The train screeched to a halt, and I stepped onto the platform like I owned it—even though this city hasn’t belonged to me for years. Then I saw him. Nick. Leaning against a black sedan, tie loose, eyes locked on mine like he’d been waiting forever. My breath caught. Five years gone, and not a second has erased how he looks in that coat, how his jaw tightens when he’s trying not to react.\n\n"You shouldn’t have come back," he said, voice low, almost gentle.\n\n"This is my home," I snapped, gripping my suitcase like it could shield me.\n\nHe took a step closer. "You don’t know what you’re walking into."\n\n"Oh, I think I do. You stole everything. Now I’m here to take it back."\n\nA flicker in his eyes—hurt? Regret?—before the mask slammed down. "It was never about the estate, Sloane. It was always about keeping you alive."\n\nThe rain began to fall. And just like that, I wasn’t sure what was true anymore.