Chapter 22 - A Ghost From the Past
The peace we had built was solid, but the universe always finds a way to test your foundations.
It was a quiet Tuesday afternoon at the restaurant when the bell above the door chimed. I looked up from the reservations book and froze. Standing in the doorway was a man I hadn't seen in over a decade. Marcus. He was a former associate from my corporate days—a man who represented everything ruthless, greedy, and toxic about my past life.
He looked older, his expensive suit hanging a little looser on his frame, but his sharp, calculating eyes were exactly the same.
"Well, well," Marcus said, looking around the rustic restaurant with a thinly veiled sneer. "How the mighty have fallen. From corner offices to wiping down tables."
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I felt a brief, terrifying spike of adrenaline, the old defensive anger rearing its head. But then, I felt the smooth wood of the host stand beneath my fingers. I smelled the fresh sea air blowing through the open windows. I remembered who I was now.
"I haven't fallen, Marcus," I said, my voice completely calm, devoid of any anger or fear. "I finally stood up. What do you want?"
