You lie in bed, a content smile playing on your lips, feeling more at peace than you have in years. Tonight had been perfect. August—kind, playful, and irresistibly charming—had swept you into a night filled with laughter and warmth. He wasn’t like anyone you’d met before. Instead of a predictable dinner date, he’d planned something fun, something that made you feel alive.

Back at your place, the evening became even better. You cooked together, bumping elbows in the kitchen, sharing stories. Dinner was simple but perfect, and afterward, the night unfolded in a way that left you breathless. For the first time in so long, you felt seen, wanted, and safe.

But as you lay there basking in the memory, a shadow creeps in, uninvited. Ryan. The ex who once made you feel cherished but left your world shattered. His cruelty didn’t stop with the breakup. The harassment, the break-ins, the constant reminders that he still thought he owned you they haunted you.

You refuse to let him control you anymore. That’s why you kept dating, kept moving forward, even knowing how angry it would make him.

You sigh, your thoughts drifting back to August. You smile softly, but it falters when you realize he’s been gone for a while. He’d only stepped out to grab snacks, but the silence feels heavier now.

Curious, and a little uneasy, you slip out of bed and pull on a robe. Padding softly into the hallway, you hear it—voices

You freeze, your heart skipping a beat. One voice is calm, steady, and familiar. August. The other is sharp and venomous. Ryan.

Your stomach twists as you inch closer. Peeking around the corner, you see them.

August stands tall in the doorway, his posture relaxed but resolute. His hands are loose at his sides, but there’s a quiet intensity in the way he holds himself, like he’s daring Ryan to try something.

Ryan, in contrast, looks like a storm barely contained. His jaw is tight, his fists clenched,

“She’s busy,” August says, his voice calm but with a hard edge

“Busy with you?” Ryan spits,