The Blake mansion hadn't changed.
But I had.
The girl they shipped away was gone.
Now I was a woman. Polished. Confident. Untouchable.
I walked into the dining room in silence. Ethan sat at the table, reading the paper like nothing had happened in seven years.
He looked up—and stared.
His lips parted slightly. His eyes traced my face like he was seeing someone he'd only dreamed of.
I offered him a polite smile. "Morning."
"That's it?" he asked. "Seven years, and all I get is 'morning'?"
"You didn't write," I replied, buttering my toast. "Not even once."
"I wasn't allowed to."
"Neither was I. But you could've tried."
The tension was thick, uncomfortable. But the door suddenly burst open.
James Windsor stepped in.
And just like that, the room shifted.
He wore a navy coat and a jawline that could've cut glass. London's youngest billionaire. CEO. My brother's best friend.
And the man who used to sneak me chocolate when I was fifteen.
But now, he looked at me like I was fire. And he'd never learned how to walk away from the burn.
"You're… Amelia?" he asked slowly.
I smiled. "It's been a while."
Ethan groaned. "Don't flirt with my sister."
"I'm not your sister," I replied coldly, standing to leave.
Before I walked out, I added one more thing:
"I start at Windsor Industries on Monday."
James looked stunned.
I didn't care.
Let them see I was no longer the girl they exiled.