"You never change, do you?" Bruce tried to caress my face.

I blocked him with my knee and backed up to the door. "Out, now."

"Trying to make me chase you again?" Bruce's low chuckle filled the air. "Eleanor, you're still the master of the game. Just like old times, dodging me, making me run after you."

I swung the door open, giving him an icy stare. "Leave. Now."

Bruce sauntered to the doorway, pausing on the threshold. "Tomorrow, someone will drop off the wedding dress. Bella's choice: a flawless size 2 in the satin you adore."

He stopped, his eyes scanning me. "Though you might need to take it in a bit. You've changed a lot in these five years."

I shut my eyes tight.

Even with the door between us, I could picture him, always taking Bella's side.

"Bruce!" I cut him off, dismissing his endless chatter, "Forget it, we're not walking down that aisle."

"I get it, you're upset," he said, his voice a mix of patience and persistence, "but Eleanor, we're destined. It was true then, and it's true now. Isn't this what fate wants?"

He lingered outside, but I stayed quiet.

"Eleanor, there's no running from this. No one crosses the Laurents here. Think about it, come back to me because you want to, or I'll have to get you another way."

His threat hung in the air as he finally decided to leave.

Footsteps retreated, and a car engine roared to life.

I leaned on the door, the chill of the metal seeping through my back.

His actions left me feeling so powerless.

The family business was in the hands of managers. I came back to sort out some business, and to show the kids their old home: a visit that came sooner than planned.

Bruce had it all wrong.

The doorbell chimed right on schedule at ten in the morning. I swung the door open to find Bruce's assistant, Mark, waiting on the doorstep.

"Miss Edward," Mark greeted me with a courteous nod. "I've been sent by Mr. Laurent to deliver your wedding gown."

He handed over a weighty envelope, its surface stamped with the Laurent family crest in shiny gold letters.

I pulled out a handwritten invitation from inside. The words "Bruce Laurent & Bella Rossi" were printed in elegant gold script, but someone slashed Bella's name with a black marker and scribbled "Eleanor Edward" above it in a messy scrawl.

The ink was still fresh, marring the fancy paper with its boldness.

"Please let Bruce know," I said, sliding the box back to Mark, "that he can take this dress back just the way it came."

In front of him, I ripped the invitation to shreds, letting the pieces drift to the ground like snowflakes around Mark's feet.

Mark's face turned a shade of furious red, a stark shift from his earlier professional demeanor.

"Ms. Edward!" he barked, his finger quivering as he pointed at me. "How can you just toss aside Mr. Laurent's heartfelt gesture?"

"Heartfelt?" I was at a loss for words.

"Do you have any idea?" Mark's voice shook with resentment. "Mr. Laurent has carried a torch for you these past five years! Despite how sweet and loving Bella is, you're the one he's pined for! Your picture still sits on his desk!"

He stooped to gather the torn pieces, his actions fueled by anger.

"You're nothing but a homewrecker! You've shattered what Mr. Laurent and the sweet Bella have built over five years!"

Mark rose to his full height, his eyes burning with blame as he fixed them on me.

"Do you really think you're all that? You're nothing but a fake! A selfish person who ditched true love!"

I slammed the door shut, tuning out his bitter words.

Later that afternoon, "Atelier Valeriano" popped into my head.

It was that cool designer boutique in Chiverton I loved, packed with one-of-a-kind gowns.

Maybe it was time for a change of scenery. I could not stay cooped up there forever.

My old sports car coughed and sputtered in the driveway before it gave up the ghost.

A puff of white smoke billowed from under the hood, drawing curious glances from people walking by.

I tried to fire it up again, but all it gave me were a few feeble clicks.

After a decade, it looked like my ride finally needed some repair work.

I hailed an Uber and headed for "Atelier Valeriano" to check out their latest designs.

Stepping out of the Uber, there was Bruce, leaning on a shiny Aston Martin, his shades catching the glare of the afternoon sun.

He watched me get out, a smirk playing on his lips as he removed his sunglasses.

"Looks like the Edward empire's seen better days," he said, sauntering over, "Can't even keep a decent car running?"

"It's just a breakdown," I replied, keeping my cool.

"A breakdown?" He laughed lightly.

"Eleanor, no need to put on airs. I've done my homework, Edward Mechanics' stock has tanked, and all those factories your dad owned are cutting jobs."

He reached for my arm, but I sidestepped him.

"Bruce, are you keeping tabs on me?"

"Keeping tabs?" His grin widened, "Eleanor, it's the other way around. You knew I'd be here today, so here you are."

He gestured toward the designer boutique behind him. "Isn't this your all-time favorite shop? I asked Bella to come today to pick out some honeymoon outfits for you. I had no idea you'd show up too."

"I'm not going anywhere."

"Stop being stubborn," he said, his voice hardening.

He ordered, "Come on, let's head to the club. My friends are all eager to see you, and you owe Bella an apology in front of them."

"Eleanor!"

A sugary voice floated from the store's entrance.

Bella emerged in a pink ensemble, her arms laden with shopping bags.

Tears welled in her eyes as she gave us a look that could melt hearts.

"I heard from Mark that you were back," she said, her voice trembling. "I know you despise me."

Bruce was by her side in an instant, comforting her with a gentle pat on the back.

"Don't be upset, Bella. You've done nothing wrong."

"No, Bruce," Bella said, shaking her head as tears streamed down her face. "Eleanor has every reason to despise me. I've taken her place for the past five years."

She turned to me, her gaze earnest. "Eleanor, now that you're really back, I'm ready to step aside and let you have Bruce. I'll go away if it means you two can be happy."

"See how selfless she is?" Bruce said, his eyes softening as he looked at Bella.

Then, his anger flared up at me. "How can you be so heartless? She's willing to sacrifice everything for you, and you can't even muster a thank you?"

At the same time, a group of Bruce's friends closed in.

They were all from the Laurent family, looking down their noses at us.

I recognized a few of them; they were capos from the Laurent family I met before.

Their eyes darted between Bella and me, relishing the drama unfolding before them.

"Is this the Eleanor everyone's been talking about?" One of the blond guys eyed me with a mix of curiosity and disappointment. "Bruce, are you really ready to ditch Bella for her?"

"She's pretty plain-looking." Another guy chimed in with a shrug, "Bella's a way better match for you. Younger, cuter, and she's got her act together."

"And let's not forget, Bella's head over heels for you." The third guy piped up, "Not like some people who vanish for five years and then show up out of the blue to stir up drama."

"Ms. Edward, you might want to think twice about who you're messing with. Crossing the Laurent family in this town? Not the smartest move." One of them even had the nerve to throw a threat my way.

Then, out of nowhere, Bella started to slide off the ring she was wearing, the one with the Laurent family crest.

"Bruce's mom gave this to me," she said, her voice catching, "She told me I was like the daughter she never had. However, now that Eleanor's back, I guess it's only right to give it back."

"No way." Bruce was quick to grab her hand, stopping her. "That ring looks good on you. You've earned it. I'll get Eleanor another ring, something just as nice."

I just stood there, taking in the whole soap opera, feeling like I was trapped in a scene with no exit.

I let out a sigh that felt like it reached the sky.

Right then, my phone buzzed with a FaceTime call.

I took a quick look at who it was and answered.

Two little boys popped up on the screen, their cheeks all flushed and their eyes glued to me.

"Mommy!" they yelled together, their voices all sweet and squeaky, "We've been missing you!"

Bruce practically leaped to grab my phone, his eyes glued to the two boys on the screen.

Leo and Luca just stared at that stranger, their little faces a mix of surprise and confusion.

They looked a bit like me, but their eyes were a spitting image of their dad's, a deep ocean blue.

"Mommy, who's this guy?" Leo's voice was soft and childlike as he waved at the screen.

"He seems really mad." Luca's little forehead creased with worry, picking up on the storm brewing on Bruce's face.

Bruce's hands shook, and his face went ghostly white. "No way! This can't be happening."

His voice rose to a high pitch, turning heads all around.

People on the street paused, their curiosity piqued as they stared at our little drama.

"Bruce, hand over my phone," I demanded, my voice frozen as ice.

"No!" He exploded, hoisting the phone above his head, "These kids, they-"

He choked on his words, unable to finish.

In a fit of rage, he hurled the phone to the ground.

The screen shattered with a sharp crack, silencing the children's voices, leaving only the buzz of broken electronics.

I slapped him hard across the face, my anger boiling over.

The slap echoed, and Bruce's cheek flared red.

"Are you out of your mind?" I was shaking, my voice quivering with fury.

Bruce clutched his cheek, his eyes ablaze with insanity. "Illegitimate! They're illegitimate!"

He jabbed a finger at the broken phone on the ground, his voice piercing, as he turned his fury on me.

"Eleanor, who did you get knocked up by in Eurovia? And then got dumped? Did you come crawling back to me because you couldn't afford to raise them?"

His buddies started murmuring, and out came the phones, snapping pictures.

"Wow, Eleanor's got kids?"

"They sure look like they're from somewhere else. Definitely not Bruce's."

"Man, Bruce, forget her. She's not worth the trouble."

"It's a total disgrace; she's brought shame to the entire Laurent family."

Bella sidled up to Bruce just in time, caressing his arm in a way that screamed girlfriend.

"Bruce, try to stay calm. Maybe Eleanor has her reasons."

Her voice was as soft as a feather, but it was clear to anyone listening that she was poking the bear.

"Reasons?" Bruce scoffed, "She betrayed me! Left me five years ago, acting like she was too good for me, and now she's been out there misbehaving! She has the nerve to show up again with two kids!"

His buddies chimed in, buzzing around like a swarm of clueless gnats.

"You see the truth now, right, Bruce? She's not worth another minute of your time." The blond guy shook his head, "Especially with two kids tagging along."

"Bella's the real deal, always there for you, loving only you," another friend piped up.

Their words were like daggers of humiliation, and even though I kept my face blank, inside I was plotting their comeuppance.

Bruce seemed to buy into every word, his gaze turning icy and determined.

"In three days, I'll be marrying Bella at the Villa d'Oro," he declared, a twisted satisfaction in his voice.

However, when he looked at me, his eyes were a tumult of pain and regret, as if he was saying, "You drove me to this."

Right then, Bella, clinging to Bruce's arm, was the picture of triumph.

"Bruce, let's get out of here. Don't waste another second on someone who doesn't matter."

She angled for that for years, aiming to be the future Mamma of the Laurent family.

Hearing him announce their wedding, she was probably doing cartwheels on the inside.

Bruce locked eyes with me, an intense gaze that seemed to pierce right through. He stepped closer, his voice a low whisper, "You've lost the right to be the Laurent family's leading lady."

He paused, a twisted glint of possessiveness and a flicker of vengeful satisfaction in his eyes.

"However, I'm willing to offer you a spot. Send those kids away, and you can be mine. My lover, that is.

"We did share love once, after all.

"Think it over. I'm about to become the Don, and this is a gift I'm offering you."

All I did in response was roll my eyes at him.