1 The day I got married, Julian bombed the hotel to stop the wedding. He pulled me from the rubble with his bare hands. Seeing the amnesia in my eyes, he hid his wild joy and told me, his voice shaking, that he was the one I loved. For five years, Julian treated me like I was his entire world. And then, he got bored. He expertly slipped off his wedding ring and gently cupped his assistant's pregnant stomach. "Give me this child, and I'll give you my life," he whispered. "But the old rule stands. You don't ever let Eve find out." He didn't know his "little girl" secretly recorded the whole thing. She sent it to me with a taunt: Time to step aside, old woman. He really didn't know that the video had triggered my memory. And before Julian, my true love was a man named Griffin. Griffin was beautiful, but he was a possessive, vengeful psycho. And I was just like him. Julian was finished. … Julian was meticulous about hiding his little fling. Unfortunately for him, the fling had an ambition that matched her nerve. The girl, Summer, showed up at my house, pregnant and proud. "Eve. I'm having twins. The doctor said they're both boys." "Their daddy feels so bad for me, he rubs my feet every night. He has to wait until I'm asleep before he goes home to his... wife." "He said he just can't wait to meet them!" I smiled, a chill moving behind my eyes. "Did your 'daddy' ever tell you what kind of person I am?" If Julian was that eager to meet his kids, I should probably help him out. Thirty minutes later, a rush-order medical courier was dispatched to Julian's office. I sipped my tea and watched the live feed from his office security cam. When he first saw the box, his stern face melted. He thought it was from me. The second he opened it, his face turned to stone. Inside was a clinical report for an emergency D&C. And the... results. An hour later, Julian was home. Summer was on a lounger I'd had set up, sobbing the moment he walked in. "Julian! She killed our babies! The babies you wanted so much! You have to kill her! Kill that bitch!" A flicker of real pain crossed Julian's face. He grabbed my wrist, his voice tight, trying to control a rage I'd never heard. "Eve. She's just a kid. A recent graduate. How could you be so cruel?" It was the first time in five years he'd ever raised his voice to me. For another woman. I tossed my phone onto the table. The screen lit up with the videos. Julian cooing at Summer. Summer insulting me. Summer demanding he leave me. "Your 'kid' sent me those to provoke me. As your wife, I was... hurt. Don't I get to retaliate?" Julian froze. He shot Summer a look so cold it should have frozen her blood. Then, he knelt in front of me, his expression softening, taking my hand. "Eve, baby, you misunderstood." "I... I just didn't want you to go through the pain of childbirth. I was going to let her carry them, and then we would raise them. You and me." "I swear on my life, you are the only one I have ever loved." I believed him. When we'd first discussed kids, he'd signed up for one of those labor-pain simulators. It was the first and only time I'd ever seen Julian cry. He'd held me so tight afterward. "Eve, how can it hurt that much? We're not having kids. I won't let you go through that." So, because he couldn't bear to see me suffer... he let another woman carry his twins? I glanced over at Summer. Her eyes were wide, red, and full of disbelief. I laughed. "Wow, Julian. You're the cruelest one of all. You just stabbed us both with one sentence." "So. What now?" I asked. "The last time someone made me this upset, you ruined their family and had them run out of the city." His gaze passed over Summer, cold and indifferent. But I saw his hand tremble. He was quiet for a long time. "Eve," he said. "I'm apologizing... for her." "What will it take for you to forgive me, so I can get her out of here?" A wave of fury washed over me. All those pretty words, all that cold acting... and he was still protecting her. I swept a row of expensive vases off the mantle. They shattered. Julian didn't hesitate. He kicked off his own shoes. He walked across the broken porcelain, his feet bleeding, and lifted Summer into his arms. He carried her out, leaving a trail of bloody footprints. He's a psycho, but he's a pragmatist. In all the time I've known him, he's only ever been hurt for me. My gaze turned to ice. He didn't know I had my memory back. He didn't know that... god help me... I might have actually been falling for him. There were moments I'd thought... maybe I'd just stay lost with him. But now... A rotten man and the woman who stole him. I would make them both pay. … After that, Julian sent gifts daily. But he spent every night at Summer's. Tonight's excuse: a "last-minute business dinner." The second he hung up, a message from Summer came through. "Haha, you must regret it now, old woman. So what if you killed my babies? He just feels worse for me. He's at my place right now, cooking me dinner." The video showed Julian, in an apron, moving around a kitchen. He never cooked... until he met me. He'd learned from five-star chefs for me. And now he was making my favorite dishes for her. I could almost smell the food. I felt sick. He'd ruined my favorite meals. That bastard. Summer's voice was full of malice. "He also said he's going to give me another baby tonight. And you..." "You're finished, Eve." The message ended. At the same second, something smashed against my car window. I looked up. A dozen men with bats and neck tattoos were surrounding my car. "You're the one who messed with our girl Summer?" I smiled and calmly dialed Julian. As always, he picked up on the first ring. "Julian. Summer's wannabe gangster 'brothers' have me surrounded." His voice on the other end was... tired. "Eve, come on. Don't do this. She's just a college kid, she doesn't know..." I smiled. "I'm not going to fight back. Come or don't. Up to you." I hung up. The night air was cool. I just watched the traffic light, counting. It hadn't even cycled three times before he appeared. He'd hit traffic and just abandoned his car, running the last six blocks. He was bent over, panting, his chest heaving. I smiled a little. I had, of course, lied. The "thugs" were all on the ground, groaning. Julian stared at the mess, then at me. His jaw was clenched. Then his eyes found the small scratch on my leg. His anger just... deflated. He knelt in front of me, his touch impossibly gentle, and started cleaning the cut. "You just... you just do this because you know I love you," he muttered, half-angry, half-devastated. That... almost got me. I almost felt the need to explain. "I didn't stage this," I said. "Summer really did call them." Julian didn't even look up. "I asked her. She swore she didn't. She's... she's a very simple, honest girl, Eve. She's not like..." He stopped. But I heard it. Not like you. You're a calculating, vicious bitch. My face went blank. I pulled out my phone and called my lawyer, right in front of him. "Yes, I need divorce papers drawn up. I'll be there in twenty to sign." I shoved him out of the passenger seat and started the car. He just... stood in front of the car. The wind blew his hair back. His eyes were wild. "You want a divorce, Eve?" he bit out. "You'll have to drive through me to get it." The headlights lit up his insane expression. I looked him dead in the eye. And I hit the gas. The screech of tires was deafening. I stopped, the bumper inches from his knees. He hadn't moved. He just stared at me, a hot, crazy look in his eyes. "You psycho!" I hissed. I slammed the car in reverse and sped away. … A few days later, a new message from Summer. This time... she was apologetic. "Eve, I'm so sorry. I know what I did was wrong. Please, can you just give me a chance to make it right?" She sent an address. A rose garden. She wanted to apologize in person. I went. It was a massive estate. Summer was waiting by the gate, wearing a white dress, smiling. She used a key to let us in. And I froze. In the center of the garden was a giant, framed photo. It was her and Julian, tangled together, kissing in the roses. It was dated... five years ago. Before my amnesia. Summer's voice was light and airy. "Oh, Eve. I've known about you for ages. I even helped Julian figure out how to win you over." She'd known Julian long before I did. He'd sponsored her, helped her get out of her small town. She'd lived in his house. The entire manor was a shrine to them. My hands were numb. She giggled, pointing at my wedding ring. "Every gift he ever gave you? I helped him pick it out. Even that ring. It was my favorite design. He bought it for you, but he picked it with me." (She was lying. He'd given me twenty designs, and I'd chosen that one. But the fact that she'd been involved at all... it made me sick.) I slowly pulled the ring off my finger and tossed it into the rose bushes. Summer's smile widened. "He loved you so much. I was so jealous." "But, people get bored. So I just... waited. I told him I'd be here. I told him I didn't need anything, just... whatever scraps of love you didn't want." "And guess what?" She laughed, a high, giddy sound. "He slept with me!" "You were the one he chased, but now you're just... old news. He's tired of you, Eve." "So, do us all a favor. Get out." I stared at her. Then I smiled. "You're this much of a bitch? Oh, good." She frowned. "What?" "It means," I said, "that I don't have to feel guilty." I kicked over a rack of priceless, vintage wine. Then I took out a lighter. The small flame reflected in her terrified eyes. The manor went up in flames. Julian arrived, fast. He saw the fire, saw me, and saw Summer. Summer started screaming. "Julian, help me! The fire! Oh god, my babies! I just lost your babies because of her!" I just watched him. And I mouthed one word. "Choose." The fire lit up the agony on his face. He soaked himself with a garden hose... and ran toward her. As he ran, he yelled over his shoulder, "Eve! I know you! You can get yourself out of this! Summer can't!" He scooped Summer into his arms. Through the flames, she looked back at me and smiled in triumph. I just smiled back. And I didn't move. The fire grew. Julian, holding Summer, saw me. He hesitated. He looked at her, then at me. He cursed, dropped Summer on the lawn, and ran back into the inferno for me. He threw his wet jacket over my head and dragged me out. I was almost... disappointed. If he'd left me, the divorce would have been so clean. Only after I was safe did he go back for Summer. By then, a beam had fallen. It had crushed her leg. When he carried her out, she was hysterical. I knew he was angry. As he passed me, he shoved my shoulder, hard. "Guards," he snapped. "Take my wife. We're all going to the hospital." … Summer's leg was in a cast. "Julian," she whimpered, "don't be mad. It's not Eve's fault... and you didn't save me first, but it's okay, I'm just..." She was the perfect victim. Julian looked at her, his face full of guilt and adoration. He kissed her, right in front of me. Then he turned to me, his face hard. "Eve. You trespassed. You committed arson. You injured her. Apologize." I smiled. "No." Summer, of course, jumped in. "Julian, no, don't! Don't fight because of me!" She suddenly glanced at me, a flash of victory in her eyes, and did something on her phone. A second later, the doors to the room burst open. Reporters. Cameras. Microphones. "Mrs. Callahan! Is it true you're so jealous you attack any woman who works for your husband?" "Did you set the fire that injured Ms. Summer?" Julian panicked. He had spent five years—and a fortune—burying my identity. Hiding me. Creating false trails to send him on a wild goose chase around the world. He'd kept my face out of every paper, every website. He started toward me, to shield me. But Summer let out a pained cry. "Ow... Julian, my leg... I think I'm bleeding..." "It's... it's okay," she sobbed. "Go. Go to your wife. I can... I can crawl to a doctor. You're used to leaving me for her anyway..." Julian froze. He looked at me, through the chaos of the cameras. "You did this, didn't you?" he hissed. "You called them." "I'm not falling for it this time, Eve." "She's right. I've let you get away with too much." He turned his back on me. He scooped Summer up. "I'm sorry, Summer. I will never let her hurt you again." Over his shoulder, Summer gave me one last, triumphant smirk. She'd won. I leaned against the wall, almost laughing. Five years. He'd moved heaven and earth to keep me hidden. And one little assistant was all it took to make him give up. The door slammed shut. I turned to the cameras. I smiled. And I pushed my hair back, giving them a clear, perfect shot of my face. I knew he'd be watching. I knew, somewhere, he'd see this. And now, he would finally know where to find me. Griffin.
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "385555", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel