Love, Lost & Found - Clean Second Chance Romance

She walked away from love. Now fate is walking her straight back to him.

Six years ago, Kelsey Warren made an impossible choice—breaking off her engagement to the man she loved, Dr. Derrick Langston. At the time, she convinced herself it was for the best, but regret has followed her ever since. She buried herself in work, raising her two daughters, and accepted that some love stories don't get a second chance.

Until now.

At her best friend's wedding, Kelsey is forced to confront the one man she's spent years avoiding. Derrick isn't just another guest—he's the best man. And worse, she'll be walking down the aisle beside him.

For Derrick, seeing Kelsey again is like reopening an old wound. He thought time had dulled the pain of losing her, but one look into her eyes proves otherwise. She's changed—stronger, more guarded—but the spark between them is still there. So is the heartbreak.

Life has moved on, but what if their love never did? With emotions running high and the past refusing to stay buried, Kelsey and Derrick must decide: will they finally fight for what they lost, or walk away forever?

Broken glass crunched under Derrick Langston’s cowboy boots as he cautiously navigated the debris-strewn alley, approaching the cracked window of the abandoned building. His fingers tightened around the strap of the 35mm camera slung over his shoulder, his breath held as if even the slightest noise might betray him. Angry voices echoed through the shattered glass, carrying from inside the darkened building. Derrick pressed himself flat against the cold, red brick wall, silently praying he could complete his mission today without being discovered.

His heart pounded so hard, the rapid thudding amplified in his ears, while adrenaline surged through his veins like a live wire. Slowly, he lifted his head to peer through the broken, grimy window. Inside, shadows flickered across the walls, but soon his focus sharpened on three men standing around a small table, oblivious to his presence.

Derrick exhaled softly, wondering—not for the first time—why he had gotten himself into this mess. An orthopedic surgeon by profession, he had always been drawn to photography as a creative outlet. But this time, he might have let that passion pull him too far into dangerous territory.

Derrick hadn’t planned on getting involved in anything shady today. His only goal was to snap a few photos of the dilapidated building for a contest the Sun Post was hosting. The winner would not only see their work featured in the paper but also have a write-up on the story behind the image. For Derrick, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to promote both his budding photography hobby and his new orthopedic practice.

But things took a strange turn this morning. As he was lining up shots of the rundown structure, he noticed three men entering the building—men who clearly didn’t belong in a place like this, especially not in their sharp, expensive three-piece suits. Derrick’s instincts kicked in, telling him something wasn’t right. Instead of walking away, he decided to stick around, quietly observing. If anything suspicious went down, he wanted to be ready to inform the police.

Carefully edging closer to the cracked window, Derrick pulled out a small voice recorder from his jacket pocket and pressed the red button. He wasn’t sure what was happening, but he intended to be prepared.

Inside, the burly man in the gray business suit slapped a three-by-five photo onto the table. His voice was a low growl, filled with intent. “Congressman James McCoy must not be reelected.”

The other two men leaned in, scrutinizing the photo. Derrick’s pulse quickened as he watched from the shadows. Whatever this meeting was, it wasn’t just business. It was something far more dangerous.

“If McCoy gets reelected, our business here will end.” The burly guy shook his head. “San Diego has been prosperous for us, and the boss doesn’t like being told where to live.”

A thin man with beady eyes straightened and crossed his arms over his chest. “Who should be elected then?”

“Roberts. He has the police in the palm of his hand. Jack can control him.” Derrick noticed what appeared to be a snake tattoo on the burly man, as he stretched his neck to scratch behind his ear.

The short and squatty third man nodded. “What does the boss want us to do? We have tried everything to get McCoy to stop running for Congress. The man is invincible. He doesn’t cower.”

Burly reached into his suit jacket and withdrew a shiny silver Glock. Derrick inhaled sharply as his heartbeat hammered faster. He’d been wise to trust his gut feeling. But now, things had gotten very serious… and dangerous.

“The boss wants us to dispose of him any way we can,” the beefy man explained. The other two nodded. “With no trails.”

Derrick gnashed his teeth, his pulse quickening. The election was just six weeks away. If what he overheard was any indication, Congressman McCoy was in serious danger—and if Derrick didn’t act, things could spiral out of control. But what proof did he have? A few words? Nothing solid enough to go to the authorities.

He dropped his gaze to the camera slung around his neck. There was only one option. He would have to take the risk and capture whatever he could to expose the plot—and potentially save a man’s life.

Moving with deliberate caution, Derrick lifted the camera, his fingers trembling slightly as he flicked off the flash. Slowly, he pointed the lens through the grimy window, careful not to make any noise. He steadied his breath, knowing this could be the one shot that made all the difference. The one that might stop a conspiracy in its tracks.

Click, click. Seconds ticked by slowly, but the men didn’t turn in his direction.

Good sign.

Derrick snapped a few more quick shots, his heart pounding in rhythm with each shutter click. A brief sense of relief washed over him—he was getting what he needed. But as he exhaled, his finger brushed against the camera, and before he could stop it, the flash activated.

A sudden burst of light streaked through the darkened warehouse like lightning piercing a stormy sky. In that split second, the entire room was illuminated.

Derrick’s stomach dropped. All three men froze, their heads whipping toward the window, eyes locking onto him with predatory intensity.

The beefy man pointed to the window. “Get him!”