Amyra's POV

"I didn't cheat on you," I rehearsed the words in my mind. '‘It was all a setup. Your mother made me do it.'’ Ten years of silence weighed on me as the car came to a halt. I tried to steady my heartbeat. Tonight, I was going to meet Reynolds again. And I would tell him the truth.

"Amyra Brooks," I introduced myself to the gatekeeper. "I’m one of the managing partners of the Brooks Modeling Agency. I am here because I wish to meet with Reynolds."

"Do you have an invitation?" he asked, scrolling through his iPad. "I don’t see your name listed here."

"She doesn’t need an invitation!" his colleague interrupted him, hurriedly opening the gate. "Welcome, ma’am. We apologize for the inconvenience."

I flashed a relieved smile and walked in, exhaling deeply. One hurdle was cleared, but the hardest part was yet to come. Finding Reynolds in the crowd. As the event host, it would be difficult to catch him alone, but I wasn't leaving here tonight without having a word with him.

I pushed through the crowd, my eyes darting, my heart racing. Reynolds was here, somewhere. I needed to find him. I needed to tell him the truth before it was too late.

I spotted him on a platform, microphone in hand. "Thank you all for honoring my invitation. Please, enjoy the evening." He descended the stairs, mingling with the guests. My gaze was steady on him, I was stunned by the sight before me. He was still as handsome as ever.

He wore a custom-made tuxedo, paired with a classic white dress shirt. His dark, wavy hair was perfectly groomed, and a silver watch adorned his wrist. Ten years had passed, yet his impeccable taste in clothing and accessories remained unchanged.

The crowd quickly surrounded him, obstructing my view. I watched as journalists and guests vied for his attention, my heart pounding as I inched closer. Eventually, his bodyguards created a barrier, keeping everyone at a distance.

The hum of conversation filled the air, but all I could hear was my heartbeat, pounding in my ears.

"Reynolds!" I called out, knowing the guards wouldn’t let me near him. It didn't matter if everyone saw me as a crazy woman. For all I cared, I needed to speak with him.

He turned sharply at the sound of my voice. Recognition flashed in his eyes. "Amyra?" he said, his voice softening. "Is it you, Amyra?" He hurried towards me. I let out a sigh of relief. He still recognized me.

Tears welled up as I trembled, seeing him again after all these years. He didn’t seem angry. Instead, he looked as though he had missed me as much as I had missed him.

"Is this you?" he asked, taking my hand, his gaze locked on mine.

I nodded, my heartbeat steadying. I was flushed with relief. I didn't believe it would be this easy to get to him. Nor did I imagine that he would be excited to see me again. He led me to an empty table, where we collapsed into chairs opposite each other.

"What happened? Where have you been? I thought you were dead." His voice wavered. "Ten years, Amyra. For ten years, I searched everywhere for you. My mother told me what happened to your family, and I thought..." He stuttered with a shaky voice. "I thought you had ended it all. I can’t believe you’re here."

I opened my mouth to speak, but my voice failed me. Tears spilled down my cheeks, and he gently wiped them away. I drew in the air as I managed to speak, "I’m sorry," I whispered.

Before he could respond, I saw a woman approaching us. She had black hair like his, bright black eyes, and caramel skin. Her full lips and long, curly lashes were accentuated by heavy makeup, I assumed she was one of his younger sisters because she had a striking resemblance with him.

Reynolds took no notice of her because he couldn't stop gazing at me. "What happened? Where did you hide away? Ten fucking years, Amyra. How didn't I find you?"

The woman was finally standing behind him. I was focused on her because she appeared like she had something to say. Her flowing black dress and red heels were similar to what he was wearing so I assumed she was indeed a relative. "Baby," she said, placing a hand on his, "Who is she, and why are you so emotional?" She was looking at me while standing behind me.

Reynolds fell silent, closing his eyes as he leaned back, a sigh escaping his lips. Realization hit me. She wasn't a relative, I had to stop the denial. She was his partner. I noticed the way she stood so close to him, her hand resting on his arm in a way that felt... possessive. It made my stomach churn in displeasure.

"Hi," she addressed me. "I’m Tiana. Reynolds and I are getting married in a few days. Who are you?" She added, confirming my thoughts. I felt embarrassment wash me over as I looked at Reynolds. I waited to hear him deny her claims or at least introduce me to her. He remained silent. Probably dumbfounded.

I grabbed my purse and stood up.

"Wait!" He called after me, but I didn’t care to spend another humiliating second with them. I dashed towards my car and got in.

"Take me back to the hotel," I said through sobs. My driver, sensing my distress, quickly pulled away. I buried my face in a towel, tears streaming down as my heart shattered.

For ten years, I had waited to be with him, and just when I thought I found him again, he was engaged. I wasn't going to blame him because I gave him every reason to hate me. I made him think I was dead. But he should have waited. Regardless of my actions years back, I still felt betrayed.

The screeching of tires jolted me, and I looked up. Another car swerved dangerously close, and my driver struggled to avoid crashing into it. My heart skipped a beat as I watched. We were on a bridge, and just beyond the edge, a river was.

"Careful!" I shouted, but it was too late. The car slammed into us, and everything went black. The last thing I remembered was a maniacal laugh next to me.

Finally, I heard a distant, familiar voice say, "At long last, I have my revenge.”