picked me up from the airport, took one look at my face, a
at
ave with my medications, then poured it down the sink.
a monster. Yo
me. I read the letter I wrote. I knew I loved he
loosening his ti
forget I found her. To use my
ou shoul
t someone you loved and couldn't even rem
her. You can't remember loving her.
was right. But somethi
about those five missing years. I read through emails, meeting notes, journal e
ificed everything for success. He'd pushed away everyone who cared about him. He'd married
nore Elara's attempts at conversation, eat dinners she'd prepared while working on my laptop.
g a beautiful dress. I'd walked in, barely looked at it, told her I had a conference call and went into my
after watch
me in my office at three in the morning sur
to und
, the doctors said forcing these me
ry. I destroyed someone who l
you to take over, you changed. You worked yourself to the bone trying to prove you were good eno
not an
you pushed her away because you were terrified. Your parents had the worst marriage I've ever seen. Your father
marriage was a battlefield disg
hurt her the way your father hurt your mother. Instead, you hur
. I'd been avoiding her
ng me too. She knows you have amnesia and
red. "M
Victoria Cross's voice was saccharine
been b
t girl." The way she said 'that girl' made my j
Elara. She
e is final. You're free. Why on earth wou
to understand
simple." Her tone turned sharp. "Damien, I'm hosting a dinner party next week. Senator Morrison's
t inter
your future. About the family name. That Ben
er feel that way? When she lived here, d
rtain social realities. Someone had to.
e her mi
." Victoria's voice turned cold. "That girl was using y
e for anything. No
t. She played the long game. And look, s
ey, telling me about three years of pai
wrong ab
hirty-five years." She paused. "Damien, whatever romantic notions you h
don't want
were distracted, unfocused, weak. After the divorce, you became the man you were me
he? Mo
y don't you ask her? Oh wait, you did. And she to
hung
me carefully. "What
. And I'm thinking I need to find
ow
private investigator. Subject line
and my sto
ed over. "
k. I just showe
imes with Marcus Chen, owner of Chen Gallery. Relation
mie
ords felt like hollow in my thro
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