Three Years Later, He Came Back Begging novel Chapter 1

Three years had passed. The next time Bonnie White laid eyes on Lawrence Lane was at a blind date dinner.

The Hidden Grove was Cabinda’s only Michelin-recommended restaurant. Everything inside looked expensive and elegant, from the gorgeous decor to the way every dish was arranged on the plates. Still, even with all that polish, the air was thick with the warm, spicy smell of chili peppers.

Bonnie never ate spicy food and hadn’t taken a single bite. All she had in front of her was the complimentary appetizer—just one cloud leg ham mooncake, with a small bite missing.

Her date was the total opposite. He was digging into the food with real enthusiasm, chewing, talking a mile a minute. He kept trying to get Bonnie to taste something. “It’s really not that spicy, I swear.”

Bonnie barely reacted. Her expression stayed distant. She didn’t say much. She only nodded and used her chopsticks to grab some plain shreds of radish from the top of a nearby dish, careful to avoid any hint of chili oil.

That’s when she looked up and saw Lawrence. He was holding a little boy, walking side by side with Hannah. They were laughing together and chatting as if nothing else existed. At one point, Hannah reached for Lawrence’s arm, but just as she tried, he shifted to adjust the child and she missed. The way they moved together was so natural and easy—like a real family.

Lawrence seemed colder and more reserved than he used to be. Back when they’d been together, he always felt a little bit distant, but now there was something unshakable about him. Hannah was still tall and graceful, the kind of woman everyone noticed.

Their son was already so big now. The child in Lawrence’s arms was a cute little boy, fair-skinned with sweet features. Bonnie thought he looked more like Hannah.

Three years ago, when Lawrence dumped her, it had felt like falling off a cliff. The pain dragged on for so long she couldn’t even remember exactly when it faded. But she was certain she’d moved on. Nobody in their right mind would still be hung up on an ex from three years ago.

Especially not an ex who had used her as a prop in the messy drama of his love life. Not an ex who cheated, who had a whole child with someone else while pretending she was the one.

Bonnie blinked, her eyes stinging under the harsh restaurant lights. She wanted to look away and act like she hadn’t seen anything, but it was too late. Lawrence’s sharp gaze swept over and landed on her. He froze for a moment.

The child squirmed in Lawrence’s arms and whined, “Daddy, that hurts.”

Lawrence’s hand in his pocket had curled into a fist. Bonnie noticed the muscles in the arm Hannah was holding clench even tighter. All the while, he couldn’t seem to look away from Bonnie’s cool, stubborn face. He just pressed his lips together and stayed silent.

The tension was impossible to miss.

Bonnie’s date felt it too. He quickly wiped his mouth and tried to cut the awkwardness. “Are you friends of Bonnie’s? I’m her blind date. Maybe… you want to join us for a bite?”

Hannah gave a short, polite laugh and shook her head. “Oh, so this is a blind date. We’ll leave you two alone, then. Lawrence, come on. Jasper’s hungry.”

Lawrence nodded, gently pulled his arm out of Hannah’s hold, and picked up Jasper again. As they walked past Bonnie, she caught a subtle whiff of cologne lingering in the air.