Chapter 28
Samantha left without asking anyone to see her off.
Julian handed her the deed to his estate in Aspenridge and made sure money would be wired to her account on the first of every month.
He couldn’t give her the role of a partner, but he’d offer her whatever a family or a protector could. Whatever she’d let him give.
Nina didn’t hear about Samantha’s departure until the next day. A roaming message from her arrived on Nina’s phone:
[Thank you for looking after Julian these past weeks. The exhibit opens in days-
I wish I could be there to see it. If you can, please keep an eye on it. On him, too.
Thank you, for everything.]
Nina stared at the message for a while, then exhaled a long breath.
She felt for Samantha, truly. But empathy had its limits. She couldn’t live the weight of her grief for
her. That tragedy had shattered Julian, yes—but it had also trapped Samantha in its debris.
As an outsider, Nina had no place to interfere. All she could do was wish her peace, and hope she’d
one day find a life of her own.
Three days later, the exhibition opened.
Whatever storms she and Julian had weathered, none of it dulled her excitement. This was the kind
of exhibit she used to dream of. The kind she’d once tried and failed to bring to life.
She paused under the entrance arch, her gaze falling on the theme embossed in gold on the banner
above.
The name sent a jolt of white light through her mind.
She knew it. She was sure of it. Somewhere in the recesses of her memory, it had lived before–but
no matter how she tried, she couldn’t trace the thread back.
Pressing her lips together, she stepped into the gallery, hoping to catch any last–minute issues before the doors opened.
But the moment she entered, the entire space lit up.
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reflected the glow from overhead lights, scattering kaleidoscopic patterns across the walls and ceiling. It felt like stepping into a dream–a world stitched together by light and glass and
shimmer.
Nina stood frozen, eyes wide. Dead center on the main platform sat a sapphire ring, nestled in a navy velvet box.
She moved toward it, almost hypnotized.
That design–it was hers.
One she had drafted years ago but never had time or funds to bring to life. She remembered the sketchbook, the faded corners, the ink bleeding through pages.
A pair of footsteps echoed behind her.
Her heart skipped.
Julian’s voice was quiet, steady. It came from just behind her ear.
“Nine years ago, you told me—if someone ever managed to create every piece in that sketchbook, you’d wear your wedding dress and marry them, no questions asked. I did it. I made them all. So… will you come back to me?”
Nina blinked.
The memory opened like a book long buried in dust. She’d just graduated then, frustrated by rejection after rejection, venting to Julian as he sat beside her on the dorm steps.
He hadn’t said much that night. Just listened with that patient, unreadable smile.
She never imagined he’d carry that promise with him for nearly a decade.
Now the words caught in her throat, tangled in the light and the sudden weight in her chest. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out..
Julian kept speaking, slowly, like he was reading from a vow written long ago.
“I started the company for you. You once said you wanted a theme park that stayed open twenty–four hours, just for you I bought it. You said you wished actors should play the roles they loved–now they can.”
“I remembered everything. Not to prove anything. Just hoping one day… you’d come home.”
Tears pricked at the backs of her eyes. Her hand curled into a tight fist at her side. Her voice came low, almost trembling.
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“Mr. Ford… you’ve got the wrong person.
She turned to face him. Her lips curved into a gentle smile.
“I’m Hayden Monroe. The woman you loved died three years ago. What’s the point of doing all this for a ghost?”
She was smiling–but her eyes, despite all her effort, were damp with unshed pain.
Julian didn’t speak right away. He simply looked at her, gaze dark and steady.
Then, his lips tilted in a faint, almost sorrowful curve.
“I know it’s you,” he whispered.
He lifted his hand. Cool fingertips brushed beneath her chin.
“I’d never mistake you for anyone else.”
His voice dropped to a breath.
“Nina… The second I saw you, I knew. You came back to me,”
AC
