Chapter Five
The First Love
The world slowed to a heartbeat as Rayna stared at him.
Brian.
His name echoed in her chest like a forgotten song—half-pain, half-memory. He stood inches from her now, older and stronger, but still carrying the same calm presence that had once been her shelter from the storm.
She wasn't sure whether to fall into his arms or run.
"I—" she began, her voice brittle.
But Brian pulled her in before the words could finish. Just a moment. A fierce, desperate hug that told her everything he hadn't said in years.
"I searched for you," he whispered into her shoulder. "Everywhere. Hospitals. Police. I thought—God, Rayna—I thought you were gone."
"I was," she said, swallowing the lump in her throat. "But someone saved me."
They pulled apart slowly.
He looked her up and down. "You look different."
"I am."
"But it's still you."
"Parts of me," she admitted.
---
Coffee and Confessions
They found a quiet corner café just off a busy avenue. It was the same one they used to sneak off to as teenagers—only now, they sat at a corner booth like strangers playing pretend.
Brian held his cup tightly. "After the accident, I waited. Days passed. Then weeks. The police said no one with your name came in. No body, no recovery, no trace. It was like… you just vanished."
"I almost died," she said. "Someone found me. Took me to a hospital. I was… in a coma."
His jaw tightened. "Who was he?"
She met his eyes. "His name is Alon Mendoza. His wife died that night, and she… donated her organs to me."
Brian froze. "So… you're alive because of her."
Rayna nodded.
"And you've been living with him?"
"Yes."
Silence.
She looked down. "He didn't just save my body, Brian. He gave me a chance to start again. And for a while… I didn't remember anything. I didn't even remember you."
"But now you do?"
"Yes."
Another pause. The weight between them grew heavier.
Brian's voice cracked. "I asked you to marry me, Rayna. We had plans. We were going to run."
"I know," she said softly. "And I loved you, I really did."
Still do, her heart whispered.
"But life… rewrote me."
---
Unfinished Feelings
They walked together after, through old streets and shared memories.
"Did you love him?" Brian finally asked. "The man who saved you?"
Rayna didn't answer right away.
"I don't know," she admitted. "He gave me safety. Peace. He treated me like a woman who mattered. And I began to feel something for him. But then I saw you—and everything came back. Everything."
Brian stopped walking. "Do you still love me?"
Rayna stared at him, heart pounding. "Yes."
Just one word. One truth.
But truths came with consequences.
---
Alon's Silence
That night, Rayna returned to the villa and found Alon in the study, scrolling through reports from the forensic audit of Yran Global. He looked up when she entered.
"I saw him today," she said.
"I know."
"You knew he'd come."
"I suspected," Alon replied. "He was always going to find you once you resurfaced."
Rayna sat across from him. "I told him the truth."
"And what about your feelings?"
She hesitated. "I don't want to hurt you."
Alon gave a quiet smile. "Rayna, I never asked you to belong to me. I only ever wanted you to heal."
"You gave me back my life."
"And you gave me the strength to let go of mine," he said. "Elaine... she's gone. But part of her lives in you. I think she knew it would end this way."
"You deserve better," she said, voice cracking.
"I had love once. That's more than most men ever get. And now, so do you. Don't waste it."
---
Plans in Motion
Rayna returned to Yran Global the next morning not just as a CEO—but as a woman finally choosing her life for herself.
The audit had revealed theft, forged documents, offshore accounts—everything Carmelita had done over the years. Charges were being prepared.
Rayna called a press conference.
"My name is Rayna Yran," she said to flashing cameras. "And today I take back my father's company. We will restore what was stolen—not just wealth, but dignity, honor, and justice."
Carmelita, watching from a villa in the countryside, hurled her glass at the television.
"You little witch."
Dakila and Divina stood beside her, silent for once.
"She's not done yet," Divina said. "Not until she has all of it."
"She won't," Carmelita hissed. "Because I have something she doesn't."
"What?"
The older woman smiled wickedly.
"A secret."