Chapter 11

Six months later, I accepted Ian’s invitation to dinner. It was Valentine’s Day and, as it happened, the day my first project as lead conservator had passed its final inspection. He’d been clear: he wanted to celebrate with me, and he wanted it to be a real date.I didn’t pretend to misunderstand him this time.The restaurant was in a small hotel, its windows overlooking a rain-polished stone street. There was no extravagant bouquet on the table. Ian had brought a hand-drawn bookplate depicting the old ship’s log we’d restored together.“You said it deserved a new cover.” He slid the card toward me. “No design fee for this one.”I laughed. The waiter had just brought our roast cod when the System interrupted.[Message from your original world: Matteo Moretti is dead.]My knife touched the rim of my plate. Ian stopped talking and asked whether I felt unwell. I shook my head and asked him to get me some water.The System began to tell me what had happened.After returning to his world, M

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Chapter 12

At that same moment, in a private Boston hospital, Matteo sat in bed waiting for a woman who wasn’t coming. His heart had briefly stopped on the way to the hospital, but the doctors had brought him back.When he woke, he hadn’t asked the System to take him home. “Tell her I’m dead.”The System pointed out that this was no longer true. He insisted it send Elena the record from the moment his heart had stopped.He remembered how people had forgiven his father-in-law after Caroline died. He remembered, too, how readily Elena had once felt sorry for anyone in pain. If she believed he was dead, surely she’d cry. She’d want to see him. She’d admit there was still something in their past she couldn’t bear to lose.The System finally relayed the outdated record of his death. After a long wait, he received one line in return.[She has requested that no further information about you be provided.]Matteo swept the glass water bottle off the bedside table. A nurse recoiled, and the men by the door

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Chapter 13

Two years later, Matteo had just seen off a lawyer demanding payment on the mortgage when he heard the System for the first time in months.[Permission to observe has been granted. Opening a one-time viewing passage.]He stood at once, still wearing his coat. His bedroom faded, replaced by a bright hospital corridor. Several family members waited outside a room, and someone pushed a folded stroller against the wall.He saw Ian first. The man came out to accept a bag, thanked the person handing it over, and quickly returned. The door didn’t close all the way. Elena’s voice reached the hallway.“She doesn’t need another hat. She’s not cold.”Matteo moved closer. Elena lay propped up in bed, pale, with her hair loosely tied back and a baby in her arms. Ian sat beside her, adjusted her pillow, and gently touched the child’s cheek.She looked up at him and smiled without hesitation. Simple wedding bands shone on their hands.“Get some sleep,” Ian told her. “I’ll hold her.”“You didn’t get m

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جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 13

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13