Watching Victoria smile so brightly from across the parking lot as she speaks to what he assumes to be a client of hers makes Miles tilt his head with intrigue. The way she beams with a light that she didn't seem to have before made him want to watch her every minute of the day. 

It was already hard enough to find information on her once she had graduated from college. The city was big enough to keep her hidden in plain sight until that one day fate so happened to cross paths with him. 

The flyer on the window of a random bridal boutique listed Victoria's name as one of the featured wedding planners for a bridal exhibit coming up in the next month, catching his attention as he walked down the city streets on the way to a coffee shop.

Once he knew she was a wedding planner, all it took was a quick Google search and things were finally falling into place. Soon it would be no more looking at old photos and daydreaming about having her all to himself again. No, now that he knew how to find her, it was only a matter of time until he made her his again.

Waving goodbye to the young woman Victoria was just talking with, Miles watches her scurry across the parking lot with the wind tousling her hair until she reaches her vehicle and begins to drive away. Following her down the busy city streets, he's sure to keep a couple of car lengths back so that she doesn't happen to recognize him or the black sedan he's driving. 

It had been two days since he showed up at her office in an attempt to make amends but Victoria had yet to contact him, which only irritated him further. Why was she playing hard to get? She hadn't been around Taehyung once in all of the times he's been keeping an eye on her so obviously she was lying about being in a relationship with him now. And the little girl he sees her pick up from school, Anabelle or Isabelle, whatever her name is, as he stays parked across the street kind of favored him but looked too much like Victoria to really be sure. 

His hands grip tighter onto the steering wheel as he clenches his jaw while he watches her park her vehicle and stroll around to the back of her trunk, struggling with getting her bags before walking back into the company building. It was so hard for him to not take her as his right then and there, using all of his willpower to stay incognito so that he can keep an eye on her a little longer.

He knows her and her heart and that was one of her weaknesses. She may be holding off on calling him right away but soon he would be getting that phone call. After all, he knew she'd want what's best for her daughter and what's better than having her supposed father around?

Reaching his apartment after another successful day of learning her routine, he tosses his keys onto the coffee table cluttered with old mail, empty beer cans, and food containers as he sat down in the dimly lit living room. His back rests against the couch as he pulls out a mirror, a small container, a razor blade, and a one-dollar bill from underneath the piece of furniture.

Pouring out the cocaine from the little container onto the mirror in front of him, he scrapes the drug into a small line with the razor before rolling the dollar bill into the shape of a tube and snorting the line. With his eyes closed, he lets the narcotic overtake his body as he envisions being intimate with the woman that's rightfully his.

Searching through the coffee table drawer, he pulls out the old digital camera that Victoria had accidentally left behind all of those years ago and plays back an old video of Victoria laid across his bed in nothing but her college T-shirt, smiling shyly as Miles tries to get her to pull it up. With a teasing smirk, she slowly starts to raise it up before pulling it back down with a playful giggle just as the video cuts off.

"Always such a tease." He chuckles as he goes to the next video of her.

The video starts off with her dancing with one of her friends at one of the many college parties they used to attend. Her long hair swings just above her denim-covered ass, the skin of her lower back showing as she raises up her arms. 

In the background, he notices Taehyung sitting down on a couch staring at her as he takes a sip from a red solo cup. A wide grin is plastered across his face as Victoria shouts something at Taehyung that can't be heard over the music playing loudly and she walks over to him, pulling him up to make him join her and her friend in the activities. The video cuts off as the girl that's recording turns the camera towards her face instead with raised eyebrows and a smile.

"I can't stand that son of a bitch." Miles grunts as he scrolls through the camera roll to look at all of the pictures Victoria had taken of the two of them when they were together and some with the girls she had befriended.

An entire section of the photo gallery seems to be dedicated to photos of her and Taehyung. Most of them were goofy-looking photos or just posed pictures in front of specific landmarks. Some were taken with each other's families and some were even prior to college altogether. For a moment, Miles considers deleting them as the simple sight of Kim Taehyung even in her life makes his blood boil. His thumb hovers over the button for the little trash icon but decides to keep them as he figured he could just crop him out when he gets them printed later on to join the rest of the photos he has in his collection.

Taehyung was supposedly still in her life but why hadn't he seen him around then? Scoffing, he shakes his head and leans up to snort another line of cocaine off of the square mirror, "He can't be all that great."

☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾

Checking the time on my phone, I quickly close out all of the programs on my computer and rush to grab my jacket and purse. If I didn't leave now, I would get caught in traffic and be late to pick up Isabelle from school.

Seeing me rushing down the hall to the elevator, Jane holds it open for me and I thank her profusely as I try to catch my breath and she assists me with pulling my hair out from underneath the neckline of my jacket.

"When does Mr. Kim come back?" She asks, making small conversation on the way to the parking garage.

Exhaling to calm down from my running, I look over at her with a smile, "Tomorrow is his last full day so he'll be home soon."

"Have you told him about your creepy baby daddy coming back around?" She steps aside to allow me to walk out into the parking garage before her.

Nodding as I look back at her, I readjust my purse on my shoulder, "I did. He asked that I don't contact Miles until he gets back in town, just to be on the safe side."

"I definitely agree with that. Have you seen him since then?" Jane looks worried as I walk next to her towards our waiting cars parked next to each other in the almost empty garage.

"Thankfully, no. He hasn't shown up and I never gave him my number so it's not like he could call me. Honestly, I'm not even sure if I want him in Izzy's life. He's been gone for so long and I just don't trust that he would come back and not leave her again. It's hard enough with her starting to ask questions about him now. I don't know if I could mend her broken heart if he abandoned her again." My eyebrows furrow as I look back at Jane after setting my purse inside of my car.

Wrapping me up in a hug, she pats my back before pulling away to look at me, "You know what's best for her at the end of the day. Not to mention, she's not missing out. She has Mr. Kim in her life and he seems like a great dad."

Dad.

I can just imagine Taehyung with his own little bundle of joy if he's been this amazing with Izzy. His heart would be filled with so much love, I'd be scared it would burst! Picturing him holding our newborn son or daughter in his arms as I watch him sway and sing them to sleep in the hospital room just as he used to do with Izzy brings an instant smile to my face.

"He's an amazing father figure," I respond with a dreamy look on my face, "I have to get going but drive home safely, okay?"

"Good night, Miss James." Jane states with a wave before I give her a look of disapproval, "Good night, Ria." She quickly corrects herself with a chuckle.

The more I get to know Jane, the more I like her. She seems to always have good intentions and I find it very easy these days to talk to her. With her being such a hopeless romantic, I wonder why she hasn't settled down herself. Maybe I'll ask her one of these days or try to play matchmaker if I can find anyone I think would be a good fit.

Slowly driving down to the other end of the parking garage, I notice my boss's vehicle and two other ones I see regularly. I don't see the black sedan that I assume must be an employee with how often it's been around over the last few days. Maybe they went home earlier than usual today.

Waving goodbye to the security guard on the bottom level, I turn in the direction of Izzy's school when I hear my phone ringing through the Bluetooth of my car. The name on the screen makes my heart beat at an uneven pace as I press accept.

"Hey, baby! I miss you! I will need a lunch date A.S.A.P. when you get back." I immediately croon as I answer his call.

"I miss you too, baby. I can't wait to get back home. How was work today?" Taehyung asks as I hear voices speaking amongst one another in the background.

Shrugging as if he can see me, I glance back before turning on my blinker and switching lanes, "It was okay, I guess. I got a lot done. Hoping I can be all caught up so I can focus all of my attention on you and Izzy when you get home in just two more days. How's life in Miami today?"

He grunts in annoyance, "More meetings and conversations that I have to fake like I'm interested in. Oh, and before she gets mad at me, Chasity wanted me to tell you hello. Hold on, let me hand her the phone."

"Hey, Ria!" Chasity almost sings into the receiver.

"Hey, Chasity. I take it you're liking Miami much better than my boyfriend is." I giggle at her exasperated sigh.

"He's such a stick in the mud. It's not that bad when you get done with the boring stuff, but I think he'd just rather be home with his girls. He's been moping around here like his days will never end."

"Have not!" Taehyung shouts in the background, "Okay, just a little bit."

"Maybe you and I could have lunch together one day when Taehyung can't join me," I suggest as I take the exit I needed to get to my daughter's school.

"Oh, I'd love that! I could use more friends. I mean, no offense to your man and all." Chasity whispers, "It was nice talking to you. Here's Taehyung again."

"See ya!" I smile as I hear her hand him back his phone and him groaning about taking too long.

"Just two more days, jagiya." He sweetly says as he gets back on the phone. "Where's my baby girl? I miss her so much!"

"I'm on my way to get her now. I'm not far from her school." Turning my car onto the small road, I can see her preschool off in the distance while some of the kids play in the park across the street. Looking at all of the kids, I search for my child until I see her pigtails sitting on the curb while she talks to the little girl she often stays the night with, "What time do you land again?"

"Not until three in the afternoon." Taehyung states and I wave at Izzy as she excitedly stands up when she sees me.

"I'll get Izzy from school and I'll leave work early to get you." 

"No, don't get her first. I want to surprise her at school." He quickly says, hearing the sound of the kids in the background, knowing she'll be getting in the car soon.

"Okay, I won't say anything to her either. Shh, she's about to get in the car. She'll love that you're on the phone."

Hearing him chuckle, he puts his phone on mute so that there's no sound in the car as he listens intently for the sound of her little voice so he can surprise her as we had spontaneously planned. 

Opening my door, I wave hello to her teacher and wrap her up in a hug as she starts prattling off everything she did at school and telling me how she drew me a picture and drew a special picture for Tae Tae for when he gets back. It's been a hard few days for her not having him around so I've been suggesting that she do little things for him that he may like such as drawing pictures or making little craft projects to give him when he gets back. Just the fact that he's been gone for a short amount of time but we both miss him so much lets me know that I made the right choice when I confessed my feelings for him.

After she's all buckled up, I hop back in the driver's seat and buckle up myself as I ease my way down to the exit within the long line of cars all there to pick up their children as well. Izzy continues to carry on and on about her day and I'm just listening with a smile as I wait for Taehyung to say something to her.

"Mommy? How many days until Tae Tae comes back? Can we go to a restaurant with him?" She asks and I just know Taehyung will take that as his cue to say something.

"What restaurant do you want to go to, princess?" 

"Tae Tae!" She shouts joyfully but I suddenly hear her crying and look back to see her wiping some tears from her cheek and sniffles, "Come home." She whines through a small break in her voice.

My bottom lip pokes out as I watch her get very emotional over him not being home. It must feel like an eternity in her little world.

"Don't cry, Izzy. I'll be home soon and I'll spend as much time with you as possible, okay?" Taehyung tries to calm her down the best he can over the phone.

"Okay," She sniffles a few more times, "I want Mexican food."

Chuckling at her circling back around to the idea of going out to eat, he quickly responds, "Mexican food it is. I have to get back to work now. I love you both so so so much!"

"I love you, too, baby," I smile as I look in my rearview mirror.

"I love you, Tae Tae!" Izzy shouts from the back seat.

"I'll FaceTime you tonight. Drive safe, please, and remember to call me if needed." He states firmly and I know he's referring to Miles.

"I promise. Have fun!" I giggle as I turn into our apartment complex's parking lot.

"Very funny. Bye, jagiya." He chuckles and I hear the noise of other people getting louder, letting me know he must be walking into his next meeting.

"Bye, babe." I press the end call button and pull into one of the open parking spaces.

Looking back, I see a similar-looking black sedan and furrow my brow. I hadn't seen that car around my apartment complex before and it looks like it could be the same model as the one I see at work lately. A weird feeling washes over me as I feel the urge to get Izzy and myself inside as soon as possible. I don't see anyone in that car or around us and although I don't have any reason to suspect anything right now, I had ignored my gut feeling too many times in the past and regretted it. 

I could just be paranoid at the moment but I'd rather be safe than sorry. What are the odds that I would all of the sudden take notice of this particular type of vehicle?

Something just isn't feeling right.