The Wedding Card💌

Chapter 5

By the time Mia reached her apartment building, the excitement of the afternoon had given way to pleasant exhaustion. She slipped her keys from her bag as she walked down the quiet hallway, already looking forward to changing into something comfortable and curling up with a book.

The lock clicked open, and she stepped inside.

She had barely taken a few steps into the living room when she noticed a light glowing from the kitchen. She froze, every muscle tightening instinctively.

Before she could call out or reach for her phone, a familiar figure emerged from the doorway.

"Hey."

Ace smiled as he walked toward her, a bottle of wine in one hand.

"I thought we'd celebrate a little early."

Relief washed over her so quickly that she let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

"Oh, God, Ace. You scared me."

He chuckled.

"Did I?"

"You definitely did."

"I'm sorry." He leaned down to kiss her forehead. "That wasn't part of the surprise."

Only then did she notice the dining table behind him.

Soft candlelight flickered across polished plates, and the rich aroma of herbs, butter, and grilled chicken filled the apartment. A bowl of creamy pasta sat beside roasted vegetables, while several dishes she couldn't even identify completed the beautifully arranged meal.

Her eyes widened.

"You did all this?"

"I had a little help setting the table," he admitted with a grin, "but everything else is mine."

She looked back at him in disbelief before wrapping her arms around his waist.

"This is so thoughtful."

He pulled her closer, smiling against her hair.

"I owed you one."

She looked up at him.

"You didn't have to."

"I know." His fingers brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I wanted to."

Her heart melted.

"I wasn't expecting to see you after this afternoon."

"I know." His smile softened with genuine regret. "I'm sorry I had to leave so suddenly. Work got in the way again, and I hated disappointing you."

"You always make work sound like the villain."

He laughed quietly.

"Sometimes it is."

She studied his face for a moment before smiling.

"Well... I forgive you."

"I was hoping you would."

Without thinking, the words slipped from her lips.

"I love you, Ace."

For a brief second, he simply looked at her, as though he never expected to grow tired of hearing those words.

"I love you too," he said softly. "More than you'll ever know."

He kissed her temple before taking her hand.

"Come on. Dinner's getting cold."

He pulled out her chair, waiting until she sat before taking the seat opposite her.

Mia glanced over the spread once more.

"I honestly didn't know you could cook."

"There are a lot of things you don't know about me yet."

"Oh?"

"I've been saving a few surprises."

She laughed.

"I'll hold you to that."

Ace uncorked the wine and filled their glasses before raising his own.

"To us."

"To us."

Their glasses clinked gently.

Mia sampled the pasta first, and her eyes widened in surprise.

"This is actually incredible."

"'Actually'?" Ace placed a hand over his chest in mock offense. "I spent half the afternoon trying not to burn the sauce."

She laughed.

"So there were casualties?"

"Only one."

"What happened?"

"The first batch tasted like regret."

She burst into laughter, the sound filling the apartment.

For the first time in weeks, neither of them spoke about work, wedding schedules, or endless guest lists. They talked about old vacations and embarrassing childhood stories. Every story made Mia laugh a little harder, and every laugh seemed to erase another layer of the stress they had both been carrying.

After dinner, they moved to the sofa with their wine, talking long after the candles had burned low. At some point, conversation gave way to comfortable silence. Mia rested her head on Ace's shoulder while he absentmindedly traced slow circles across the back of her hand.

Much later, after the candles had burned out and the apartment had fallen silent, Ace lay asleep beside her.

His breathing was slow and even, one arm draped loosely across the bed where she had been only moments before. A faint smile touched Mia's lips as she watched him. In sleep, the sharp, driven businessman disappeared, leaving behind only the man she loved.

Careful not to wake him, she slipped out of bed and padded quietly toward the balcony.

***

The night air greeted her with a welcome coolness as she stepped outside. The city stretched endlessly before her, its skyline glittering beneath a cloudless sky while a pale moon hung overhead, bathing the streets below in silver light.

She rested her forearms against the railing and drew in a slow breath.

It had been a good day.

She had celebrated with Bea, laughed more than she had in weeks, and ended the evening with the man she was about to marry. For the first time in days, the endless list of wedding plans no longer felt overwhelming. Everything seemed to be falling into place.

A flicker of movement below caught her eye.

Her smile faded.

Across the street, partially concealed beneath the shadow of a large tree, someone was standing perfectly still.

She couldn't make out the person's face. The distance, combined with the darkness, reduced the figure to little more than a silhouette. Yet something about the way they stood, motionless, almost deliberate sent a chill creeping down her spine.

Instinctively, she leaned forward for a better look.

The figure didn't move.

A knot tightened in her stomach.

Was the person looking at the building...

Or looking at her?

Before she could decide, a pair of headlights swept across the street. For a brief moment, bright light washed over the sidewalk.

When it passed, the figure was gone.

Mia blinked.

She scanned both ends of the street, but there was no one walking away, no waiting car, and nowhere obvious for anyone to have disappeared in such a short time.

She remained at the railing for another minute, searching the quiet street below, and still she found nothing.

A faint laugh escaped her lips as she shook her head.

"You're imagining things," she whispered to herself.

Still, she cast one last glance toward the tree before stepping back inside and sliding the balcony door closed.

She didn't notice the dark sedan parked half a block away.

Inside, a man lowered a pair of binoculars and started the engine without switching on the headlights. The car rolled silently into the night, disappearing long before anyone would have thought to look for it.

Upstairs, Mia slipped back beneath the covers.

Ace stirred just enough to wrap an arm around her waist without opening his eyes.

She smiled, nestled closer to him, and let herself believe she was safe.

Neither of them knew that somewhere, a surveillance report was already growing thicker with every passing day, and with it, the plans of people who had no intention of letting Ace Myers have the peaceful future he was fighting to build.