THE BILLIONAIRE'S BURNING DESIRE

FRAGMENTS OF YESTERDAY

Lila woke up with a start, her body drenched in sweat, heart hammering against her ribs. The remnants of the nightmare clung to her like a shadow.

In the dream, Ethan had found them. The memory of his dark, piercing eyes chasing her through endless streets twisted into corridors she couldn't escape. She ran, clutching Abigail to her chest, but the little girl's giggles had turned into cries, echoing in the night. Every corner she turned, Ethan was there-leaning against a wall, arms crossed, lips curling into a dangerous smirk. "You can't hide from me, Lila," he had whispered, his voice low, possessed, and impossibly close.

Lila's breath shook as she bolted upright in bed. Her sheets clung to her, cold from the fear that still gripped her. But then... a soft, familiar scent reached her nostrils. The comforting aroma of Mexican rice, sizzling gently from the kitchen downstairs.

A giggle followed, light and pure, breaking the heavy weight of the nightmare. Lila blinked through the haze of fear and rubbed her eyes, she got up from her bed and went downstairs to the kitchen, the stairs making a clicking sound at each step she took,

There was Abigail, in the kitchen, perched on a stool beside her grandmother. The little girl's laughter rang through the air, mingling with the sounds of sizzling rice and the soft hum of the morning.

Lila's mother moved gracefully around the kitchen, humming a tune, while Judith, her usual sharp tongue softened, smiled as she watched Abigail imitate her grandfather's exaggerated gestures from the garden behind the house. The warmth in the room, the light spilling through the windows, felt like a balm on Lila's frayed nerves. Here, the coldness of judgment, the harshness of the world, didn't reach Abigail.

Her daughter's eyes sparkled as she saw her mother emerge from the hallway. "Mama! Good morning!" Abigail chirped, running to hug her. Her small arms wrapped around Lila, and her innocent voice added, "Grandma's making Mexican rice!"

For the first time since waking, Lila allowed herself a smile, genuine and warm. Her heart, still quivering from the dream, began to steady. The fear of Ethan, the looming shadow of the past, felt distant for just a moment. Here, in this kitchen filled with laughter, love, and the smell of home-cooked food, she found peace.

Abigail tugged her hand gently, urging, "Come eat, Mama! You have to try it before it's gone!"

Lila laughed softly, kissing the top of her daughter's head. For now, she could breathe. For now, the world outside-dark, cruel, and full of shadows-could wait.

"Good morning, mama" she greeted her mother softly, reaching out to brush a strand of hair from her face.

"she has your eyes," her mum said with a proud smile.

Judith stood nearby, arms crossed, scoffing at Lila. Rolling her eyes, she muttered under her breath and then left the room, heading to the garden to join their father.

Her mother placed her arm on her shoulder,

"Judith will open up to you one day, sweetheart," she said gently. "She's just upset with you for..... well, for choosing that rich man over her."

---

They sat down for breakfast at the old wooden table, sunlight streaming through the kitchen windows. Lila's mother served the warm Mexican rice, and Abigail eagerly tucked in, her tiny hands fumbling with the spoon. Lila couldn't help but smile at her daughter's enthusiasm.

After breakfast, Lila went into the garden, by the time Lila returned from the garden, her father had gone into town to buy feed for the chickens, taking Judith along. Her mother decided to take Abigail to the church where she worked, leaving Lila behind for a little quiet time.

Sitting in the familiar quiet of her childhood room, Lila let her mind wander. For once, it wasn't about Ethan or the storm he brought with him. She thought instead of memories of her childhood in this house-the laughter, the games she and Judith used to play in the garden, the secrets they shared under the shade of the mango tree. They had been inseparable once, best friends in a world that felt wide open and safe.

But then she had met Ethan, and everything had changed. The closeness with Judith had faded, replaced by distance and judgment. Lila felt a pang of longing-she missed her sister's friendship, the comfort of having someone who knew her completely, before the shadows of love and mistakes had taken over her life.

She watched the sunlight dance across the walls, her heart heavy with nostalgia, but also quietly grateful for the small slice of peace she had found here, in the house she had grown up in, with her daughter and the family she still had.