Todos os capítulos de I Paid Them Back in Memories: Capítulo 1 - Capítulo 10

“Sign here, Nora. Ivy needs to know what you’re willing to do for her.” My father turned the tablet toward me. At the other end of the dining table, my birthday dessert sat untouched beneath a pair of half-burned number candles.Ivy was in my usual chair, wrapped in my mother’s knitted shawl. A dressing covered the back of her hand where an IV had been removed. Years of being forced to suppress her shifts had damaged her nerves; her fingers trembled around her fork.I didn’t doubt she’d suffered. That afternoon, I’d gone with Mom to pick her up from the clinic. But nothing on the screen had anything to do with paying for her treatment.My first shift, running through the woods, anniversaries with Evan. Dad had divided the parts of my life I treasured most into four charges. A note at the bottom specified that loans and money I’d earned wouldn’t count toward payment.The total was $940,000, payable to Ivy Reed. A buyer’s estimate appeared beneath it. He’d even found a dealer who bought

Evan found me in the hotel lobby while I was printing my employment paperwork. He set a revised plan for the marking ceremony beside the computer and tapped the page for me to read.The ceremony would be delayed two years. During Ivy’s recovery, I was expected to accommodate all her reasonable needs. If I refused, our engagement would be reconsidered.“Since when do you get to make those rules?”“I’m your mate.” He pulled out a chair and sat beside me. “And Blackpine’s next Alpha. You can’t turn every disagreement into a public scene.”I touched the leather bracelet on my wrist. Evan had braided it himself. We’d been eighteen when we recognized each other as fated mates, and his wolf had been so excited he’d crashed through a section of the training fence. Later, he’d pressed his forehead to mine and promised that whatever happened, he’d always hear me out.His phone lit up beside the new conditions. Ivy wanted him to walk her into the welcome-home celebration. I watched him type his a

The woman closest to me gave a short, disbelieving laugh. Her hand was still raised, as if she expected me to let her touch me once she’d made her point. “Nora, I’m not in the mood for one of your little performances. It’s Mom.”I took the list of names from my folder and checked hers. “Martha Reed?”Her lips parted. No answer came, so I went on. “I’m here to settle the account. I need written confirmation that you’ve received the full nine hundred and forty thousand dollars.”The middle-aged man got to his feet. His expression hardened, as though I’d insulted him in front of everyone. “You won’t even call me Dad now?”“She doesn’t remember you.” Maeve laid the assessment on the table, where they could all see it. “Nora has authorized me to explain the results of her treatment. The memories of her family relationships with the Reeds, and her romantic relationship with Evan Kane, have all been extracted.”Evan caught my arm so abruptly that I flinched. “What do you mean, all of them?”M

The staff housing was behind Riverbend’s rehabilitation center. When I arrived, the nurse on duty was yawning over a medication inventory. She gave me my key and pointed me toward the fridge.“Leah said you’d been traveling. I saved you something. You don’t need to report in until ten tomorrow, so get some sleep first.”My room had a lock of its own and a fresh set of sheets, still in the packaging, beside the bed. I put down my bag and checked that the key worked. For the first time, I went to bed without opening the family chat to see what anyone wanted from me.The next day, I assessed a patrol member recovering from a knee injury. With my hands against his joint, I knew exactly which movements to check and what to record. I couldn’t remember who’d celebrated with me when I’d qualified to do this work. I paused, then finished my notes.Leah read the assessment and asked whether I could take over next week’s basic rehabilitation class. I said yes. I still knew enough to earn my own r

The hearing was on Friday. I finished work early and borrowed the computer in Leah’s office. On-screen, Grant wasn’t sitting at the head of the table. His Beta insignia lay in front of him. His report listed each payment he’d demanded and every time he’d refused to read the information about the potions.“I knew the memories were about her relationships with us,” he said. “I thought she’d never be able to bring herself to sell them. And I thought if she did start, we could end it whenever we wanted. We’d tell her she’d done enough.”The Alpha asked why he hadn’t stopped her when the second payment arrived. Grant sat without answering for a long time.“Because she hadn’t admitted she was wrong.”Martha covered her mouth and turned away from the camera. My representative shared Ivy’s messages. In one of them, she’d asked Grant if my memories of Evan could be included. He’d asked why.[If she remembers being the favorite, she’ll always think it’s unfair.]His agreement appeared immediatel