Back to the Love We Left Behind

On a livestreamed dating show that had the whole internet hooked, Maren came face to face with her ex-boyfriend, Callum Prescott, once again. It wasn't a twist of fate—it was a setup. She was here to win back her man! ***** Off-camera, the director's voice cut through the silence. "Mr. Prescott, what on earth tempted you to join this dating show?" Maren's gaze followed the lens, landing on Callum, who sat a few paces away. In the seven years since she had fled abroad, Callum had transformed from a brash young hothead into a titan who held the entire capital in his palm. Word had it he'd even served in the military, only mustering out half a year ago to seize the reins of the Prescott Group. Yet in a flash, he'd turned the Prescott family into the uncrowned sovereign of the city's cutthroat business circles. A strange disquiet crept into Maren's heart, laced with a thread of fear. Could they ever piece their shattered bond back together and rekindle the old flame? Before she could shake off the doubt, Nadia, who was practically glued to Callum's side, lunged over and latched onto his arm. "Callum, darling, you came all this way for me, didn't you?" Maren's breath hitched. She sat up ramrod straight, every nerve on edge, waiting for Callum to deny it. But he just toyed with the heavy signet ring on his thumb, his silence a damning confirmation. In an instant, it was as if all the life had been sucked out of her. The livestream's chat, meanwhile, exploded into a frenzy. A: [As expected, Callum and our heiress are the real deal!!!] B: [Callum is always popping up in our heiress's daily life posts—how could it be fake?] ***** Even without seeing the live chat, Maren's mind was a tangled mess. She and Callum had grown up in the same courtyard, practically joined at the hip since childhood. It was only natural that they had stumbled headfirst into love. But Callum was simply too brilliant, too dazzling. So exceptional that no matter how fiercely she strove, Maren could only ever be a shadow cast by his brilliance. Perhaps it was her youth and stubborn pride—she couldn't stomach being just "Callum's girlfriend." So she had hardened her heart and fled overseas to study... She was jolted from her reverie when the director's voice suddenly called her name. "And Ms. Ellison? Word has it you've just come back from abroad to do research. What brings you to our little show?" Maren turned her gaze to Callum, expecting that, if nothing else, he would spare her a single look. But he didn't. A bitter tide surged through her. Maren forced a smile. "I came to—" Before the words "win back my man" could tumble out, Callum shot to his feet. "You can carry on with the interview. I'll be in my room." He turned on his heel and strode away. The atmosphere in the interview room plunged into silence for a heartbeat, then snapped back to business as usual. But Maren's heart sank like a stone into the abyss, where no light could ever find it. At nine o'clock that night, the first day's live broadcast finally drew to a close. Like the rest of the cast, Maren retreated to the room the production crew had assigned her. Lying in bed, her mind flickered between the afternoon's interview and the moment she'd left seven years ago, a relentless carousel of memories. In the bustling airport, amidst the sea of travelers, Callum had uttered just one line: "If you're determined to leave the country, then it's over." At the time, Maren had dismissed it as words spoken in anger. Even though for seven years, every message she sent, every call she made, had been met with deafening silence, she had stubbornly clung to the belief that he still cared for her. But now, it seemed that was nothing more than wishful thinking on her part... Could what Nadia had said today be the truth? The mere possibility seized her heart in a vise, an ache so bitter it stole her breath. The phone on the nightstand suddenly shattered the silence. She picked up the phone, and Felix's voice burst through the line. "Maren, I watched the livestream. Callum and Nadia aren't a thing, don't get the wrong idea." A sliver of relief loosened the knot in Maren's chest. Felix was Callum's close friend—the very person who'd tipped her off that Callum was joining this dating show, prompting her to race back from overseas to chase him down. "I'm telling you the truth. Callum's just still holding a grudge. Explain everything, and you two will patch things up for sure!" She forced herself to rally and managed a weak, "Okay." They chatted a bit more, but after hanging up, sleep refused to come. She padded downstairs to heat up a glass of milk. As she climbed back up the stairs, she spotted Callum emerging from his room. He was draped in a dark gray silk pajama set, exuding sophistication. She stopped dead in her tracks. After a moment's hesitation, she forced herself to greet him, "Callum... long time no see." Callum barely glanced at her before turning and knocking on another door. The door swung open to reveal Nadia, also in her pajamas, who threw herself at him. "Callum, baby, you're here!" "Hmm," he murmured, wrapping an arm around her waist and sweeping into the room, the door clicking shut behind them.