He couldn't do much to Benjamin Gomez without real proof. So, he decided to step back, giving Emily Blair some room to breathe, and taking some time for himself to think about what might still be possible between them.

But before he could figure anything out, someone else acted first. Scrolling through Emily's social media, he saw the news. She and Tristan Davis were officially together.

That night, he messaged her and called her. Just like he'd guessed, she was distant, keeping him at arm's length and choosing Tristan without hesitation.

After hanging up, he couldn't stop picturing the two of them together. The thought twisted inside him, sharp and relentless. Only then did he realize just how much Emily meant to him. The truth hit hard. She was in his heart much deeper than he'd ever admitted. That realization made it all hurt even more.

Looking back, every awful thing he'd ever done to her felt like a bullet. She'd healed over the years, but now that same bullet had found its way back and hit him instead. The pain was almost unbearable.

He couldn't escape the feeling that this was karma finally catching up with him. The colder she was, the more he saw how deeply he'd hurt her, and how wide the distance between them had grown.

Still, he wasn't about to give up.

He'd made up his mind. He was going to fight for her, even if she had a boyfriend

now.

It was only now that he truly understood how far he'd go for her. So what if she was dating someone? They weren't married. He still had a shot. Even if they did get married, people get divorced all the time. There was always hope.

He'd told her he didn't care about Tristan, but that was a lie. It bothered him a lot. But he meant it when he said he'd wait. He didn't mind hanging around in the background, just as long as there was a chance she and Tristan might break up someday. If that ever happened, maybe he could finally be the one for her.

He knew Emily didn't want to see him. She didn't even want to talk to him. But that didn't matter to him. He believed that if he just kept showing up, if he proved he was sincere and truly sorry, maybe she'd let him back into her life, even just a little.

He remembered what Isabella Austin had said on the phone. Emily was proud. She wasn't the kind of person who could just forget the past or forgive him easily. That was the part he had no idea how to fix.

The harm was done. Regret couldn't change anything. All he could do was try to make things right, but he was scared she'd never let him.

Isabella's words stayed with him, stinging every time he thought about them. He couldn't pretend he wasn't worried.

Tristan Davis seemed perfect in comparison. The background check made that clear. Tristan was always there for Emily, thoughtful and attentive. He'd never done anything to hurt her, never made a mistake he couldn't take back. Sure, his work sometimes kept him away, but that just seemed to make their relationship even stronger. This year, they'd finally made it official.

For Emily, Tristan was the perfect match. Same age, similar backgrounds, compatible personalities. Compared to Tristan, he didn't stand much of a chance.

Andrew Lane squeezed his eyes shut, rubbing the tension from his brow.

Isabella had called to ask for his help, but he hadn't expected Emily to uncover Juliana Silva's identity so quickly.

When Isabella asked, he kept his promise. He wasn't going to get involved. The plane ticket he'd arranged was the last thing he would ever do for her.

He'd also promised not to expose Isabella himself, and he'd stick to that. Whatever happened to her from now on wasn't his business.

He was just curious. How much had Emily found out about Isabella already?