LOGINElise Stanton has one dream: to study medicine. When she earns a coveted spot in medical school, her future seems bright—until her parents present her with an ultimatum. The only way they’ll pay her tuition is if she marries Alejandro Mendoza, the disabled heir to a powerful family. “Marry a stranger for money? Is that the price of my freedom?” Elise protests, her voice trembling with frustration. “Clara gets her luxuries handed to her, but I have to sell my life to pursue my dream?” In her family’s eyes, she is always second-best, a shadow to her younger sister, Clara. Left with no other choice, Elise agrees to her parents’ condition. Then she meets Alejandro Mendoza. Confined to a wheelchair, Alejandro is bitter and guarded, his piercing gaze a wall against the world. But when Elise examines his condition, her sharp medical instincts kick in. “The doctors had a wrong diagnosis,” she insists. “Your condition is reversible.” Alejandro narrows his eyes. “Why are you doing this? What do you want?” Her answer is simple: “I’ll help you recover, and when you can walk again, this marriage ends.”
View MoreSix months had passed since the retreat. Six months since Elise had learned to breathe again.The wellness center’s opening day had arrived, and Elise found herself in the main hall watching sunlight stream through tall windows onto walls painted in soft, calming colors. In one corner, a reading nook with comfortable chairs waited. In another, a meditation room with cushions and peaceful artwork invited stillness.“Nervous?” Lucas asked, appearing at her elbow with a clipboard.“I am,” she admitted. “What if no one comes? What if they come and we can’t help them? What if—”“What if you stop catastrophizing and trust that you built something beautiful?” He smiled. “The first group arrives in an hour. Everything’s ready. You’re ready.”Elise took a breath, nodding. They’d worked for months on this—hiring counselors, designing programs, creating a space that felt safe and healing. She’d poured everything she’d learned from her own grief into making this place what she’d needed when she
The news reached Alejandro’s phone at midnight.He was in his study, reviewing contracts when Lucas’ call came in.“Boss, you need to hear this. Clara Stanton was in an accident tonight. She survived it, but—” Lucas paused. “It’s bad. Spinal cord injury. The doctors are saying she’s paralyzed from the neck down. And there’s brain damage.”Alejandro set down his pen slowly. “Where is she?”“City General. Margaret’s with her.” Another pause. “There’s more. They found her phone at the scene. She’d been taking photos of the gallery where you and Ma’am Elise were. They think she was following you.”A cold chill settled in Alejandro’s chest. “So she violated her house arrest to stalk my wife.”“Looks that way. But now…” Lucas sighed. “Now she’s in a hospital bed, unable to move or speak. The doctor I contacted says she’ll need round-the-clock care for the rest of her life.”Alejandro leaned back in his chair. He should feel satisfaction, Clara had spent months trying to destroy Elise, and n
Elise A. Mendoza packed her small bag, folding each item carefully. Ranging from the dresses she wore to the journal she had filled with her happy times at the Centre to the note Alejandro had sent, alongside the bouquet. Patricia had already left, tearfully exchanging phone numbers and promises to stay in touch.The week had been better than Elise had expected. Aside from the point of reconciliation that she had come with herself and Alejandro, she had made new friends and bonds. Something that she might have never done if she had stayed stuck in the walls of Alejandro’s estate. There was a soft knock on the door frame. Alejandro stood in the doorway, his own bag slung over his shoulder. “Ready?”She zipped her duffel closed. “I think so.”They’d agreed the night before, that he would drive her back. The only thing they had not decided on was whether Elise wanted to move back immediately.The other retreat attendees were gathering in the courtyard for final goodbyes. Dr. Reyes sto
That night, a heavy storm filled the whole arena. Elise had been sitting in the common room after dinner, half-listening to Patricia describe her grandchildren while thunder rumbled distantly. Most of the retreat attendees were scattered around when the lights flickered and went out completely.The room plunged into darkness so absolute that Elise couldn’t see her own hand in front of her face. “Everyone stay calm,” Dr. Reyes’s voice cut through the rising murmurs. “This happens sometimes with storms. I’ll get the…”Before she could finish, thunder cracked overhead causing the windows to rattle.Elise’s breath caught in her throat.Suddenly she wasn’t in the retreat center anymore. She was back in the mill. Smoke filled her lungs and pressed in from all sides. She felt the heat of flames she couldn’t see but could feel getting closer. Her chest tightened. The walls seemed to contract around her.“I need—” she gasped, standing abruptly. “I need to—”She couldn’t finish the sentence,
That one hit like a physical blow. Elise felt her spine stiffen.“Not because I wanted you gone,” he rushed to clarify, “but because for three weeks, I didn’t have to watch you disappear in front of me anymore. I didn’t have to see you fading and know I couldn’t stop it. The house was empty, but at
The first group session was like the facilitator had explained. It was held in a circular room with large windows and cushions arranged in a semicircle. There were fifteen people in total, eight women and seven men that frustratingly included Alejandro.Elise chose a seat near the window where she
Days had passed since Elise left. Long, shapeless days and Alejandro could not help but wonder how exactly air was passing through her lungs, knowing that she had left him behind. Because surviving had become a struggle for him.The house remained the same since she left. The faint scent of vanill
Three weeks had crawled by since the procedure.Outside their home, the world had not stopped. The radio stations still buzzed, markets opened, newscasters still smiled into cameras with the same mechanical ease. Even the seasons had continued their quiet transitions. But for Elise, time had stop












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