Chapter 1: The Boy with Green Eyes

Stella's POV

"Stella, honey, you look absolutely radiant! Marriage suits you so well!"

I forced a smile as Mrs. Henderson rushed over, arms outstretched for one of her signature bone-crushing hugs.

"Mrs. Henderson," I managed before she wrapped me up in that familiar scent of vanilla and old books. Five years. It'd been five years since I'd set foot in this damn town, and here I was, right back where it all began.

Gabriel's hand tightened around my waist as she finally let go, her eyes shiny with tears. "Look at you! A real lady now, just like I always knew you'd be."

'A real lady.' The words stung more than they should. I wasn't that scared, broken girl anymore—the one who'd scrubbed these floors while the town whispered behind my back. No, now I was Stella Montgomery, a successful editor at one of Boston's top publishing houses, married to a guy who actually cared.

"Thanks for taking me in back then," I said, meaning it despite the bitter aftertaste. "I don't know what would've happened otherwise."

Gabriel squeezed my shoulder. "My wife's told me all about your kindness, Mrs. Henderson. Great to finally meet you."

She beamed at him, eyeing his sharp suit and the way he looked at me like I mattered. Good. Let her see what I'd become.

"Oh, you're as charming as she said! Now, try the petit fours—they're from that new bakery downtown." She waved toward the dessert table at the back of the hall.

We wove through the crowd, past familiar faces. Some nodded politely; others whispered behind their champagne flutes. Let them gossip. I had nothing to hide now.

"You okay, sweetheart?" Gabriel murmured as we reached the refreshments. "You seem tense."

I grabbed a small chocolate cake, glad for something to fidget with. "Just weird being back. This place stirs up a lot of memories."

The baby in my belly fluttered, as if picking up on my nerves. Four months along, and this kid was already sharper than most grown-ups. I rested a hand on the subtle swell under my dress.

"We don't have to stay long," Gabriel said softly. "Make an appearance, write the check, and we're gone."

I was about to reply when a small hurricane slammed into my legs.

"Mommy! I found Mommy! Daddy, look! She came back!"

The petit four slipped from my fingers, splatting on the floor. My blood ran cold. Those eyes staring up at me—green, just like mine. The same ones I saw in the mirror every day.

No. This couldn't be real.

The boy—maybe four or five—had his arms locked around my waist, face buried in my dress. Dark hair, olive skin, and those telltale green eyes that screamed he was mine.

"Tobias."

His name slipped out in a whisper. The son I'd given birth to and left behind. The one I'd convinced myself was better off without me.

"Tobias, what are you—" That voice, the one from my nightmares, sliced through the party chatter.

Thaddeus.

He pushed through the crowd, still tall and broad-shouldered, moving with that predatory grace that used to weaken my knees. His dark hair was longer now, with new lines around his eyes, but those intense brown ones hadn't changed. They locked on mine, widening in shock.

"Stella," he breathed, like a prayer or a curse. "You're... here."

Tobias peered up at Gabriel with curious green eyes—my eyes—and tilted his head. "Why's Mommy with another man? Daddy said she'd come home to us."

The room went dead silent. I felt every stare, the gossip wheels spinning.

Thaddeus's gaze shifted from me to Gabriel's arm around me, then to the curve of my pregnancy. His face paled, then flushed with something dangerous.

"You're married," he said, voice rough and incredulous. "You're fucking married."

"Watch your language," I snapped, glancing at Tobias still clinging to me.

"Gabriel's my husband," I said, chin up, meeting Thaddeus's stare. "This is Thaddeus Carver, Gabriel. An old... acquaintance."

"Acquaintance?" Thaddeus barked a laugh, bitter and sharp. "That's what we're calling it?"

Gabriel stepped forward, his calm shifting to steel. "Back off, buddy."

"Buddy?" Thaddeus's face twisted. "You vanish for five years—no word, no explanation—and now you're here? With my—"

"Your what?" Gabriel's voice dropped low. "From where I'm standing, Stella's my wife. Carrying my child."

The words hit like a gut punch. Thaddeus staggered back, eyes flicking between us in growing fury.

"You knew," he said, voice rising. "You fucking knew about her, about us, and you—"

"I knew a woman who needed saving," Gabriel cut in coldly. "Broken and alone, deserving better than your small-town crap."

That's when Thaddeus lunged.

Gabriel was ready, taking the fist to his jaw. The crack echoed as they crashed into the dessert table, petit fours and glasses flying.

"Stop it!" I yelled, shielding Tobias while my unborn baby kicked wildly from the adrenaline. "Both of you, knock it off!"

But they weren't listening. Gabriel recovered fast, landing a solid hit to Thaddeus's ribs that made him grunt and stumble. Blood trickled from Gabriel's lip as he straightened his jacket.

"You always were a jealous prick," Gabriel said, wiping the blood away. "Some things never change."

"Jealous?" Thaddeus snarled, fists clenched. "We were friends, Gabriel—like brothers—and you ghosted. Now this? You've been lying for years!"

Tobias started crying, the sound piercing my heart. I knelt, ignoring the stares, and pulled him close. He was warm and real, his shampoo scent—clean and boyish—making my chest ache.

"Shh, buddy, it's okay," I whispered, stroking his hair. "Everything's gonna be okay."

But I knew it wasn't. Nothing would be okay again.

Thaddeus stared at us—me holding our son while carrying another man's child. The raw pain in his eyes was devastating, and I had to look away.

"Stella," he said, voice cracking. "How could you do this? I've been searching for five years. Waiting for you to come home. Tobias asks about his mom every day, and I had no answers because you just... vanished."