el

t was a clear warning, a gauntlet thrown. And in that moment, sitting alone at a table set for a multitude, I knew I had to pick it up. My curiosity was

Clara had provided a detailed map of the main living areas, but it did not include the sprawling east wing, a section of t

to Sterling's wealth, meticulously arranged, yet utterly impersonal. There were no family photographs, no signs of life beyond the pristine surfaces. It w

bedside table, the dresser, even the depths of the expansive wardrobe. Nothing. Clara must have removed it after our conversation last night. Alexande

new. He knew, or at least he suspected, how importa

timeline of the city's prominent families. I searched for the Sterling family, for any mention of a child named Alexander Sterling growing up in this residence, for any events that might correspond with my hazy childhood memories. The fall. Th

ead felt like a dead end, carefully obscured. Alexander was a m

ugh the stained glass windows of the librar

d your presence in the solarium in fifteen minutes. H

tations. But also, an opportunity. "Of course," I replie

. Sunlight poured in, creating a vibrant, almost tropical atmosphere. Alexander was already there, standing by a lar

reeted without turnin

flicker of something unreadable, a shadow. He looked... tired. Or perhaps, t

are several charity galas, a few private dinners, and the annual Sterling Corporation shareholders' luncheon. Yo

sponding expectations. I listened, nodding, my mind, however, elsewh

oldened by my frustration. "Am I permitted

largely dictated by the needs of this marriage. There will be limited opportunities for personal pu

suppress the plea in my voice. "I

lexander Sterling's wife. That requires certain... adjustments." His words were a cold,

it. The full weight of the gilded cage. He wasn't just cont

are dismissed." He turned back to the orch

arriage; it was a carefully orchestrated performance, and I was merely a prop. But as I walked away, a seed of rebellion, small but

xan

e turmoil within. Evelyn's questions at breakfast, her audacious probing into "our past," had confirmed my wo

she remembered, or how much she had been

d paper and dust. My grandfather's apartments were meticulously maintained, a reflection of his enduring influence, even in his declining years. He was the patriarch, t

He was seated in a worn armchair by a large window, gazing out at the sprawling, manicured gardens below. His silver hair was thin, his once sharp f

than I used to. He was fragile now, b

t smile touched his lips. "Alexander. My boy. You're here.

im. "Yes, Grandfather. I need

her. Never learned to truly live, did you?" He chuckled, a dry, rattling sound un

her ghost I tried to keep buried. "Grandfather, I need to know. Have

uded again. He frowned. "Miss Ha

Or genuinely unaware? "Evelyn. My wife.

oice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Ah, the new one. T

w. He had seen her. And h

e tight, "what did you tell he

ays looking forward. That's what you always said. 'No looking back, Grandfather. It slows you down." He laughed again, a fragile, unsettling sound. "But y

ed the past to the present. He had seen the resemblance. He hadn't given her de

memory, raw

d said, his voice unusually soft. "But her head... some of the memories might be a little hazy for a while." I had looked a

's important that you don't speak about these things.

outrun it forever. Not even Alexander Sterling." His eyes, for a terrifying seco

Or she did," I corrected myse

nded me of the man he once was, before age and illness began to claim him. "She was a good girl, Evi

enses, hitting a raw nerve. Laughing. That was a lu

st, a dangerous combination. He had confirmed Evelyn was Evie, at least in his mind. He h

portant meetings." I forced th

arden. "Remember, Alexander," he murmured, his v

to my core. He believed Evelyn was Evie. He was the one who could inadvertently unravel everything. I had to ensure h

confirm her suspicions. No. I needed a different approach. A more subtle one. I needed to

from her past in the ruthless CEO, her reaction would be unpredictable. And I couldn't afford unpredictability. My empire depended on it. My futu