LOGINSELENE My hand lifted instinctively, an attempt to stop Sebastian from following Irene. But before I could even say his name, he was already gone. My fingers slowly curled into a fist. The movement felt shaky. I lowered my hand and became painfully aware of the people around me. A few guests were watching. Some pretending not to. Some failing miserably. Heat crept up my neck. They had definitely noticed that Irene was wearing the exact same dress as me. The same color. The same cut. The same slit. And judging by the curious glances being exchanged, they had probably heard enough of the conversation to know it wasn't a coincidence. I swallowed hard. "Selene." I drew in a breath and turned. Julian stood a few feet away. "Julian." I tried to smile. The attempt died before it could fully form. His expression softened. "Come outside with me." For once, that sounded like the best idea anyone had suggested all
SEBASTIAN I set my champagne glass down on the nearest table, my gaze never leaving Selene. For a moment, I simply watched her. The smile playing on her lips. The way she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. The unconscious habit of reaching for the necklace resting against her throat. God. I loved her. The realization still felt strange every time it crossed my mind. Not because it wasn't true. But because it was. And somehow, despite how obvious it felt now, it had never occurred to me to simply tell her. I drew in a slow breath and pushed away from the table. Then I started toward her. Each step brought me closer. She hadn't noticed me yet. Which was probably a good thing. Because if she had, she would have immediately recognized the look on my face. The look that said I wanted her attention and wasn't above stealing it from everyone else in the room. One of the women spotted me first. "Uh-oh." The conv
SEBASTIAN My gaze kept drifting back to Selene across the room. She stood with a group of young women, laughing softly as they spoke, leaving me trapped in a conversation with a circle of middle-aged executives. Most of them were discussing investments, stocks, and market projections. To be fair, I should have been paying attention. So I listened. Nodded when necessary. Offered the occasional response. But my attention kept wandering. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't noticed how strange Selene had been acting these past few days. Every time I asked what was wrong, she either insisted it was nothing or claimed she was simply tired. I sighed quietly, forcing my attention back to the men around me as they continued their endless discussion about business. "Excuse me." Julian's voice cut through the conversation. The men turned to look at him. "Mind if I steal my brother for a moment?" he asked with an easy smile. They exchanged glances bef
ASHLEY / JORDAN My chest hurt. It hurt so badly that for one terrifying second, I thought something was actually wrong with me. Like my heart had forgotten how to beat. Like my lungs had forgotten how to work. My fingers tightened around the stem of my champagne glass as a tremor ran through them. Around me, people applauded. They laughed. They cheered. But the sounds were distant. As though I had been shoved underwater and left there to drown. Everyone was smiling. Congratulating them. Celebrating them. But all I could see was Jordan standing beside another woman while his father announced their engagement. My vision blurred. Across the room, his eyes found mine. He was shaking his head. His lips moved. Trying to explain. Trying to tell me something. But what could he possibly say? What words could fix this? What explanation could erase the sight of him standing next to Ella Warner while an entire ballroo
ASHLEY "You're staring," I whispered. Anton immediately dragged his gaze away from Selene. Across the room, she stood beside Sebastian, greeting her father and several guests. The emerald-green dress hugged her perfectly, drawing attention without even trying. When Anton finally looked at me, I arched a brow. "You know you shouldn't—" "I know." He cut me off before I could finish. With a sigh, he tipped back the rest of his wine and drained the glass. "I really tried not to look at her." His lips twitched into a self-deprecating smile. "I didn't even realize I was doing it until you caught me." A small laugh escaped me. Anton rubbed a hand over his face before pointing toward his own eyes. "These traitors." I laughed softly. His gaze drifted back in Selene's direction for the briefest second. "She just..." He pressed his lips together. "She looks really beautiful tonight." There was no bitterness in his voice. Only resignation. And somehow that
SELENE God knew how hard I had tried to push it out of my mind. I had told myself to forget every word Irene had said. I had reminded myself over and over again that this was exactly what she wanted—to get under my skin, to plant doubt where there had been certainty. But no matter how many times I repeated those things to myself, the thoughts refused to leave. Every time I looked at Sebastian, the same question surfaced. What else could he be hiding? The second thought came right after it. Why didn't he tell me he met Irene? And then came the third one. The one that hurt more than the other two combined. Was Irene telling the truth? Had Sebastian really planned to divorce me? Had he been communicating with her before the accident? The questions spiraled endlessly through my mind. Had that been why he kept saying her name in his sleep? Was it because he had never truly gotten over her? Was that why he had hated me so much at the beginning of our marri
I didn't remember my life, but my body remembered her. SEBASTIAN The first thing I noticed after waking up was how often my gaze drifted to her. Not because I was meant to, but because something inside me did it on its own, instinctive, like muscle memory without the memory. I would be ly
SEBASTIAN "These are the documents that need your signature." Vincent's voice cut through the quiet as he set a thick stack of files on my desk. Paper brushed wood in a dull thud. He continued speaking—something about the Elan project, procedures, timelines, things I could ask him if I needed
There are questions you prepare for, and then there are the ones that steal your breath. SELENE "Is that what you're curious about?" I asked, forcing my voice to remain light. "Yes." Sebastian nodded, his eyes never leaving my face, waiting patiently, expectantly for an answer. He
The Night Before the DateSEBASTIAN I'd kissed Selene. And I wouldn't pretend I didn't know how it had happened. I'd thought about it before, more than once, if I was being honest. Ever since the day she'd worn my shirt, the image of her lips had lingered somewhere in the back of my mind, l







