What Bloomed After Goodbye Chapter 08
Without Caleb backing them, Robert drowned in gambling debt. Brandon’s bad investments left him owing a fortune. Creditors showed up every day.
They trashed the place, threatening to break their legs if they didn’t pay.
Robert and Brandon were too scared to go home. They just hid.
At first, they tried calling Mira. Nothing. Messages sent, no reply.
They even thought about going to Francia to find her, but they couldn’t afford a flight.
With no way out, the two of them ended up begging under an overpass.
To get more cash, they wrapped their legs in cloth, faked injuries, and crawled around begging.
By day, they played miserably for spare change. At night, they hid under the bridge, living off scraps, always watching for creditors.
The same Robert and Brandon who once acted above everyone-who made Mira give up her happiness-
were now worse off than strays.
No one to blame but themselves.
***
Three years flew by.
Mira’s name blew up in the global fashion scene.
She went from working in Pierre’s studio to launching her own brand.
Her style was clean and sharp-soft, but with an edge.
The second it hit Parisse Fashion Week, it stole the spotlight.
Celebs, socialites, supermodels-everyone wanted to wear her.
She landed on major magazine covers, doing interviews with international media-calm, glowing.
The insecure girl weighed down by her family? Gone.
Now she stood on her own.
She had her own apartment and studio in Parisse.
And next to her-a steady, gentle man.
Lucien Lloyd.
Like her, he came from Arlencia. An investor in fashion and the arts.
He admired her talent, cared about her past.
He respected every choice she made. Never pushed.
Just stayed quiet and showed up when she needed him.
He never said sweet stuff, but he remembered everything she liked.
Late nights? He showed up with hot coffee.
After every runway show, he put white roses in her hands.
He gave her security. No flirting. No crossed lines. No “female friends.”
The ice around Mira’s heart started to melt.
She finally got it-real love isn’t about shrinking yourself.
It’s respect. It’s meeting each other halfway.
One night, under a sky full of stars, by the Seyna River, Lucien spoke.
“Mira Massey, from now on, I’m with you.”
Tears filled her eyes. She nodded.
This time, she wasn’t wearing a wedding dress that tied her down-just carrying her own light, her own
happiness.
When the news hit Arlencia, Caleb lost it.
In the past three years, his life crashed hard.
After the wedding scandal, the Gorman business tanked. Partners pulled out. Shareholders bailed.
His dad’s health gave out. The company landed in his hands-but he couldn’t keep it afloat.
He couldn’t focus anyway. His head was stuck on Mira.
He flew to Parisse over and over, standing outside her studio, watching from a distance-crowds around her, her walking next to Lucien, that soft smile on her face.
He’d never seen her like that.
He wanted to go up to her. Apologize. Beg her to come back.
Every time, security shut him down.
Mira saw him once.
At a fashion gala, Caleb pushed his way in, grabbed her wrist, voice rough.
“Mira, come back with me. I know I messed up. I’ve really changed…”
