Reality Isn't That Rosy

Anna stormed back to her room, flopping down hard on the sofa and grabbing a throw pillow to bury her face in it.

"Ah!"

She just couldn't wrap her head around how far she'd fallen.

After her dad passed, it had been her and Jack against the world, scraping by but feeling safe in their little bubble.

Now she kicked herself for not listening to him.

On his deathbed, he'd made her swear never to let Jack leave Sunset Island.

Otherwise, she'd never hold onto him.

But she'd been stubborn, convinced Jack would stick around no matter what.

Talk about getting slapped by reality.

The first time he set foot off the island, he was gone for good.

Turned out he was Ethan Blackwood, heir to the family empire, with a whole life waiting for him.

Sure, he and that woman weren't legally hitched, so technically not married, but they had a son together. Wedding bells were just a formality at this point.

Man, if only she'd heeded her old man and stayed put on the island forever.

Too late for regrets now.

Anna fingered the pendant around her neck, her dad's last gift to her.

Whenever she felt lost, she'd touch it and draw a bit of comfort.

That's when his dying words echoed in her ears: "Whatever you do, don't lose this pendant. It's what ties you and Jack together."

Knock knock knock!

"Anna, it's me, here to tidy up. Mind if I come in?"

The house cleaners always slipped in during breakfast to handle the chores.

She'd stepped out mid-job for a supply, and the door had clicked shut behind her.

Anna heard the voice and quickly swiped at her face with her sleeve, shoving the pillow behind her back. She cleared her throat. "Yeah, come on in."

The lock turned softly, and a middle-aged woman in uniform stepped inside, balancing her cleaning caddy.

Her eyes flicked to Anna's puffy red rims for a split second before dropping away.

"Miss, I'll just spruce things up quick and get out. Won't bother you at all."

Her tone was soft, almost tiptoeing around the words.

Anna didn't reply, her gaze trailing the woman's hands as she wiped down the table.

Then she blurted, "How long you been working here?"

The cleaner looked up. "Five years now."

Anna bolted upright. "So you started before that woman did?"

"That woman?"

"You know, Ethan's kid's biological mom."

The cleaner paused, piecing it together. "You mean the missus?"

"They aren't even married yet. How's she the missus? That's just sloppy."

The cleaner shifted uncomfortably. "We all go by what the butler says. These family things, they're above my pay grade."

She didn't want to step on any toes.

Anna let out a sharp huff but dropped the name thing.

"Fine. So tell me, is that woman really Ethan's girlfriend?"

"Anna, don't put me in a spot. I'm just the help who dusts and vacuums. What do I know?"

"But you've been here five years."

The cleaner regretted mentioning the time already. "Doesn't matter how long. I stick to the rooms, hardly ever cross paths with the mister or missus."

"Why don't you ask him yourself? I swear, I got nothing."

Anna rolled her eyes. "You kidding? Ethan's got amnesia. Asking him's pointless. That's why I'm bugging you."

The cleaner managed a weak smile and went back to scrubbing the table.

***

A stretched Rolls-Royce glided into a lush, green estate.

This was where Ethan's grandma, Alexandra, made her home.

Buddy was buzzing with excitement, fumbling at his car seat straps like he couldn't wait another second.

"Mommy, unbuckle me."

Sophia ruffled his hair. "Hold tight till we park, buddy. Then I'll get you out."

He settled down, good as gold.

Ethan took in the sweeping lawns and gardens, a weird pang of déjà vu hitting him square in the chest.

Word was, he'd lived here for a stretch, groomed like the next in line for the Easton family—his grandma's side.

Until his granddad swooped in and yanked him back to the Blackwood fold.

Yesterday, his mom had walked him through the old room he'd crashed in as a kid, spinning tales from his early days.

They were all these cozy, funny stories, but the more she talked, the more it grated on him.

Gut feeling said she was holding back.

Life couldn't have been all sunshine and rainbows.

Otherwise, why ship a fourteen-year-old off to boarding school in England, away from the nest?

Then she laid out the family dirt.

His granddad Lawrence was a business titan, bootstrapped the Blackwood empire from nothing.

Didn't tie the knot till midlife.

And when he did, it was to Alexandra Easton, the powerhouse daughter of another big-league clan.

Power couple through and through—they teamed up post-wedding and skyrocketed both empires.

These days, Blackwood and Easton sat at the top of the food chain.

But come their tenth anniversary, boom—divorce out of nowhere.

Granddad took the secret to his grave, never spilling why.

Mom skimmed over it too, just muttering about two strong-willed folks who couldn't make it work.

Both were all about the grind, so in ten years of marriage, they only managed one kid: his dad, Alexander.

Dad and Mom? Total arranged deal, zero sparks.

She clutched his hand, her voice tight with venom as she ticked off Dad's laundry list of screw-ups.

Turns out, the old man had a side piece stashed away, complete with a love nest and two illegitimate kids.

Open secret in high society.

After Ethan's accident, Dad started parading the pair at key events.

Pushed hard to legitimize them, slap the Blackwood name on.

Mom's full-throated pushback, plus pressure from her own dad, shut that down.

No official adoption, but the bastard son had wormed his way into Blackwood Group anyway.

Three years in, he was already running a whole region as president.

If Ethan had stayed MIA much longer, that guy would've been gunning for the CEO throne.

Ethan's eyes narrowed to slits, locked on the horizon, a cold edge sharpening his stare.

"Daddy~" Buddy's little voice piped up, all sweet and slurry. "We're here. Time to get out."

The words snapped Ethan out of it, the storm cloud over him vanishing as his face went soft.

"Yeah, Daddy's got you." He reached over and scooped his son from the seat into his arms.

Sophia watched the pair lead the way, her mind stuck on that feral glint in Ethan's eyes from moments ago.

For a heartbeat there, she'd wondered if his memories had clicked back.

But nah, looked like he was still in the dark.

***

In the sunlit tearoom.

A silver-haired lady in simple elegance lounged in a rocker, posture all poise and calm, lost in her book.

Pushing eighty and still sharp as a tack.

"Great-Grandma!"

A high, eager kid's voice rang out, getting closer with the patter of tiny feet.

Alexandra glanced up, spotting Buddy barreling her way. Her stern lines melted into a grin, full of indulgence.

"Oh, my sweet Buddy's here!"

She spread her arms wide, catching the flying hug without missing a beat.

"I came with Daddy and Mommy to see you," Buddy declared, loud and proud.