TER

EXA

arity board meeting, and by the time we arrived at the ho

ed when I entered her private r

a behind me, and h

leanor w

on didn't change.

h other?" I asked, l

hly. But Eleanor was staring

ndmother said. "You're suppos

finished. "I wa

eping faster. A nurse rushed

. Mrs. Sterli

bbed Sophia's arm. "W

ecognizes me from t

s impo

a pulled free. "She remembers. Which means she

my own c

her voice was sharp. "When she told you I was beneath your family, you believed her.

sick. "I need t

tell you

'll mak

nurse tried to protest, but one

re closed, but I

o to Sophia?" I

what you're

pposed to be dead.' So tell me what happ

ld. "If you're having dreams

pieces. Sophia in a hospital. You saying terrible things at dinner. Her face wh

or's voice was matter-of-fact. "She was wea

e it, or made

ow. You haven't married her. T

ward. "Why do you remember? Why do

ly. "Some mistakes echo across

did yo

way. "Get ou

il you t

id ge

rushed back in with a doctor this time, an

e wall, arms crossed. "Did sh

ated me. Made me think yo

u belie

h my hair. "I need to know everything. Ev

pologize for thing

o I was. Who I might be

a long moment. "You

es

he started walking towa

d of place Eleanor would have been horrified to see me

," I

e first, making me wa

aised on fairy tales could want. You pursued me for three months before asking

as

hollow. "Turns out what you wanted was my mother's

Victo

erything I wasn't allowed to be. You said it was platonic. Maybe i

twist in my chest

isn't the right word. Satisfied, maybe. Like I'd fulfilled a contract requirement. But when I miscarr

s Chr

. You came home that night and asked if I was okay. I said yes because I didn't know how to say no to

sor

you didn't do. It makes you f

do you wa

Absolutely

one. Victoria: "Where are yo

lenc

ophia said. "Your

. I'm not done

not here to absolve you or help you become a better

can

y n

more present than I had in months. Because the broken woman in my dreams was nothi

I'm supposed to s

nd bitter. "I already s

rove you won't

orward. "You can't prove a negative, Alexander. You can't prove you won't become

nor? With Victoria? With ever

me him anyway? What if it's not th

cal blow. "You really thin

o. Who's never had to choose between what you want an

ha

her. Wher

trip. Sing

r collapsed. Rushed back from a meeting." Sophia's

h the Zhao Group. High-sta

y launder money for triads. You

you kn

ng Hotels for three years before he finally confessed. It destroyed him

It went to

ather's security team on the lin

this is

trust me

certainty in her eyes. A

ather out of the Zhao Group meeting. I d

al is worth f

care. Get

already standing, thro

are you

ve fast. The people he's meeting with don't like b

ou know a

for the first time, I saw r

nder. When he tried to back out of the deal, they sent a message. T

ran col

like an accident." Sophia's voice wa