I Don't

LL

was

ish

ace. Her phone left charging on the nightstand. Her sh

no I

or hours. Questioned st

th

itself had swa

one of them se

ally L

ver her morning tea. "That girl was always fragil

snapped. "She was scar

she finally realized what we all

ed into my skull

, Iris did feel like

id every

arting to wonder if

-

to sneak away to. A place I didn't remember-but

urnal she gave

cratched over again and again, as if I was begging

I turned

fr

in my own han

t recognize her-but I'l

gripped

I talkin

aph

ice spoke

llu

urn

saw

in ivory. The same color Iris wore

n't look broken. S

he owned the grou

asked, voice trembling j

lowly. "Y

ed. "Ser

e a dam I didn't know was hol

i

eam

lipping

agge

asy. You always got dizzy when your mem

warm. Famili

ou were dead

as. In every way

ftened. "But I ca

. Something i

rried,"

ted her head.

fr

spered. "Iris manipulated you. She forged

ad. "No. That

, perfectly timed. "She made you forget me. But I for

drained fr

d. "That ca

rward, pulling somet

age cer

igna

na

to-me and

kiss. Fireworks i

nths before Iris an

it, throat

I didn't know who the

R

lt like drow

he pillow under my head. But it wasn't comfor

ned m

vet curtains and gold fixtures. A chandelier flickered a

d to s

ists

i

s, just tight enough to bruise but not bleed.

oor o

ere sh

aph

ng my

mimic my features. Even her perfume-the jasmine

we were old frie

re aw

you want?

of this story, Iris. You were background. A servant girl with a pretty fac

aned c

ever

me. You can pretend all you want,

what a forged certificate and a few planted memories can do

ran down

"He's strong

. "You really don

walked towar

ering you. It's about maki

she opene

urnals. My sketches. My wedding ring. Even my moth

ou get these

uietly. Every piece of

me, holding the n

your name. Not Callum. Not

, her voice like ic

t the first woman

ulled

won't be

sed a button on the wall, a

. While you

The lock clicke

eamed-not

in r

knew one thi

come back

back to era

as starti

LL

quieter since

qu

ad dulled. The estate was holding it

't just Iris wh

uth ha

e me. Every detail looked real. Our signatures. Th

e me reacted the

mories didn't bring warmth. Only drea

. The blackouts. The dr

eded

om my

who had not

rrived two

carried. Rumors said he was kicked out of law enforcement

d completely unimpressed wit

onto a priceless armchair. "But I don't work

the journal

rt h

his brow furrowing. "You were

d. "Someone was setting Iris

long look. "Wha

ens

What if you uncovered something that made

I alrea

d once. "T

I wasn't supposed to go there, but Iris had

el. The locked hallwa

en I s

Sera

Ir

n skin and bones, standing barefoot

e you?"

head, eyes too

ly. "I clean the rooms no

ou seen

ze fli

red. "She just can't be s

oes tha

, like she was afr

o her apron and hand

ssed

end

it in

hem in my coat pock

Nina said. "So you'd kn

-

ed to th

ng through archived bl

ire floor that doesn't e

do you

beneath the west wing. No stairs. No ac

st

, I remember

r. Four

d like it had be

7

xpression. "You r

odd

emembered where s

an old wine rack in the cellar.

n the numbe

ock c

gears

door swu

spiraled int

led out was cold.

t his flashlig

o

nodded

tairs, every step ech

corridor. Fluorescent lights buzzed overhead.

r waited

for it, my

fore I touc

ard

ing my