Three Years Later
Starling's POV
Three years.
That's how long it took for her to start breathing without feeling like she was drowning.
Country Q wasn't home — not yet — but it was quiet enough to pretend.
The air smelled of sea salt and jasmine. The mornings were slow, and the nights came with soft rain instead of sirens.
She'd built a small life here with Rin — her best friend, her anchor, her only reminder that loyalty still existed.
Together, they rented a two-room apartment above a bakery, painted the walls white, and filled the space with plants that refused to die.
It wasn't perfect, but it was peace.
And peace was more than enough.
---
Rin sat cross-legged on the couch, scrolling through her phone while music hummed softly from the speaker.
"You're late," she teased without looking up.
Starling dropped her art bag by the door and kicked off her shoes. "I told you I'd go out for supplies."
"Supplies or coffee?" Rin lifted a brow.
Starling grinned. "Both."
Rin laughed and tossed her a throw pillow. "You're hopeless."
Starling caught it and smiled — one of those small, genuine smiles that hadn't come easy in years.
They still had their bad days, but lately, those days were fewer.
---
Later that evening, Starling stood by the window, brush in hand, painting the sunset.
Rin joined her, sipping tea. "You know," she said, "I think we're finally getting it right this time."
Starling tilted her head. "Getting what right?"
"Life." Rin smiled. "No drama, no running, no looking over our shoulders. Just us, this place, and a really good bakery downstairs."
Starling chuckled. "You and that bakery."
Rin shrugged. "You paint. I eat. It's balance."
Their laughter filled the room — warm, real, and unforced.
For the first time in years, Starling didn't feel like a survivor.
She felt like someone who was finally living.
---
That night, she wrote in her sketchbook — small, simple words under a drawing of the moon over the sea:
'Maybe peace isn't a place. Maybe it's a person beside you when the noise finally stops.'
She glanced at Rin asleep on the couch, the TV light flickering across her face.
And for the first time in forever… Starling didn't feel alone.
Elijah's POV
Three years had changed everything — including him.
Country Q had a way of silencing even the loudest memories. The city where the Ashfords now lived was nothing like the one they left behind. No flashing cameras. No reporters. No eyes waiting for another scandal.
Just quiet.
A quiet that Elijah sometimes loved… and sometimes hated.
---
The Ashford mansion in Country Q wasn't as grand as the one in Country R, but it had something the old one never did — peace.
Richard Ashford had made sure of that.
After Clara's death and all the chaos that followed, he'd gathered his four sons and started over.
Matthew, Liam, Ray, and Elijah — all under one roof again, even if they barely spoke about the past anymore.
Richard had aged. His once-strong voice now carried a softer tone. But his eyes — those eyes that once demanded perfection — now only asked for silence.
---
Elijah sat on the balcony that morning, coffee in hand, staring at the horizon.
The sea breeze brushed his hair back, and for a second, he almost smiled.
Three years.
He wondered what she looked like now.
Starling.
The name still echoed somewhere inside him, like a melody that refused to fade.
He told himself he'd moved on — focused on work, on family, on rebuilding the life he once broke. But sometimes, when the world grew too still, her voice came back. The way she used to say his name. The way her eyes could calm every storm in him.
And the way he let it all go.
---
Matthew stepped out onto the balcony, snapping Elijah from his thoughts. "You're up early."
"Couldn't sleep," Elijah replied, eyes still on the sea.
Matthew leaned against the railing beside him. "You still think about her, don't you?"
Elijah didn't answer right away. "Some things don't stop haunting you just because time passed."
Matthew sighed. "You both deserved better. Maybe someday, you'll find each other again."
Elijah gave a small, bitter smile. "If fate still believes in second chances."
Matthew laughed faintly. "In this family? Fate would need a miracle."
They shared a quiet moment — two brothers scarred by the same storm, both pretending they'd learned how to live with the wreckage.
---
Later that night, Elijah stood outside his art company — the one he'd built from scratch in Country Q.
The sign above the glass doors read: Ashford Creations.
It wasn't just a business. It was his redemption.
He wanted to create something real, something clean — not corrupted by his family's past mistakes.
He locked the door, walked toward his car, and glanced at the night sky.
Same stars, same moon.
He had no idea that somewhere across the city, under that same sky, Starling was painting that very same moon.
Different worlds.
Same country.
And fate — quietly — had already begun to move.
.......
Rin's POV
The morning light spilled through the curtains, painting golden lines across the room.
Rin stretched, yawned, and smiled at the sight before her — Starling still curled up on the couch, tangled in her blanket, sleeping like the world had finally left her alone.
For a moment, Rin didn't move. She just stood there, watching her best friend's peaceful face. After everything they'd been through, moments like this felt sacred.
Then her phone buzzed.
She picked it up lazily — and froze.
Her eyes widened as she read the banner on her screen:
"INTERNATIONAL ART EXHIBITION — COUNTRY Q CAPITAL, 3RD ANNIVERSARY SHOWCASE."
Her heart skipped.
"Star!" she yelled, practically bouncing on her feet. "Wake up! You have to see this!"
Starling groaned from under the blanket. "Rin, if it's not breakfast, I'm not interested…"
"It's better than breakfast!" Rin grinned, waving the phone in her face. "Look! The biggest exhibition in the country — they're accepting submissions from independent artists this year! You have to apply!"
Starling blinked, half-asleep. "Exhibition?"
"Yes!" Rin dropped beside her, excitement spilling out of her voice. "You've been painting your heart out for three years. This is it, Star. Your chance."
Starling rubbed her eyes, mumbling, "I don't know, Rin. It's too—"
Rin cut her off, holding her shoulders. "No excuses. You said this year you'd stop hiding. Well, guess what? This is the universe knocking!"
Starling looked at her for a long second — then smiled softly. "You're really not going to let me sleep, are you?"
"Not a chance." Rin grinned.
They both laughed. And in that laughter, Country Q felt like home.
---
Meanwhile, in the Ashford Residence…
"Wake up, man!"
Elijah groaned as Matthew barged into his room, throwing open the curtains. "Matthew," he muttered, shielding his eyes, "if you value your life, close that window."
"Not until you see this." Matthew tossed a folded newspaper onto the bed. "You remember that international art thing the press keeps buzzing about? It's happening right here — in the capital."
Elijah sat up slowly, still half-asleep. "And why do I need to know that?"
Matthew smirked. "Because Ashford Creations has been invited to sponsor it. Your company name's already on the list."
That made Elijah pause. "Sponsoring an art exhibition?"
"Exactly. You've been saying you wanted to help new artists get recognized, right? Well, here's your chance."
Elijah picked up the paper, scanning through the details. "International Art Exhibition…" he murmured, his voice softening.
Something about those words pulled at him. Maybe it was the memory of another life, another canvas, another woman who once made art feel like love.
He set the paper down. "Fine. I'll attend."
Matthew grinned. "Good. Because it's next week. You'd better wear something nice — you're representing all of us."
Elijah rolled his eyes but couldn't help the small smile that followed. "Right. Wouldn't want to disappoint the family."
---
Same morning.
Two homes. Two hearts.
Both looking at the same event — unaware it would be the thread to pull them together again.
Rin's POV
The afternoon sun bathed the apartment in soft gold.
Rin sat cross-legged on the floor, laptop open, while Starling stood near the easel — her hands stained with paint, her gaze distant.
"Okay," Rin said, typing quickly, "application form done. All that's left is your portfolio. I added the new piece — the one with the white lilies. That's your best work yet."
Starling's lips curved faintly. "You really think so?"
Rin looked up. "Star, people pay to stare at blank walls, and you give them emotion. If this exhibition doesn't pick you, they're blind."
Starling chuckled softly and wiped her hands on a rag. "You sound like my manager."
"Correction," Rin said proudly, "I am your manager — unpaid, overworked, and emotionally invested."
They both laughed.
But under the laughter, Starling felt a tug in her chest — a memory that refused to fade. A voice, deep and calm, telling her once, "Paint what your heart fears the most."
Her brush trembled for a second.
She quickly turned away, pretending to look for something.
Rin noticed, but didn't push. Instead, she smiled and said gently, "You're ready, Star. You've been ready for a long time."
Starling exhaled. "Alright. Submit it."
Rin hit the button. Application sent.
They stared at the screen for a moment, then looked at each other — smiles breaking through.
"Three years," Starling whispered. "Feels like another lifetime."
Rin leaned back, stretching. "Then maybe it's time for a new one."
Outside, the wind rustled through the balcony curtains — soft, almost like a promise.
---
Elijah's POV
At the Ashford Estate, the night had already fallen.
The city lights shimmered below the hillside mansion, painting reflections across the glass windows of Elijah's study.
He sat by the desk, flipping through the exhibition file Matthew had dropped earlier.
Paintings. Artists. Invitations. Nothing unusual.
Until his eyes fell on one name —
"Star Hayes"
The pen slipped slightly from his fingers.
His heart gave a slow, unfamiliar ache. The name was simple, different… yet something about it felt hauntingly close.
He closed the folder, his expression unreadable.
"Matthew," he said quietly. "Confirm the artist list for me when you can. I want to meet the participants myself."
Matthew, leaning against the doorway, raised a brow. "Since when do you care about meeting artist? I thought I was the one doing that."
Elijah gave a small smirk. "Since tonight."
Matthew shrugged. "Fine. But if you end up buying half the paintings, don't say I didn't warn you."
When Matthew left, Elijah stood by the window, his reflection merging with the city skyline.
Somewhere out there, in this same country, a piece of his past was still alive — maybe not in name, but in soul.
He didn't know that Star Hayes was Starling.
And Starling didn't know that the sponsor behind the exhibition was Elijah Ashford.
But fate knew.
And it was already counting down the days.