All Chapters of Promises We Never Forget: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

There were exactly three hundred and twenty eight lights inside Adrian Cole’s penthouse. He knew because he had counted them, not once, not even twice. Enough sleepless nights had passed with him staring at the ceiling for the number to become impossible to forget. Three hundred and twenty eight lights, Six bedrooms. A wine cellar that could rival a restaurant’s. A grand piano no one had played in years. A dining table that could seat fourteen people. One toothbrush, one coffee cup, and, yes, one man.The silence was always the loudest part. Outside, Manhattan glittered beneath the first snowfall of December, every skyscraper dressed in gold and white. Inside, the only sound came from the ticking grandfather clock Eleanor had insisted on buying during their first year of marriage. “A home should sound alive”, she had said. Now, every tick felt like a reminder that it no longer was. Maybe it never would be again. Adrian loosened his tie and dropped his briefcase beside the marble st

Six Months Later Adrian Cole had always thought love was supposed to be dramatic. Grand declarations, perfect timing, some big moment that changed everything. Maybe even a lightning strike, for all he knew. He had never been particularly interested in any of that. Turns out, he had no idea what he was talking about. Love, he was beginning to realize, could happen so quietly that you barely noticed it at first. It was only when he looked back that he could see how much Eleanor had come to mean to him, and how naturally she'd become part of his life. It was the basket of fruits and tray of lunch she left on his desk after stopping by his office before work. It was the phone calls that started with a quick ten minutes and somehow turned into hours. It was the smile that appeared on his face the moment her name lit up his screen, before he even knew what she wanted. And somewhere along the way, he had started looking forward to hearing her voice after work. He wanted to tell her about

Two Months Later People often said weddings were chaotic. They were wrong. Chaos implied there was some order beneath the madness. Whatever was happening inside the Cole estate that morning had no order whatsoever. It was complete, unapologetic madness. “Where are the rings?” Someone shouted from downstairs. Adrian was almost certain it was Eleanor’s mother. “I had them!” Marcus yelled back. “No, you gave them to Mum!” Kai argued. “I did not! I swear I put them in my pocket!” “Dad, I saw you give them to her!” Adrian stepped out of the hallway and into the living room, only to find Marcus standing in the middle of the commotion, rubbing both hands over his face. “It is just eight o’clock in the morning,” Adrian said, staring at everyone. “Why is everybody shouting already?” Silence fell over the room. He looked around. “Wait. What rings are we talking about?” Marcus slowly turned toward him. “Ummmmm, your wedding rings.” Adrian blinked. “Those most definitely cannot be mi

Six Months Later New York City Adrian Cole — 30 Eleanor Cole — 29 Marcus Bennett — 31 Sarah Bennett — 29 Kai Bennett — 11 ⸻ There was a time Adrian Cole believed happiness was fragile. Now… He believed it was growing inside his wife. Six months into Eleanor’s pregnancy, life had settled into a rhythm Adrian never wanted to end. Every morning began the same way. He would wake before dawn. Not because of work. But because Eleanor had somehow managed to steal every inch of the blanket again. He would sigh dramatically. She would pretend to be asleep. He would tug gently at the blanket. She would smile without opening her eyes. “You’ve done this on purpose.” “No…” “You’re smiling.” “I’m asleep.” “Liar.” She would finally open one eye. “I learned from the best negotiator in New York.” Adrian kissed her forehead. “I created a monster.” “You married one.” “And I’d do it again.” Every single time. Without hesitation. ⸻ Adrian had become insufferable. At leas

One Year Later New York City Adrian Cole — 31 Marcus Bennett — 32 Sarah Bennett — 30 Kai Bennett — 12 ⸻ The silence in Adrian’s apartment had become familiar. Too familiar. There were mornings he woke up expecting to hear another heartbeat beside him. Instead… There was only the hum of the air conditioner. He no longer reached for Eleanor. He had taught himself not to. Some habits died slower than others. ⸻ Work became his language. He arrived before sunrise. He left long after midnight. The employees at Aiden Corp joked that the CEO didn’t have a home. They weren’t entirely wrong. ⸻ One Friday evening… Adrian was halfway through reviewing another acquisition report when someone knocked once before walking into his office. Marcus. Without looking up, Adrian sighed. “I’m busy.” Marcus dropped a paper bag onto the desk. “I brought burgers.” “I’m still busy.” “I know.” “I’m not leaving.” “I know.” Marcus pulled out the chair opposite him and sat down. “I