5 YEARS

Five Years Later

The sound of shattering glass echoed through the office, the air thick with tension and rage. Samuel stood behind his massive desk, his hands clenched into fists, his eyes burning with the same pain I had left him with five years ago.

"You think you can just walk away, Isabel?" His voice was low, dangerous. "After everything?"

I swallowed hard, my palms sweating as I tightened my grip on the resignation letter in my hand. I had rehearsed this moment over and over, convinced I could finally leave, that I could finally be free of his torment.

But now, standing in front of him, the man I had once loved more than life itself—the man I had abandoned—I realized just how cruel fate could be.

He was no longer the broken boy who had begged me not to leave. He was a billionaire now, the CEO of one of the most powerful companies in the country. He had everything—wealth, power, success.

And yet, the only thing he truly wanted was to destroy me.

"Samuel," I whispered, my voice shaky. "Please… just let me go."

He laughed, cold and mocking, before grabbing my resignation letter and tearing it apart right in front of me. The pieces fell to the floor like the remnants of my shattered pride.

"You think it's that easy?" He leaned closer, his breath hot against my skin. "You work for me, Isabel. And unless you can pay me five hundred thousand dollars, you're not going anywhere."

My heart stopped.

"What?" My voice came out as a whisper, barely audible over the pounding in my ears.

Samuel smirked, crossing his arms as he watched the realization dawn on me. "You didn’t read the fine print, did you?"

I felt the blood drain from my face. I had signed that contract in desperation, eager to secure a job after years of struggling. I had no idea he had trapped me in his web.

"You tricked me," I choked out, my hands trembling. "You set me up!"

Samuel shrugged. "You wanted to work for a rich man, didn’t you?" His voice dripped with sarcasm. "Congratulations, Isabel. You got your wish."

Tears burned at the back of my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. I had already lost too much—I wouldn’t let him see me break.

"You’ve made my life hell since the day I stepped into this company," I hissed. "No matter how hard I worked, no matter how good my projects were, you rejected them. You humiliated me in front of everyone, treated me worse than the damn janitors!"

Samuel’s jaw clenched, his eyes darkening with something unreadable.

"You deserved it," he spat.

My breath hitched.

"You walked away like I was nothing," he continued, his voice laced with venom. "Left me crawling in the dirt, crying like a fool. Do you remember that day, Isabel? Because I do. I remember every single second of it."

He slammed his fist into the desk, sending files and papers flying across the room. The sound made me flinch, but I held my ground.

"It’s been five years," I said, my voice trembling. "How long are you going to punish me for what I did?"

Samuel took a step closer, his eyes locked onto mine. "Until I no longer feel the pain," he whispered, his voice dangerously soft.

He reached out, his fingers brushing against my arm. The touch sent a shiver down my spine, but I refused to react.

"You wanted a rich man, didn’t you?" His fingers trailed up to my shoulder, his touch both possessive and cruel. "Let me show you what it's really like to be with one."

I slapped his hand away, breathing heavily. "Don’t you dare touch me, Samuel."

The slap barely fazed him. Instead, something dark and twisted flickered in his eyes, something that sent my heart racing in fear.

His fingers curled into fists at his sides, his breathing ragged. For a moment, I thought he was going to slap me back. His hand twitched, but then he let out a bitter laugh and turned away, running a hand through his hair.

"Regret," he muttered under his breath, shaking his head. "That’s what I see in your eyes."

I clenched my jaw. "And all I see in yours is revenge."

Samuel turned back to me, his expression unreadable. "Good. Then we understand each other."

I felt my body trembling, not from fear, but from the weight of everything between us. Five years. Five years of heartlessness, of pain, of suffering.

And yet, here we were.

Face to face.

Both broken.

Both unforgiving.