ship was a lie from a conversati
areer, hadn't lost his memory. It was all a long con to steal my life's
she publicly humiliated me, burned my arm wit
o an icy shower w
down while doctors drew my blood and s
that destroyed my c
ning me into a prisoner in his m
orgot wh
reclaimed my secret identity as th
at would bring their empire
pte
ena
ship was a lie from a conversati
r, just a crack, but their voices sliced thro
thing?" That was Carina Sparks. A v
spered promises in my ear every night, was confident, dismissive.
nd suffocating, began
Carina pressed, her tone sharpening. "Morrison Dynamics is banki
s launched, she'll be irrelevant. I'll make sure the press release is per
Ath
internet, no cell service. She won't hear a thing about our wedding or
the glacial chill of betrayal. The warmth of the
bed through my chest. It was like my heart had been se
e cold wall of the hallway with a soft thud, the im
unshed tears blurring the orn
, a blur of black metal spinning towards the cliff's edge. I didn't think. I just ac
gend in the indie game world, the anonymous developer known only as "PixelVixen." The surgery had left me w
of his life, not even of his own name. All he knew, he said, was my
him, helped him with physical therapy, and to
din Morrison, the ruthless CEO of Morrison Dynamics, a titan of the gaming ind
e. He said I was his only conn
ed wrist as if it were a sacred relic, finding the best doctor
ed me soup, wiping my brow with a cool cloth, his eyes
fairy tale. He once flew to Paris for a day just to bring back a
hand that glittered with the light of a thousand promises. He told me he couldn' t imagin
a shard of glass in my gut.
t anyone. C
. The one who stole my senior project, a rudimentary version of a
zed my eyes shut, trying t
ed from the study, dripping with satisfaction. "It's a sha
flat, devoid of any emotion. "The accident was only meant t
the injury that ended
erfere," Carina warned. "If she
D made for her under a different name. After the wedding, I'll tell her we need to
sn't just a placeholder. I was a pa
arnest expression, the weight of the ring in his palm,
meticulously crafted performance to keep me compliant while he stole
eap on the marble floor. A single, choked sob escaped my lips,
s through the foundation I'd so carefully applied that morning. Th
pulled a small, leather-bound notebook from my nightstand drawer. A
one was filled with my looping scr
e to see the cherry blossoms
o build me a custom s
would be on a beach at sunset,
y tears. The words that had once been my gre
first page out. Then the next, and the next, tearing
the floor, my phone buzzed on the b
ld needs you. Are you rea
or. A respected indie publisher wh
harsh, ugly sound. Comeback? My wrist was still a
k-up. "Six more weeks, Athena. The final nerve graft is hea
we
ace, cold and sharp as a razor'
ying across the screen, the tremor i
ed. "Give me