Victoria was throwing a frightened woman and her little girl out of the house when Ethan suddenly walked in.

My hands shake so hard I can barely hold the doorframe.

Victoria stands before me, her face twisted with a rage I know all too well. Seven years. Seven years of hiding. Seven years of dreaming of this moment.

"Get out of this house right now!" she screams.

Her voice slices through me like a knife. But I don't flinch. Not this time. I've already lost everything once. I won't lose again.

"Please," I beg, my voice cracking. "I only need my daughter to be safe."

Victoria laughs—a sharp, bitter sound that makes my blood run cold.

"You have no right to be here!" she hisses, stepping closer. "You lost that right years ago."

"She is innocent." My voice comes out stronger now. "Please, just listen to me!"

Heavy footsteps echo from inside the house.

My heart stops.

I know that walk. I'd know it anywhere.

Ethan appears in the doorway, his handsome face etched with confusion. He looks older than I remember. Tired. But still the man I once loved more than life itself.

"What is happening in my house?" he asks, his eyes moving between Victoria and me.

Victoria's entire demeanor shifts in an instant. The rage vanishes, replaced by a sweet, practiced smile. She reaches for his arm.

"Nothing, darling," she purrs. "I'm simply dealing with the new help. She seems confused about her position."

New help.

The words burn like acid in my throat.

I look past her, straight into Ethan's eyes—the eyes I've dreamed of every night for seven years.

"Ethan..." My voice trembles. "She's your daughter."

The words hang in the air between us.

Ethan freezes. His face goes pale.

"What did you just say?"

Victoria's smile shatters. She spins toward me, her eyes blazing with fury.

"She's lying to you, Ethan!" she shouts. "She's just some crazy woman who—"

A small voice cuts through the chaos.

"Daddy!"

Lily runs from the hallway behind them, her little feet pattering on the marble floor. She's beautiful. So beautiful it hurts to look at her. My baby. My little girl. All grown up.

She skids to a stop when she sees me, her big eyes wide with curiosity.

Ethan stares at her, then back at me. His breathing has turned shallow.

"Elena..." He says my name like he's testing it, like he can't believe I'm real. "Is this true?"

I nod, tears finally spilling down my cheeks.

"Victoria threatened us seven years ago," I tell him, my voice breaking. "She took Lily away and made me disappear. She told me if I ever came back, she'd kill us both."

"Stop this right now!" Victoria screams, lunging toward me.

Ethan moves faster. He steps between us, shielding Lily and me from his wife.

"Stay away from them, Victoria!" he roars.

I've never heard him sound like that. Never seen him look so dangerous.

Victoria stares at him, her mouth open in shock.

"Ethan, don't let her destroy our family!" she pleads, reaching for him.