Debra's POV
The woman staring back at me in the mirror was nothing like the girl Tony had left behind.
I ran my hands over the sleek black dress that was the ideal fit for my contours. My dark hair fell over my shoulders, and my makeup was perfect.
Assured. Strong. Untouchable.
I had become into that.
Rebuilding myself from the ashes of my past had taken years.
I had pushed myself into my profession after leaving Tony's world, pushing myself to the very limit and beyond all expectations. I was now the CEO of a thriving fashion empire and a well-respected businesswoman.
The weak helper Tony had earlier thrown away was no longer visible.
Debra Carter was spotted.
Accomplished. fierce. In command.
Beneath everything, though, was one secret I continued to conceal.
I walked into my bedroom, where the most valuable part of my life was sound asleep, and turned away from the mirror.
Liam.
As I looked at my son, my heart tightened.
He was everything to me when I was only four years old.
With his favorite stuffed bear in his tiny palm, his serene face was framed by his dark locks. He resembled him a lot.
Tony's gaze. Tony's powerful jaw.
But he would never be known to Liam.
That's what I'd promised myself.
Power was Tony's preference over me. I had been instantly devastated by him. He had dismissed me as if I were unimportant.
And I would never allow him to harm our son in the same way.
I bent over and gave Liam's forehead a gentle kiss.
"Mommy loves you," I whispered.
After giving it a final look, I picked up my clutch and left the room.
It was a big night.
It was the year's biggest charity event. I would be there together with all the other powerful people in the city.
And I was not going to be shaken by anything.
The sound of live music, glass clinking, and laughter filled the huge ballroom.
With my heels clicking on the gleaming marble floor, I entered the foyer. Whispers trailed behind me as eyes turned toward me.
From the girl who had once hid in the shadows, I had come a long way.
"Debra!" Lisa showed up next to me, smiling. "You look amazing."
I smile. "You do, too."
Lisa lowered her voice and leaned forward. "Are you prepared to do this?"
I scowled. "What are you ready for?"
She paused, then let out a sigh. "This is Tony."
Despite my stomach churning, I maintained a bland expression.
He was, of course.
His world was this.
It didn't matter, though. I was no longer that girl who was devastated.
Lisa looked at me. "Are you alright?"
I raised my chin. "I'm doing fine."
Lisa smile. "That's my girl."
I greeted prominent guests and spoke with them about business agreements as the evening wore on.
It was going well.
Until I sensed it.
A presence.
A familiar look pierced me.
I turned slowly.
My breath caught.
Tony.
Dressed in a sharp black suit, he towered over the room.
Shock flashed across his face as his eyes met mine.
Time seemed to stop for me.
His face was as hard and crisp as I remembered. His expression, however, was different. Something I was unable to pinpoint.
Feeling guilty?
I made myself take a breath.
He is irrelevant.
Lisa took hold of my arm. "Debra"
"I'm all right," I responded, gritting my teeth.
Refusing to acknowledge him, I turned away.
However, I felt in my heart that this was only the beginning.
Because a door I had vowed to keep closed had just been unsealed by fate.
I turned my back on Tony and forced myself to look past his piercing eyes, but my heart was racing.
I had been preparing for this moment—for the possibility that we may meet paths once more—for years.
I couldn't allow him to see the tempest brewing inside of me now that it had happened.
I inhaled deeply, snatched a glass of champagne from a waiter who was walking by, and approached a small group of business associates, beaming at them.
Lisa was right behind me, keeping a wary eye on me.
"Debra, are you sure you're okay?" She said something under her breath.
I raised the glass to my lips and nodded. "I'm fine."
It was a falsehood.
He was still observing me, I sensed.
Then all of a sudden—
"Debra."
There was something mysterious in his voice, and it was deeper than I remembered.
My fingers clenched around my champagne flute as I froze.
I briefly considered turning away and acting as though I hadn't heard him.
But he would gain power from that. I also wouldn't give him anything.
I turned, then.
Slowly, carefully.
My breath paused for a moment as our eyes locked.
He's a jerk.
I used to feel like the most significant lady in the world because of those piercing, black eyes. Damn those eyes.
Now, though?
They merely served to remind me of the suffering he had inflicted.
I raised an eyebrow, my face unreadable and icy. "Tony."
He clenched his jaw. "You see—" He paused, his eyes moving over me. "Different."
I smile. "I ought to. Years have passed.
He made a small line with his lips. "Is it possible for us to speak?"
I pretended to think as I cocked my head. "Speak?" I chuckled. The fact that you didn't say much when you left me makes that intriguing.
His face grew serious. "Debra—"
"No," I interrupted him, sounding harsher than I meant to. "There is nothing we can say to one another."
His fingers encircled my wrist as I turned to walk away.
My arm felt warm and familiar, but I pushed it away as soon as it appeared.
His voice was gentler this time as he said, "Please." "Just a short while."
My heart pounded in my chest as I wrenched my hand free.
"No," I firmly answered. "A long time ago, you lost the right to make any demands of me."
With my head held high, I pivoted on my heel and left.
I wouldn't allow him to see the fissures that were developing beneath my flawlessly polished surface.
Because if I did
I doubted that I would make it through.
I had to breathe.
Suddenly, the ballroom felt too cramped and stuffy.
Lisa was calling my name, but I could hardly hear it as I pushed through the crowd.
I arrived at the terrace and stepped out into the refreshing night air. I took a deep breath and tried to calm my beating heart by holding onto the railing with my hands.
Why was I still so affected by seeing him?
Why did he still have this hold on me after everything, after all these years?
I heard footsteps behind me.
I knew who it was without turning.
Gazing at the city lights, I whispered, "I told you, I have nothing to say to you."
Tony let out a sigh. "Debra, you can tell yourself as many lies as you like. However, I am familiar with you.
I tensed up.
No, you don't. No longer.
The woman I used to be? The naive, love-struck girl who believed in happily-ever-afters?
She had left.
My eyes were icy as I turned to look at him. "Tony, you no longer know who I am. You made sure of that when you threw me away."
Pain flared in his gaze. "I never wanted to hurt you."
I laughed bitterly. "Could've fooled me."
Silence stretched between us.
Finally, he went closer, his voice low. "I regret everything, Debra."
I took a deep breath.
I wanted to believe him.
I wanted to scream at him, demand why he had damaged us.
However, I was unable to.
Because it was all irrelevant now.
I erect my shoulders. "Well done," I replied as I turned to go.
However, before I could leave—
FLASH!
There was the sound of a camera shutter, then distant whispers.
I quickly turned to see two photographers standing at the edge of the terrace, staring at us with their cameras.
I felt sick to my stomach.
With her phone in hand, Lisa hurried over to me. Her face was pallid.
"Debra," she gasped, shoving the screen toward me.
And there it was.
A headline.
An image of Tony and I standing side by side, our tensions high.
"Lovers reunited? "An Intimate Moment at the Gala with Billionaire Tony Sterling and Mysterious Beauty"
The blood in my face started to run out.
My life was about to be rocked back by the past, which I had worked so hard to bury.
Worse?
Someone would be able to make the connection quickly.
To acknowledge Liam's existence.
To acknowledge his status as Tony's son.
Tony's voice was low as he stepped closer. "Debra, what are you concealing?"
I tried to maintain a neutral expression.
"Nothing," I said in a whisper.
However, panic gnawed at my chest from deep within.
For if Tony learned about our son...
Everything would be different.
Forever.