When the Queen returned

Shadows and Sparks

Chapter Three – Shadows and Sparks

The moment I saw him, tall, broad-shouldered and impossibly handsome, I knew the universe was playing a card I hadn’t expected.

It was Noah Phillips.

The same Noah who had once been my closest friend in college. My safe place and my calm in chaos. We had shared long walks across campus under starry skies, exchanged dreams over cups of late-night coffee, and laughed so hard until we cried.

He had been my anchor in a storm I didn’t yet know I was headed into and yet, despite all the closeness, I had never for once, acknowledge the feelings that had simmered beneath the surface. We lost contact after he relocated to study abroad and I hadn’t heard anything about him since then.

Now here he was, standing across the boardroom table, looking just as stunned as I was. It seems time had only made him more devastatingly handsome. He wore confidence like a tailored suit, his jaw sharp and his eyes intense.

“Bella?” he said, stepping closer.

“Noah? Is it really you?”

He opened his arms, and without hesitation, I stepped into them. His embrace was warm, familiar and too lingering.

“I can’t believe this,” I whispered against his shoulder.

“You look... breathtaking and powerful,” he said, pulling back slightly to look at me.

“You don’t look so bad yourself,” I teased, brushing my hair behind my ear.

“How have you been, you just forgot about your closest person, right?” I mocked him.

“It’s not like that Bella, I have been really busy and we lost contact, right? So neither of us could get across to each other.”

“Anyways it’s fine, we have a lot to catch up with but first let’s head to the board meeting office where the shareholders are”

We headed there and took our seats and the meeting commenced but the meeting felt like a blur. Numbers, graphs and projections faded in the background as our eyes kept finding each other across the table.

When the meeting ended successfully, I couldn’t stop myself. I offered to walk him to the elevator. We moved in sync, like time hadn’t pulled us apart.

“I’ll be in town for a while,” he said as we stopped in front of the elevator. “Would you… Maybe like to grab dinner sometime?”

For the first time in what felt like centuries, something fluttered in my chest. I felt some warmth.

“I’d like that, we really have a lot of catching up to do.”

He smiled and we exchanged numbers. As the elevator doors closed, I stood there for a moment, my heart fluttering like a teenager with a crush.

Back in my office, I was blushing, like I was actually blushing thinking about Noah. I gently knocked my head, trying to shake off the giddy thoughts, then picked up my bag. Jenna, my manager, waved me off with a smile and I headed out.

On the drive home, I asked the driver to make a quick stop at the mall. I needed a few personal items. As I walked through the aisles, I could feel the eyes on me. People stared at me not with disdain, but admiration. It was overwhelming. I felt like I had stepped into the life I was always meant to live. A poised, powerful and free life.

Just as I was about to pay for my things, someone grabbed my arm and yanked me into a corner.

“Bella, what are you doing here dressed like this and making all these guys drool over you?”

And to my surprise, it was my lunatic of a husband, Lucas.

I stiffened. My blood boiled.

“The last time I checked, Lucas, I....Isabella Martins, owe you no explanation. I will dress how I please and if you need a reminder, I am no longer under you, remember?”

His grip tightened, and he yanked my jaw closer.

“Do you mean Isabella Davis?” he spat. “You’re still my wife. We’re not divorced yet and on that note, you’ll do as I say, or else…”

“Or else what?” I snapped, staring into his soulless eyes. “Will you hit me here? Will you show these people, the beast that you truly are?”

And then I did what I had long wanted to do. I kicked him hard. Right where it would hurt most, his manhood.

He stepped back, gasping and wincing in pain.

“You’re still mine,” he growled through gritted teeth.

I straightened my outfit, tossed my hair, and walked past him like the queen I was. The murmurs from the crowd swelled with admiration, curiosity and support. I paid for my things, exited the mall, and got into the car. My driver didn’t ask any questions.

When I got home, I headed straight for a hot shower but no amount of lavender-scented water could wash away the filth of Lucas’s encounter. I called my lawyer immediately and requested that the divorce papers be sent to him the next morning. Enough was enough, I wasn’t going to have anything to do with that lunatic again.

The next day, I arrived at the office early. The staff greeted me with warm smiles and respectful nods. The day flew by really fast. I attended to emails, meetings and briefings. Just as I was packing up to leave, Jenna stepped in.

“You have a guest.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Who?”

Before she could answer, Noah walked in.

I stood, a little breathless. “You didn’t say you were coming by.”

He smiled, that same heart-melting smile I remembered. “I couldn’t wait for dinner. Thought I’d steal a few minutes of your time. Unless you’re too busy?”

“Ohhh... come on. I am never too busy for you, my best friend.”

We left for dinner, and it was magical. The restaurant was elegant, the lights dimmed just right, and the conversation flowed like fine wine.

Somewhere between the appetiser and main course, our walls began to crumble. We started having conversations about our personal lives. Noah leaned in, his voice quieter now.

“She cheated,” he said. “My fiancée....she betrayed my love and everything we shared.”

My heart twisted. “Noah, I’m so sorry.”

He smiled sadly. “Her actions hurt me, but… seeing you again makes me so happy, I missed you, Bella.”

“I missed you too”

I told him about Lucas. The bruises. The insults. The emotional hell I’d endured for three years.

He reached across the table, taking my hand. “You didn’t deserve any of that and I swear, Bella, if he ever comes near you again.......”

I squeezed his hand. “I’ve already taken steps.”

After dessert, I excused myself to the restroom. The dinner had left me feeling… hopeful. Like maybe, just maybe, the universe was opening new doors for me.

As I exited the restroom, someone pushed me back in.

He reeked of alcohol.