CHAPTER THREE
One Year Later
The airport buzzed faintly with the sound of arriving flights.
Esme stepped off the plane, suitcase in hand, the morning light spilling across her face.
Her hair was shorter now and her eyes even clearer.
She paused by the exit, taking in the familiar skyline through the glass.
After a year away, the city smelled the same. She breathed in slowly, and then, quietly, began to walk.
The arrivals hall had mostly emptied by the time Esme's phone buzzed in her hand.
She balanced her suitcase against her leg and swiped the call open. "Hey."
"Esme?" came a cheery, female voice on the other end. "You're really back? Your assistant said you went to New York this morning, and I thought she was joking."
Esme smiled faintly. "She wasn't."
Her friend, Cara, let out a small gasp. "You didn't tell anyone! When did you even come out of hiding?"
"Yesterday."
"Yesterday? And you're already out and about today? You really haven't changed." Cara sighed dramatically. "Most people would take a breather after a year buried in research, but you— you go straight back to work."
"I can handle it." Esme adjusted the strap of her bag as she walked toward the taxi lane. "Dr. Halberg's condition flared again. He wanted to attend the launch, so I promised I'd represent him."
And she needed today to go smoothly. Halberg was counting on her.
"That's so like you," Cara murmured, half in admiration, half in worry. "But… what if you see him?"
Esme paused, then let out a soft laugh. "My luck's not that bad."
"Mm-hm. You say that now." Cara's tone was teasing but concerned. "Are you sure you're ready to be back there?"
"I'm fine, Cara," Esme said, her voice even. "It's been a year."
There was a small silence before Cara relented. "Alright. But you'd better call me after the launch."
"I will."
They hung up, and Esme pocketed her phone.
Outside, the city stretched around her, familiar yet distant. It felt like walking into a room she'd locked behind her and never intended to open again.
She got into a cab and gave the driver the address of the convention center.
The ride slipped by quietly. Esme scrolled through Dr. Halberg's notes, her reflection faint against the window glass. She looked… calmer now. There was a steadiness in her expression that hadn't been there a year ago.
When she arrived, banners for the "Project THEIA Launch Summit" filled the glass atrium, bright against the steel and light. The air buzzed with low conversation and the hum of machines being tested.
As she walked in, she noticed several investors moving through the space in sharp suits. The sight tugged a memory of him before she could stop it.
But it was just as she'd told Cara.
Lennox wouldn't attend a launch like this. He had no ties to medical research.
They hadn't crossed paths since the divorce. Running into him here, of all places, was impossible.
So she let the thought go and headed toward the group of engineers setting up nearby. A few of them recognized her immediately.
"Dr. Wynter?" one called out. It was a young man with a bright grin whom she knew from the previous research center. "We weren't told you'd be representing Dr. Halberg! What an honor."
Esme smiled, shaking his hand politely. "He wanted to come himself, but his illness spiked again. You know how stubborn he is."
"You've basically been a legend at the lab since you left," another said, almost shy.
They guided her through introductions, updates, and light chatter about the project. Esme's voice stayed calm, her focus sharp as she listened silently.
Until a distant ripple of murmurs stirred near the entrance.
A small wave of movement rippled through the crowd, and a few heads turned to look at the commotion.
Esme followed their line of sight without thinking—then froze, breath snagging in her throat.
Lennox Mercer had just walked in.
The year hadn't changed much about him. He looked composed, unreadable in a tailored black suit. Maybe colder.
Or maybe she was simply seeing him clearly for the first time.
Their eyes met across the room.
Lennox stopped mid-step.
Esme wasn't prepared for him.
The sight of him cracked something she'd spent a year carefully welding shut.
Panic surged.
Even though she had so vehemently denied still being affected by his presence, she turned immediately, presenting him her back as if distance alone could suddenly make him disappear.
For a brief, suspended moment, the surrounding noise faded, and all she could hear was her own heartbeat.
Then someone called his name behind her, and the crowd shifted as people moved to greet him.
Esme exhaled slowly, forcing her shoulders to loosen. She offered the person beside her a faint smile, pretending not to notice the tremor in her hands.
So much for luck.