ELIA PARKER POV:
The next few days were a blur of paperwork, the final bureaucratic steps to officially close the book on Jillian Henry' s fictitious life. Each signature, each filed document felt less like a chore and more like a ritual, cleansing the last vestiges of a past I had willingly shed. I handled it all with a detached efficiency, my emotions carefully walled off. There was no grief, only a quiet satisfaction in severing the final threads.
After the last document was signed, I found myself in a high-end boutique, surrounded by shimmering silks and sparkling jewelry. My new family. My real family. They deserved something special. Javier, for his unwavering love; Daisy, for her bright, innocent joy; Gabriel, for his profound kindness; and Derrick, for his quiet, steadfast protection. Shopping, once a trivial distraction, had become a quiet balm, a way to anchor myself in the present, in the abundant happiness of my current life.
As I considered a delicate silver bracelet for Daisy, my phone buzzed with an incoming text. An unknown number. My fingers, accustomed to the subtle hum of impending trouble from my past life, hesitated. But something compelled me to open it.
The message was brief, impersonal, yet immediately recognizable. The tone, the casual assumption of familiarity, screamed "Wells Family." My stomach clenched, a familiar wave of nausea washing over me.
"Hope you' re doing well after your little cemetery visit. Benson wants to see you. We' re having dinner at the Grand Regency Ballroom tonight. Don' t be late."
No signature, but the implied sender was clear: Kolby. The Grand Regency. My smile was bitter. It was the same ballroom where Wells & Associates had hosted its annual corporate gala, the very event where I was supposed to present my groundbreaking designs, before they framed me. And it was also where Javier and I had attended a charity event just last month. The irony was a cruel twist of the knife.
I read the message again, the words grating against my nerves like sand. "Cemetery visit." "Benson wants to see you." "Don' t be late." A command, not an invitation. A demand, born of their entitlement and delusion.
My thumb hovered over the delete button. This was a trap. Another attempt to drag me back into their toxic orbit. I pictured Kolby, his face a mixture of desperation and veiled threat. He wouldn' t relent. They never did.
I pressed delete. Responding would only acknowledge their twisted game. I finished my shopping, my heart beating a little faster, the metallic taste of apprehension lingering in my mouth. My inner calm fractured, replaced by a subtle hum of unease.
The moment I stepped out of the boutique, the harsh afternoon light blinding me for a split second, a sleek black Bentley silently pulled up to the curb, blocking my path. My heart pounded. It was one of their cars. The custom tinted windows, the specific model-Wells & Associates.
Before I could react, the passenger door flew open. A large hand clamped around my wrist, yanking me forward with brutal force. My shopping bags, filled with gifts for my beloved family, tumbled to the pavement, their contents spilling onto the dirty concrete. A delicate silk scarf, meant for Daisy, fluttered away like a dying bird.
I gasped, stumbling, my body colliding with the plush leather seats of the Bentley. The door slammed shut, plunging me into a suffocating darkness. The car surged forward, leaving my scattered belongings, and the last shred of my composure, behind.
"What the hell, Kolby?!" I snapped, my voice sharp with shock and fury. My eyes, still adjusting to the dim interior, confirmed my assailant's identity. Kolby Wells, his face grim, his grip still tight on my arm.
He glanced at me, his eyes dark. "Jillian. It's been a while, hasn't it?"
"Too long," I retorted, shaking off his hand. "And it seems you've learned nothing about personal space, or consent. Is this how you conduct your business now? Kidnapping?"
He flinched, but quickly recovered. "Don't be dramatic. Uncle Benson needs to see you. He insisted. You didn't respond to my texts, so I had to take matters into my own hands."
"My shopping is ruined," I said, a cold edge to my voice. "Those were gifts for my daughter. I hope you're prepared to replace them. With interest."
"You can buy new things," he scoffed, waving a dismissive hand. "This is more important. Uncle Benson isn't well. He's been asking for you."
"Oh, has he?" I leaned back in the seat, crossing my arms. "And what does his precious Caitlyn have to say about that? Last I checked, she was his favorite. The 'brilliant' architect who stepped into my shoes, remember? The one who supposedly brought Wells & Associates out of the scandal I caused?"
Kolby's jaw tightened. "Caitlyn is very successful. She's revitalized the firm. But she's also sensitive. This whole situation with you... it's upsetting her."
"Upsetting her?" I laughed, a bitter, hollow sound. "That woman thrives on upsetting people. She manipulated you, Kolby. She played Benson like a fiddle. She stole my designs, then framed me, all while batting her pretty little eyelashes and feigning fragility. She's a snake, Kolby, and you're too blind to see it."
"That's enough!" Kolby barked, his knuckles white on the steering wheel. "You always said terrible things about Caitlyn. She's a good wife, a good mother, and she's done wonders for the company."
"Wonders, you say?" I challenged, a smirk playing on my lips. "Like convincing you that my architectural plans were hers? Or charming a network of clients you couldn't land yourself? She's a master illusionist, Kolby. And you're her most loyal assistant."
He fell silent, his knuckles still white. I remembered a time, long ago, when Kolby and I were children. We'd built sandcastles together on the beach, innocent dreams of towering structures. He'd always been envious of my natural talent, even then, but there was a flicker of something else, too-a shared past, a bond of childhood.
"Remember that treehouse we built?" Kolby said, his voice surprisingly soft, breaking the tense silence. "You drew up the blueprints, even then. I just handed you the nails."
A sudden, sharp pang hit me. A memory of laughter, of scraped knees, of a genuine connection. But that Kolby was long gone, replaced by this bitter, opportunistic stranger.
"I remember," I replied, my voice devoid of warmth. "And I remember you watching silently as Benson tore it down to build a new guest house for Caitlyn's parents. You didn't say a word when I cried."
His face hardened again. "That's unfair, Jillian. I was a kid. You were always so intense." He paused, taking a deep breath. "Look, we used to be close. We were family. Can't we just... talk? About the good old days?"
"There are no 'good old days' with you, Kolby," I said flatly. "Just a long road of your mediocrity and my eventual betrayal."
His shoulders slumped slightly, an almost imperceptible shift. "Where are you taking me?" I asked, my voice cutting off his silent contemplation.
"To the Grand Regency," he said, his eyes meeting mine in the rearview mirror, a defiant glint in them now. "Uncle Benson wants you there. He wants to talk. And Caitlyn... she's very keen to see you."
