Chapter 40 — The Unexpected Return
Days continued to drift by like slow-moving clouds.
Auri was beginning to accept the silence—
accept the distance—
accept that maybe Dante was gone for a while…
or maybe gone for good.
But life had its own plans.
And it started with a knock.
Adrian's Return
Auri froze when she heard the gentle, familiar tapping on her door.
Her chest tightened instantly.
No… it couldn't be…
When she opened the door, she found Adrian Sterling standing there—
looking breathtakingly handsome even in casual clothing,
holding a small bouquet of white lilies.
"Auri…" Adrian's voice softened the moment he saw her. "I know I promised I'd keep my distance. But I heard you've been alone for weeks. And I just… wanted to check on you."
Auri blinked in surprise.
"Adrian… you don't have to do that. I'm fine."
"You don't look fine," he replied, gently brushing a strand of hair behind her ear before realizing he shouldn't. He lowered his hand awkwardly. "I thought maybe you'd want company today. Maybe lunch? Or even just a walk. I'm not here to insist or push—just to be someone you can talk to."
He stood there, waiting for her answer, offering warmth without force.
Auri hesitated.
Adrian was the type of man anyone would wish for—
steady, reliable, patient, gentle.
And she?
She was standing here missing someone who didn't even call.
But that didn't mean she could lie to Adrian.
"I appreciate your kindness," Auri whispered. "Really. But I… I just need some time alone today."
Adrian nodded slowly, disappointment flickering in his eyes but replaced almost immediately with a soft smile.
"I understand."
Then, with a deeper breath, he added,
"But you should know something, Auri."
She looked up at him.
"I'm not giving up on you," he murmured. "Even if you chose him. Even if he doesn't show up. Even if it hurts."
He held out the bouquet.
"I will wait. Even if waiting hurts too."
Auri's chest ached.
She accepted the flowers quietly, unable to look him in the eyes.
"Thank you, Adrian…"
Before she could say more, her phone vibrated.
A single message.
His name lighting up her screen for the first time in weeks.
Her heart jumped in her throat.
Adrian noticed her change of expression—but he didn't ask.
He simply whispered,
"I should go."
And then he left.
The moment the door closed, Auri's breath left her body.
Auri Sees Him Again
She dressed quickly—light makeup, soft blouse, jeans—her hands trembling the entire time.
Dante didn't say much in the message.
Just one line:
"I'm back."
She didn't know where to go, but her feet led her outside, along familiar roads, through the late afternoon breeze. The city felt louder than usual, sharper, almost trembling with anticipation.
Her mind was spinning—
she didn't know if she'd cry, yell, hug him, or run the other way.
But fate moved faster than her thoughts.
Because she saw him.
Standing across the street, tall and striking in a black suit, hair slightly messy from travel, eyes scanning the crowd—
Searching for her.
Auri's breath caught painfully.
He looked exhausted.
He looked troubled.
He looked like he had been carrying the weight of entire continents.
But when he found her…
His expression broke.
Relief washed over him, raw and overwhelming.
He stepped toward her immediately, crossing the distance with long strides, not caring about the people, the traffic, the noise.
Auri couldn't move.
Her feet were planted.
Her heart was racing.
When he finally reached her, he stopped only a foot away, breath uneven, voice low and rough.
"Auri…"
Her lips parted but no sound came out.
He stared at her—
every second revealing everything he tried to hide the past weeks.
Longing.
Fear.
Desire.
Confusion.
And something deeper he still didn't know how to name.
She swallowed, forcing her voice to function.
"You… you're back."
"Yeah," he whispered. "And somehow the first place I ended up looking… was here."
Auri's chest tightened painfully.
"How long have you been gone?"
"Too long," Dante said. "Longer than I wanted. Longer than I should've been."
He clenched his jaw. "I should've called. I know. But I—"
He stopped, struggling with the words.
Auri looked down.
"I thought maybe you regretted everything."
His breath hitched.
"No," he said firmly. "Never that."
She looked up—and saw it.
The exhaustion in his eyes.
The vulnerability he rarely let anyone see.
And the truth:
He missed her.
Even if he didn't say it.
Even if he didn't know how.
The World Around Them
People passing by slowed down.
Some whispered.
Some looked twice.
Auri and Dante standing face-to-face, tension electric and palpable—
It felt like the whole city was holding its breath.
Auri's voice softened.
"You didn't tell me you were leaving…"
"I was afraid," Dante said honestly.
"Afraid that if I saw you again, I wouldn't be able to stay away."
Auri blinked, heart twisting.
"Is that… a bad thing?"
Dante exhaled shakily.
"It is," he whispered, "when I still don't know what this feeling is—or what I'm supposed to do with it."
Auri's breath trembled.
At that exact moment, far behind them, Adrian returned to the end of the street—he had forgotten to give Auri something.
And he saw them.
Auri standing with Dante.
Dante staring at her like she was the only person in the world.
The air between them thick, intimate, fragile, dangerous.
Adrian's heart broke silently.
But he didn't approach.
He didn't interrupt.
He simply turned away, letting fate go the way it wanted to.
Auri and Dante
Dante lifted a hand slowly, hesitating, unsure if he had the right anymore…
then gently touched her cheek.
Auri closed her eyes, leaning slightly into his palm.
"I missed you," she whispered before she could stop herself.
The words slipped out, soft and trembling.
Dante inhaled sharply, eyes darkening with emotion he couldn't label.
"I know," he murmured. "I know."
But when he pulled her closer by instinct—
Auri stepped back.
Not far.
Just enough.
Dante froze.
Auri looked at him, voice quiet but pained.
"We need to talk, Dante…
About everything."
His throat tightened.
"…I know," he whispered.
But he didn't walk away.
And that alone said more than any confession could.