211: MY EYES FOUND YOURS LUKE’S POV I emerged from the grand doors of City Hall, and my confident stride and determined expression captured the attention of the crowd. Dressed in a sharp navy suit, I made my way to the podium, the microphone awaiting my words. “Good afternoon, citizens of New Haven,” I began, my voice strong and clear, carrying across the square. “I stand before you today not just as the owner of The Reynolds but as a fellow resident of this beautiful city.” The crowd murmured in agreement, nodding their heads in acknowledgment of my connection to their community. “For too long, New Haven has been overlooked, its potential untapped, and its future uncertain,” I continued, my gaze sweeping across the sea of faces before me. “But today, I stand here to tell you that change is coming. The Reynolds is committed to bringing better improvements to our city, revitalizing our neighborhoods, and creating opportunities for all who call New Haven home.” A wave of applause rippled through the crowd, the sound echoing off the stone facades of the surrounding buildings. I paused, allowing the cheers to subside before I continued. “Our vision is simple but powerful,” I declared, and my voice was ringing with conviction. “We believe that by investing in our infrastructure, schools, and local businesses, we can transform New Haven into a thriving hub of innovation and progress.” I spoke, and I could see my words painting a vivid picture of a brighter future for New Haven, one where dilapidated buildings were replaced with modern structures, where struggling schools were rejuvenated with state–of–the–art resources, and where small businesses were given the support they needed to succeed. “We are not here to impose change upon you,” I emphasized, my tone earnest. “We are here to work. alongside you, to listen to your needs, and to build a future that reflects the hopes and dreams of every resident of New Haven.” The crowd erupted into cheers and applause; their happiness was very clear in the warm afternoon. air. My speech had struck a chord with them, igniting a spark of hope and excitement for the future of their city. Right after I stepped away from the podium, the crowd surged forward, eager to shake my hand, offer their support, and join me in my mission to bring better improvement to New Haven. And as I looked out at the sea of smiling faces, my eyes caught someone who had taken a perfect spot in my heart- and she was standing from afar. She was also staring at me, crossing her arms. She didn’t move, as our eyes were fixed on each other, but her dark look was present. It looked like it could kill someone, but even so, I didn’t turn my face. away. Her gaze was not broken, and I kept looking in her direction. 21 MYERS FOUND YOURS Ariel took her eyes off me and walked away. I wanted to move as soon as possible, but the crowd was stopping me. They all wanted to take pictures and get into different conversations with me. I was forcefully budging through them. I wanted to speak with Ariel. She was never giving me a chance to explain myself. But this time, I needed to make things clear to her. I needed to change that thinking of hers. I needed to make her see the truth and soften her heart. Let her know that my feelings for her are now one of a kind, and I would never want to hurt her. My heart was beating faster as I pushed through the crowd, desperately trying to catch a glimpse of Ariel. I knew she would not want to listen to me, but I wanted to make things right. I couldn’t let her walk away without giving me a chance to clarify everything. I did wrong in the past, and I admit that. But she shouldn’t keep on installing all those moments within her. We had a lovely time together before all this crap took place. Making my way through the sea of people, I couldn’t spot Ariel anywhere. My eyes darted from one person to another, hoping to see her familiar face. I even asked a few people if they had seen her, but no one seemed to know where she was. Feeling frustrated, I decided to search for nearby places. I checked the parking lot, the food stalls, and even the restrooms, but she was nowhere to be found. I could just guess that she might have already left. But then, I saw her. She was standing near her car, her back facing me. I could see her shoulders tense as she reached for the door handle. Without a second thought, I called out her name, my voice filled with urgency. “Ariel!” I yelled, running towards her. She turned around, her expression still guarded. I could see the rage in her eyes, and it tore at my hearing. I stopped in front of her, trying to catch my breath. We stood there, just gazing at each other for what felt like an eternity. Her eyes were filled with so much darkness, and I did not reach out and touch her. “I’m sorry, Ariel,” I finally said, breaking the silence. “I know I’ve hurt you in the past, but I promise you, I’ve changed. But now, you have to listen to me. Please.” She didn’t say anything; she just continued to stare at me. I could see the inner battle in her eyes, and I knew I had to give her time to process everything. But I couldn’t leave without at least trying to make her understand my feelings. She needed to know how I wanted to save our children. I tried my very best to help them out of that fire. “I know you might not believe this, but I love you, Ariel. I love you. I’ve finally realized my feelings and can’t help it anymore. I’ve missed you all these days, praying every day for your return. Look, I have made tons of mistakes in the past. But I’ll make it up to you. Please don’t harden your heart for don’t be blinded by the hate. Please, Ariel.” me; Still not saying a thing, Ariel looked away, her hands gripping the door handle tightly. My heart ached at the sight, and I knew I couldn’t let her walk away from me again. “Ariel, please. You can’t just walk away from me again.” TEMVIVES FOUND VOUS 33 “Yes, I can, Lake,” she finally said, her tone hard to a certain degree. “There’s no need for you to tell me all of this. I don’t Luke. re If you now love me. That’s your problem. I came back for a purpose, And that’s revenge.” “Ariel, please.” I wanted to hold her shoulders, but she shifted back. “Don’t touch me,” she told me coldly. “I hope you’re happy now.” “Happy? Why would I be happy when the person I love is not here with me?” “You have money. You have fame. You have everything. So just keep on enjoying the moment because you don’t know what’s coming.” I looked at her for a moment. “I didn’t kill your son, okay? Why won’t you believe me?” “Enough, Luke. Enough with the lies already. You are nothing but a” I interrupted her by cupping her face and smacking her lips with mine. 212: IN YOUR IMAGINATION LUKE’S POV I couldn’t believe what just happened. Ariel had just kissed me back, but then she had pulled away and slapped me. Hard. My cheek stung from the impact, but I couldn’t blame her. No, I couldn’t. But I couldn’t let her go either. She was my wife, and I loved her. Yes, I did now, and it was something I kept on repeating because the feelings were true. I stood there still, stunned and reeling from the hard slap that Ariel had just given me. I found myself locked in a tense staring match with her. Her beautiful, ravishing eyes were filled with an intense, almost menacing glare that I had never seen before. I was at a loss for words, my mind unable to comprehend what had just happened and what was to come next. I could feel the weight of her disappointment and anger in that moment, all the thoughts revolving in her head, compounding the hate. All I could do was stare back, searching for the right words to say. But at this moment, all I could do was stand there, lost and speechless, as we both tried to come to terms with what had just transpired. And I didn’t want to admit this, but what could I do? I was completely broken. Ariel’s actions were like a constant knife digging into my heart, causing me immense pain. We stood there, neither of us uttering a word, just staring at each other. I could see the anger and resentment in her eyes, and she seemed unwilling to let go of her glare. It was a silent battle between us, and I didn’t know how to make it stop. My world was falling apart; it had already fallen apart. And this intense tension between us had everything going wrong. It was not what I had wanted or thought. I wanted to fix things and bring us together, but the complete opposite was what I was seeing here. I just hoped that we would be able to get this done, putting an end to the dispute and repairing the damage that had been done. Having wealth, money, and fame may seem like the ultimate dream, but it was a nightmare for me. Despite having all of these material possessions, I was still in pain. My world had crumbled before my eyes, with everything crashing down and sinking into darkness. What was the use of having all these when my flesh was hurting? It was a constant battle right now, and I was afraid I could be depressed at any moment, any day, any second, any minute. No amount of money or fame could heal the pain and emptiness I felt inside. Love was trying to let me down, but I was still pressing on. “Ariel, please….” “No, Luke. Do not say a word.” She kept ignoring my pleas, her eyes filled with anger. I could see the tears threatening to spill from her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. “Ariel, please listen to me,” I begged, trying to grab her arm. But she shook me off, her voice cold and distant. “Don’t you dare touch me again?”
