Chapter 03

POV — Amy.

I stood in front of the calendar in my bedroom. It said 2015, and now I was certain I wasn’t dreaming. 

I spent the night turning from side to side in bed, thinking about the possibility of going back to the past. Now I knew it was possible.

I don’t know how it happened, but I intended to seize this chance to fix things—to correct the worst mistake of my life: marrying Warren.

My phone vibrated on the bedside table and reminded me that Warren always messaged me before breakfast. Those messages had stopped after we married, and that had hurt me deeply at the time.

The affectionate way Warren treated me lasted only until we signed the papers. After I became his wife, he turned cold and distant. The man I loved changed quietly, and those ten years of marriage became almost unbearable.

I opened the message and snorted when I read his words.

“I’m coming to your house. I need to take care of you after the accident.”

Heat rose to my cheeks at my anger over those words. Now I know it was all an act to win me over and make his path easier.

I tossed the phone onto the bed and went to take a quick shower. I planned to leave before Warren arrived. Not only that, but I still didn’t feel ready to face him now that I knew the whole truth. Likewise, I sighed with frustration when I reached the closet and saw my old dresses hanging there.

I didn’t have much time to think about what to wear. I grabbed the first thing I saw and slipped it on. Furthermore, I took my beige handbag and put Simon’s credit card inside—the one he’d given me last night. I slipped out of the house quietly so no one would notice. I didn’t want anyone asking questions first thing in the morning.

If I were twenty-two again, I would savor every moment. I bought the best coffee at the city’s finest café and paid with Simon’s card. I walked through downtown, buying the priciest things with an effortless confidence. A deep sense of power took hold of me, as if I’d found a missing piece of my soul.

I strolled through the shops with bags in both hands when my phone vibrated inside my purse. I assumed Warren had arrived home and discovered I was gone. Not only that, but I almost ignored it—until I saw Simon’s name on the screen.

I barely remembered saving his number. He called to ask what I was spending so much of his card on.

“If you plan to buy the whole city with my card, please let me know.” His voice sounded amused, and I almost laughed at his lame joke.

“You didn’t tell me what I could spend it on,” I replied casually. “Come collect your card and take the opportunity to hear my proposal.”

A sharp silence on the other end made me think he hadn’t heard me. I shook my head at his audacity, ready to call him back, when I saw him cutting through the crowd toward me.

His dark hair looked slightly tousled and contrasted with the perfectly tailored suit he wore. My breath caught when our eyes met. Simon’s eyes were beautiful in the weak morning light.

He was handsome and strong enough to make any woman weak-kneed. He stopped just a few feet away, still holding the phone to his ear. Suddenly a smug smile lit his lips.

“You want to make a deal with me?” He finally lowered the phone and ended the call.

“Were you following me?” I glanced around, startled. “How did you find me so fast?”

“You’re using my credit card; it wasn’t difficult to find you.”

I swallowed the words I wanted to say. I took the card from my bag and handed it back to him. Not only that, but I simply looked at his still-handsome face, now shaded by a sharp, sardonic humor rather than contempt.

“Where’s Warren?” He scanned the area for him. “He never lets you go out alone?”

“I’m alone, and he’s the one I want to talk about.” Simon’s expression changed at my words. “You may doubt me now, but in the future Warren will become your greatest enemy, and I’ve come to help you defeat him in business.”

His eyebrows drew together; he probably thought I’d lost my mind or that this was one of Warren’s games to undermine him. I moved too fast, but I wouldn’t get another chance. I needed Simon to trust me. He was the most capable person I knew to bring Warren down.

“You’ve acted strange since last night.” He tilted his head and studied me, searching for any sign of sanity. “What do you want from me, Amy?”

“I want you at my wedding,” I repeated the proposal I’d made the night before. “Make an alliance with me to defeat Warren and his family.”

Simon’s face brightened with a cunning smile.

“I know you love Warren, and you’re asking me to defeat him?” He smiled bitterly, as if I’d just handed him the upper hand. “And how do you know about my business?”

“I can’t explain now, but I can prove my integrity,” I said. Simon didn’t waver. “I’ll show you I won’t marry him—just as you wanted me not to. Warren isn’t the man I believed he was.”

Simon stepped closer, his scent enveloping me. He intimidated me, as I remembered, yet I’d never truly been within the scope of his intentions. He doubted me—I could see it on his face—but there was something else in his expression I couldn’t read.

“I accept it, Amy Romano,” he said, my brow furrowing as if I didn’t expect him to agree so readily. “And I’ll test your honesty to see how far it goes.”

I hesitated, frozen in place, unsure whether to thank him or simply walk away.

“Do you understand the weight of this?” he asked.

My eyebrows knit. “Yes. I’m ready to face the consequences.”

“Great!” he exclaimed, then murmured, “We have a deal, Amy. I’ll help you defeat Warren West.”

He extended his hand. I took it, sealing our fragile alliance.