Chapter 2

Sierra's words left me paralyzed on the couch, unable to do anything but stare at her.

The truth was, she had never believed me. To her, my warnings about losing my memories and leaving this world were just a pathetic bluff.

If this were a few months ago, I would've scrambled to defend myself.

Now, I couldn't care less.

With my countdown down to three days, whether she chose to believe me or not was entirely irrelevant.

Just then, Sierra set an elegant box in the palms of my hands and popped it open to reveal an incredibly expensive watch.

"Come on, honey. I don't want to argue anymore. I'm sorry, okay?" she said. "It's a custom, limited-edition piece from Amora. There are only two of these in the entire world, and it's going to look amazing on you.

"Tomorrow is our anniversary, so let's take Amelia and spend the weekend out at Yearnerwood. Just the three of us. What do you say?"

There was a soft, pleading look in her eyes. I could tell this was her way of compromising.

I looked down at the watch.

It was a masterpiece of understated luxury, featuring a flawless band accented by a ring of deep blue diamonds that caught the light, casting a sharp, brilliant starburst effect across the room.

I was certain it cost a fortune.

"Is this just for me?" I asked quietly. "Or did anyone else get one?"

Sierra offered a warm, reassuring smile. "It's my peace offering to you. Of course, it's just for you."

She was lying through her teeth.

I had seen Riley Cross wearing the same watch on his wrist.

A dull ache flared up in my chest, though it didn't completely rip me apart the way it used to. Instead, a real, physical pain was beginning to take over my body.

Sierra gently fastened the watch around my wrist.

The affection in her eyes was unmistakable, identical to, and perhaps even more intense than, the way she used to look at me.

Yet as I looked at her now, she felt like a total stranger.

Seven years ago, Sierra was the most celebrated heiress in Jeston.

As the heir to her family's business empire, she had been groomed to take over the entire company.

But because I was an orphan who couldn't offer her family any corporate leverage, she flatly rejected an arranged marriage, handing the entire inheritance over to her younger sister, all just to marry me.

Now, she ran Parker Group as its ruthless deputy CEO.

She was a force to be reckoned with, commanding both fear and respect from everyone around her.

But the moment she came home, she would rest her head against my shoulder, whispering sweet nothings into my ear.

Everyone always said she loved me to a fault.

And looking at her now, she still seemed entirely devoted to me, but I could no longer get through to her heart.

Sensing my silence, Sierra gave my cheek a playful, affectionate pinch. "Not in the mood for Yearnerwood? We can go anywhere else you want."

I looked her dead in the eye, a faint ripple of emotion flickering in my gaze.

"No, Yearnerwood is fine."

I only had three days left before my time ran out.

Yearnerwood was the place where I fell in love with her, and I wanted it to be our last beautiful memory together.

…

The next morning, the three of us loaded into the car.

I was still recovering from the flu and lacked the energy to do much, so I just rested my head against the headrest.

We hadn't even been on the road for two minutes when our daughter, Amelia Finch, spoke up from the backseat, her voice bursting with excitement.

"Mom, the weather is so nice today! Can we invite Mr. Cross to join us? He isn't a total buzzkill like Dad. Dad hates loud noises, he can't run, and he barely even talks. He's so boring."

Sierra's expression hardened instantly, and she shot a stern glare at Amelia.

"Amelia, watch your mouth," she snapped. "Today is a very important day for your father and me."

After being chided, Amelia seemed to realize she had crossed a line. She shrank back into her seat, pouting as she looked over at me.

"Please don't be mad at me, Dad," she uttered cautiously.

She had obviously been spending a lot of time with Riley.

Instead of speaking up to break the tension as I had done in the past, I just kept my mouth shut and stared out the window.