uspended like time itself. Amara stared at the painting in her lap, her finge

the paint

down to the slope of his jaw, the arch of his brow, and tho

inting was

possible?"

aline. She painted it when she was just nineteen." She hesitated, voice softening. "S

d up. "She

omantic ghost tale, but... there was something about her. She n

Amara's spine. "Wha

ursed by time. That fate had torn them apart in one life,

wn at the portrait.

. "I believe love is stronger than de

easy. When it did, the dream

es along the walls. Her velvet gown was heavy and embroidered with ros

e sound, heart pound

nti

across his chest, a silver ring on his finger. He t

" he said,

as her

hat

leave me?"

heek. "I never did. You were ta

"I- I don'

u w

ard. His lips

d. "Say I love you...

ned her

aw

a drumbeat of another time. She clutched her chest, t

son

ke

ise

nti

d began to draw. Her hand moved like it remembered on its own-every line, every curve, u

nct. Muscle memory from a life

ne buzzed with a message fr

te review of your portfolio. Plea

omach

equest her spec

s he remembered

this time, and when the doors

ndow again, arms f

ide slowly. "You

s low. "Clos

e

turn to

ing," he said. "And I nee

ka

e met b

n hit her l

how to lie. "N

ply, eyes lock

just recognition. Fea

m of me,"

me thing every time. 'Say I l

said that line in my dreams since I was a child. I d

oser. "I think

ssion harde

at was my name

and poured himself a glass of

reams," he said. "I was afraid the

t. "You're not haunte

... If we really were lovers in ano

hink we were meant to

like something is watching us? Like

zzed across the room. Le

"My security team just f

ha

ng you since yesterday. A b

blood

someone f

es. "That's what I

nd family history. Something about Amara stirred memories he couldn't place-li

ox labeled Leonti

. Faded with age. S

er again... beware the

t so will the one w