Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 94092 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94092 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
I stare at her in astonishment and confusion. “Your painting is ruined?”
“Yes, Sara threw a pot of ink all over it.”
Fury surges, hot and sharp through me, my jaw clenching. “That vindictive bitch. What exactly happened? Tell me. How did things escalate to this level?”
Amelia’s eyes widen, then harden, a flicker of anger matching mine. “She attacked me in the conservatory. I confronted her about Jason, about the painting, and then she showed me a video of us… in the pool. She planned it, Max, from the very beginning. She set us up to blackmail you. I told her we’re not related, and that she wouldn’t have any power over you, and that’s when she hit me in the head and I fell unconscious.”
She stops and clutches my hand. “Where is Jason now though? I am worried that she could have done even worse to him."
"It’s okay. Jason is safe. He’s with Tom. Jason was the one who came to tell me about you being pushed into the lake by Sara. Tom saved you. It makes sense now why she instantly came to me after doing what she did to you. Sweetheart, don’t worry. She’s done,” I say, my voice now deadly calm. “She’s not touching you or Jason ever again. I’ll make sure of it. I swear it."
Amelia’s hand squeezes mine, her eyes fierce and brimming with love. “Max, I love you. I’ve always loved you, since that summer. I'm sorry I hesitated. I’m sorry I kept it from you that we're not related. I was just trying to do what I thought was best for you and Jason. I promise you now that no one—no lie, no threat—will keep us apart again. I swear it.”
I lean in, kissing her. I try my best to be soft, but I can’t help the urgency of my mouth. Her lips are warm and taste of whatever meds they pumped into her, and this kills me more.
“I love you, Amelia,” I murmur against her mouth. “No more secrets, no more running. We’re together, forever, and I’ll fight the whole damn world to make it happen.”
She nods, tears spilling, her smile bright despite the big purple bruise forming around her left eye and cheek.
“Forever,” she whispers, her hand cupping my face, her thumb brushing my cheek. “You, me, and Jason. We’ll be a real family. It’s almost surreal and I can hardly believe it."
"Neither can I," I respond.
I kiss her again, deeper, my heart soaring, the weight of years lifting.
The hospital ward fades, the beeping monitors become a distant hum… and it’s just us. Again. Our love empowers me, makes me feel like I have the world in control once again. And now I am ready to fight. To fight to create the home that we both deserve with each other.
I’ll guard with my life this fire that nothing can douse.
Chapter
Forty-Eight
MAX
The house is strangely still when I step into the foyer under dawn’s pale glow. My pulse is steady as I climb the stairs and head toward the master bedroom. It's time to confront Sara.
I am suspiciously calm, and I really hope I won’t blow up. It would be a crying shame if I lost it and murdered her the way she tried to murder Amelia. I’ve been thinking all night for an amicable solution, and everything in me refuses to give her even an inch. She was prepared to kill Amelia. I want to hurt her the same way she tried to hurt me, but for the sake of Jason, I have to reconsider.
I have to rein in my temper and remember that she is still his mother.
When I arrive in our bedroom, the door’s half-open. I push it open and find Sara there, her blonde hair yanked back in a messy knot. The room is a mess. She’s packing, her hands shoving dresses into a suitcase—silk and cotton spilling over the bed. Clearly, she has not found out that Amelia has been rescued. Eventually, she notices me, and I see the shock in her eyes. She tries her best to compose herself.
“Max,” she says, her voice cool, like she’s already won the game that we are both now playing. “I’m almost done here.” She folds a blouse, her fingers deliberate, and she finally straightens and faces me. “I’m taking Jason like I told you. We're leaving today. This morning even."
I would have been amused if I weren’t so furious.
”Jason," I say reflectively. "Do you even know where he is?"
She frowns at me. "He's in his room, of course. Where else would he be?"
Her words drip with venom, and it all makes me feel so exhausted. I head over to the bed and sit on the edge of the bed. "You don't even know where your son is. You truly must have been preoccupied with packing all night."