Because I have proof, Amelia. Don’t insult me by lying.”
The photo. She realized in an instant that Ryan had done exactly what she feared. Her heart sank as she tried to explain. “I went there because of the investigation. It wasn’t—”
“Don’t!” James’s palm hit the table, startling her and drawing glances from nearby patrons. He lowered his voice, but the pain in his words was clear. “Don’t twist this into something innocent. I trusted you, Amelia. I thought you were different.”
“I am different,” she insisted, tears welling in her eyes. “You have to believe me, James. I would never—”
“Don’t finish that sentence,” he snapped, shaking his head. “Because you did. You went back to him.” His voice softened, but the disappointment cut deeper. “I thought you’d left all that chaos behind. I thought we had something real.”
Amelia reached across the table, desperation etched in her features. “We do, James. Please, let me explain—”
James stood abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor. “There’s nothing left to explain, Amelia. You’re just as tangled in his mess as everyone else.”
The finality of his words shattered her. She watched helplessly as James walked out of the café without looking back.
Meanwhile, Ryan, in his office, leaned back in his chair as he scrolled through his phone. A text from his lawyer interrupted his thoughts, but his focus lingered on the fallout he had set in motion.
He clenched his jaw, guilt flickering in his chest as he thought about Amelia’s likely reaction. But satisfaction crept in, too. James was never the right fit for her, he thought, justifying his actions.