Truly Matt had no right to be so angry.

This was his ex. Nothing more. Someone he'd once grown close to, once been on the verge of love with, until a hurricane named Elektra had come back into his life and messed everything up. Matt had been young, trying to find his path as a lawyer and as Daredevil, and conflicted; Elektra had been gorgeous, dangerous, and brought out the absolute worst in him. As soon as he'd felt the pull of temptation, he'd broken things off with his ex—he hadn't wanted to cheat, physically or emotionally—before letting himself get caught up in the storm.

Which, of course, had been a stupid decision, as with many others he'd made at that stage in his life. He'd traded away comfort and safety for chaos and destruction, and Elektra had been his reckoning. She'd come crashing into his life and had left nothing but ashes in her wake.

Now Matt was older, more stable. More grounded. Which wasn't to say he couldn't still hear the siren's call, but he knew better now. They weren't good for each other. They'd been unhealthy. He'd learned to think with the right head. He'd let go. Gradually. With difficulty. But he'd let go, completely.

And then, as though to mock him for his choices, his ex—the one he'd abandoned so long ago—had resurfaced. Happy and confident and taken. He had no right, none at all, to feel the way he did. Jealous, hurt. This was a bed he'd made himself; it was only fitting he lay in it.

Still, the way his ex's heart skipped a beat at the new beau made him sick. He could practically hear the smiles, smell the love in the air. A love he'd been so close to, once, only to throw away. The memory tasted bitter on his tongue.

"It's been a while," he said, the smile on his lips not quite convincing enough. "I'm glad you're doing well for yourself. We should catch up sometime." They shouldn't. And Matt was certain the jealousy in his tone was noticeable as he extended a hand in the general direction of his ex's new partner. "Hey. Matt Murdock. Nice to meet you." It wasn't.