All That Was Lush Is Lost

"Mom looks like a freaking ghost! I'm not going out with her! What if she scares someone?" Declan Vaughan yelled at Charlie Vaughan, on the verge of losing it.

His words seemed to slam into me, knocking the air right out of my lungs.

Charlie reached over and flicked both Declan and Dylan Vaughan on the forehead.

"I'm the one who failed her. She'll always be my wife, as long as she wants to be," he said.

"What if she wants to leave?"

"If she finds out we like Kelly, she'll probably walk away on her own, won't she?"

Charlie's expression hardened. "She can't find out. And neither of you is going to tell her. I've made my choice to spend the rest of my life making it up to her. So just let her hold on to what peace she has."

Tears spilled down my cheeks as I felt my heart crack wide open. I had to hide somewhere to dull the ache those words had left behind.

Back in the bedroom, I spotted a photo album on the nightstand that hadn't been there before. I was drawn to it by something I couldn't explain, so I walked over and opened the heavy cover.

Every photo inside was of Kelly Sloan—shots of her in competitions, striking poses on the runway from every angle, and pictures of her with Charlie, Declan, and Dylan.

When I saw her up there on the runway—so confident and radiant—I couldn't keep the storm inside me from breaking loose.

Every photo was stamped with the date and location. Every time Charlie took Declan and Dylan out for "family time", they were actually off visiting Kelly.

They'd surprise her backstage during her shows overseas. They'd show up at fashion expos as investors, backing her like proud family, until the whole world believed that was exactly what they were.

My chest ached like it had been split wide open. I thought this second chance was supposed to be a clean slate—a chance at something new. But here I was, knocked flat all over again.

In my last life, I truly believed Maxwell Vaughan and I were cut from the same cloth. Perhaps we weren't soulmates, but I thought we'd grow old side by side.

However, he'd been working against me behind my back right up until the day I died.

When Charlie found out, he beat Maxwell bloody at my funeral, just like their family tradition dictated. He ignored the protests from his parents, Ben Vaughan and Laurie Turner.

That was the moment I let myself believe his feelings for me had been real.

So when I got this second chance, I didn't fall for Maxwell's empty gestures. I chose Charlie, the one who'd always been steady and grounded. And yet, life had sucker-punched me all over again.

Charlie played his role a little too well. For six whole years, he had completely fooled me. In the end, every word he said felt like a knife to the gut.

Maxwell and Charlie played me for a fool in this life and the one before it.

I put the photo album back and wiped the tears from the corners of my eyes. But when I turned around, the door creaked open, and there Charlie was.

"Lucia…"

Charlie walked in with a smile, but it vanished the second he saw the photo album on the nightstand. His eyes flicked to me, sharp and searching.

"Are you getting some rest? I just came to grab a file," he said.

I nodded and eased onto the pillow, appearing calm on the outside.

Charlie let his guard down right away and hurried to stash the album out of sight.

"Just some confidential company stuff. I left it here by mistake," he quickly remarked.

Declan and Dylan stood in the doorway, nodding as they called Charlie out for his carelessness.

I shut my eyes, sick with disbelief. How had I ever fallen for their lousy act?

Charlie sat on the edge of the bed, took my hand, and pressed a soft kiss to it.

"Lucia, the weather's been awful lately. Is your face bothering you again? I've already found the best plastic surgeon. Once you're healed, you'll be back in the modeling competition and shine brighter than ever. No matter what happens, I'll always love you."

His words flowed out so easily, like they cost him nothing. And that was exactly how he fooled me—all those easy, sugarcoated promises were just another way to keep me in line.

I was just about to tell Charlie to leave me alone when his phone buzzed.

Whatever tension he'd been carrying disappeared the moment he looked at the screen. His fingers flew over the keyboard, already typing back.

"Just an update about Declan and Dylan's competition," he told me.

He looked relaxed, as if it really were just about some competition. But I'd seen Kelly's profile picture when he tapped the message open, her image as clear as day.