LOGINThea's POVI was silent for a long time.Looking at the unconscious Alessio, my feelings were a tangled mess."I won't forgive you," I finally said, my voice calm as still water. "But I won't hold on to the hate anymore."Carmela stared at me."Hate is too exhausting," I continued. "I just want to live my life."She nodded, a flicker of relief in her eyes."There's one more thing," she said, pulling a worn leather-bound journal from her purse. "I think you should see this."That journal...I recognized it.It was the birthday present I gave Alessio when we first got together."He wrote in it every day after you left," Carmela said, handing it to me. "For eight months, he never missed a day."My hands trembled."I don't want to see it.""Please, just look," Carmela pleaded. "As a... last chance to understand him."I took the journal.The familiar weight, the familiar feel.The cover still had the gold-leaf words I'd written years ago: To my dearest Alessio, with all my love. - TheaI op
Thea's POV"Someone's over here!"A faint voice pierced through the thick layer of snow.I held tight to an unconscious Alessio, feeling his breathing grow weaker and weaker."Here! We're here!" I screamed with all my might.The sound of shovels digging grew closer.Ten minutes later, the blinding light of a flashlight shone in."Found them!" a rescuer yelled. "One male, one female! Male is seriously injured!"More people rushed to dig.When they finally pulled us out of the snow, Alessio's face was completely drained of color."Hurry! Faint heartbeat!" a medic said, checking his pulse. "Get him to a hospital now!"The sound of a helicopter's rotors tore through the silent night.I was put on a stretcher next to Alessio.An oxygen mask covered his face. The monitors beeped urgently."He's going to be okay, right?" I grabbed the medic's arm."He's badly injured," the medic said, his face serious. "Possible spinal damage."Spinal damage.Those two words made my heart stop.The helicopter
Alessio's POVThe roar of the avalanche was deafening.A giant wave of snow swept down from the summit, blotting out the sky.The captain's voice was a raw scream swallowed by the roar. "TURN AROUND! GO!"The three snowmobiles tore down the mountain, but the avalanche was faster.I saw Thea at the front, her snowmobile swerving wildly on the steep slope."Watch out!" I yelled at her back.Just then, her wheel hit a hidden rock.The machine lost control instantly, flipping over in the snow.Thea was thrown from it, landing hard in a snowdrift."Thea!"Without a second thought, I jumped off my own snowmobile and ran for her.The avalanche was just yards away. A white tsunami of snow, rocks, and broken trees, like the gaping mouth of death."Alessio!" Thea struggled to get up. "Go! Leave me!""Shut up!" I scooped her up in my arms and sprinted for a cluster of rocks to our left.There was a natural alcove there. It might protect us.Thea struggled in my arms. "Let me go! You'll die!""The
Alessio's POVThe next day, the negotiations went smoothly.Emma laid out the foundation's projects in detail, and I generously committed to the funding amount."Mr. Santoro, you're too kind," Emma beamed. "The children will be so happy.""I have a strong interest in children's education," I probed. "Especially in the arts. When will your floral art teacher be back?"Emma's smile stiffened slightly. "Oh, Sarah... it might be a few more days. The botanical exhibition is very important.""She must be very talented," I pressed. "You can see it in the children's work.""Yes, she has a gift," Emma said, quickly changing the subject. "We have some other programs I'd like to show you."I knew she was hiding something, but I didn't push.At three in the afternoon, I was preparing to leave Maple Creek.Just then, the sky turned dark."Boss, the weather service just issued a blizzard warning," Marco said, looking at his phone. "They're advising all vehicles to stay off the roads."I looked up at
Thea’s POVThe next morning, Emma came to the bookstore.She looked serious, not her usual cheerful self."Thea, we need to talk."Margaret tactfully went to the back room, giving us some privacy."Emma, what is it?" I put down the book I was holding, a bad feeling growing in my stomach."I couldn't sleep last night," she said, her expression serious. "Thea, the way you reacted... it wasn't just about not liking suits.""What do you mean?""A ten-million-dollar investment. Any normal person would be thrilled." She looked me straight in the eye. "But you looked like you'd seen death itself."I avoided her gaze. "I told you, I don't like business stuff.""Thea, we've known each other for eight months," Emma's voice was gentle. "You've never talked about your past, but I know you're running from something."My hands started to shake."This investor... he's connected to your past, isn't he?"Silence.A long silence."Thea, trust me," Emma said, taking my hand. "Tell me the truth. Maybe I c
Thea's POVAutumn sunlight streamed through the blinds, striping the botanical prints on my desk with light and shadow.I gently traced a finger over a 1920s edition of Wild Flowers of North America, feeling the yellowed paper.It was quiet here.So quiet I could almost forget the nightmares of the past.This little Vermont town was called Maple Creek, surrounded by rolling green mountains, like a sanctuary cut off from the world.I’d been here for eight months.For the first time in a long time, I was sleeping through the night."Thea, what are you looking at?" Margaret, the shop owner, came over with a cup of hot tea."A 1920s wildflower guide," I said, taking the cup. "The illustrations are beautiful."Margaret was a kind woman in her sixties, her silver hair always neatly coiffed.She'd taken me in, a stranger with no past, given me a job and a place to stay."You've always had a feeling for plants," she smiled. "No wonder the children love your floral art class."The floral art cl







