LOGINArlene's POV That morning, I woke to the familiar sound of a soft voice calling my name, and for a few seconds, I remained half-asleep, too comfortable beneath the covers to make sense of what I was hearing.“Arlene, wake up.”I slowly opened my eyes, expecting to see Maya standing beside my bed, but the moment my blurry gaze settled on the person in front of me, I froze.I blinked several times. The face staring back at me was one I hadn't seen in what felt like forever.“Cheryl?”Her face immediately broke into a bright smile and said, “Finally. I was beginning to think I would have to pour water on you.”I pushed myself upright so quickly that she laughed, and before I could say anything else, I reached for her.“Cheryl!”She climbed onto the edge of the bed, and we wrapped our arms around each other, holding on tightly as though neither of us wanted to be the first to let go.“I can't believe you're here,” I murmured when we finally pulled apart. “I have missed you so much.”“I m
Theodore's POV It had been almost a month since I last heard from Maya, and by now, I was beginning to question whether bringing her into Simone's household had been worth the trouble. Every report she had given me so far had been vague, containing nothing substantial enough to satisfy my curiosity. The longer she remained there without bringing me anything useful, the more I wondered what exactly I was paying her for.I sat behind my desk that evening, staring at the documents in front of me without actually reading them. My mind had been elsewhere for most of the afternoon, and after nearly an hour of accomplishing nothing, I pushed the papers aside and leaned back in my chair.Perhaps I should simply tell her to quit.There was no point keeping someone in that house if she couldn't find out what was happening inside it, especially when I had expected her to be my eyes and ears. I reached for the phone I used to contact her, intending to call and put an end to the arrangement, bu
Simone's POV Three months had passed since I started rehabilitation, and although I still couldn't stand or walk independently, I could no longer deny the difference it had made. When I first began, even the simplest exercises left me exhausted, and there were days when my legs felt almost completely disconnected from the rest of my body. Now, I had better control over my movements, my balance had improved whenever I was supported, and I could tolerate longer sessions without feeling as though my entire body had been drained of strength. The doctors had also introduced more demanding exercises, including assisted standing and weight-bearing work, although walking was still something we were working towards rather than something I could confidently expect.What mattered most to me, however, wasn't just the physical progress.For the first time since the accident, I could look at my body without feeling as though it belonged to someone else. I could see that something was changing, e
Arlene's POVThe following morning, I woke up with the company dinner still on my mind. Simone's decision to attend had surprised me, not because I thought he was incapable of making the decision himself, but because I knew how much he had withdrawn from that part of his life over the years. He had spent so long avoiding anything that reminded him of the man he used to be, and yet, after our conversation, he had finally decided to face it again.I found myself wondering what the dinner would be like and whether returning to that world would change him in any way. There was still so much about Simone's life before the accident that I didn't know, and although I wasn't going to pressure him into telling me everything, I couldn't deny that I was curious about the person he had been before I met him.After taking my bath, I went downstairs, intending to have breakfast before Simone woke up, but I found Maya already in the kitchen arranging some things on the counter. She looked up as soon
Simone's POVI returned from therapy earlier than usual that afternoon, and although I had expected Arlene to still be in her room, I found myself strangely eager to see her. The session had been exhausting, but I was beginning to appreciate the particular kind of tiredness that came with it because, for the first time in years, I could feel that the exhaustion was actually leading somewhere. My body still had a long way to go, and I knew better than to expect miracles after only a few sessions, yet there were moments when I could almost convince myself that the future I had stopped believing in might still be waiting for me.Jordan helped me out of the car and wheeled me into the mansion before leaving to put the vehicle away. I had barely reached the foyer when I heard voices coming from the sitting room, and I immediately recognised one of them as belonging to someone I had worked with for years.“Mr. Gillingham.”I turned my wheelchair towards the sitting room and found one of the
Arlene's POVI was sitting in my room that afternoon when my phone buzzed. When I glanced at the screen and saw Lilian's name, I smiled faintly before opening the message. I expected another one of her usual chats about work, her children, or something random that had happened during her day. Instead, the first message made my heart stop.Lilian: You won't believe who I ran into today.I stared at the screen for a moment before replying.Me: Who?Her response came almost immediately.Lilian: Veronica.My smile disappeared. I sat up straight on the bed, staring at the name as though looking at it long enough might somehow make it disappear. Veronica. My stepsister. For years, I had done everything possible to bury that part of my life, and now I was sitting in Simone's house, building a new life I had never imagined having, only for someone from my past to suddenly appear again.Before I could respond, another message came through.Lilian: I introduced myself as your friend and former







