Chapter 6 - The Ghost of Cedarhaven
The ride back to the estate was agonizing in its silence. The estate medic stitched the cut on Lily's forehead, but she refused any painkillers, her eyes glued to the window.
When the armored SUV pulled through the gates of Cedarhaven, Lily gasped. Her hand reached out, touching the cold glass as she stared at the sprawling, gothic mansion.
"I've... I've been here," she whispered, touching her temple as if it burned.
Bennett watched her closely from the opposite seat. "You designed the rose gardens, Lily. You picked out the marble in the foyer."
She squeezed her eyes shut. "Stop calling me that. I had a severe head injury five years ago. Car accident. I woke up in a hospital in Ohio with no memory, pregnant, and terrified. I built a life for myself. For Mia."
"It wasn't an accident," Bennett said gently. "You were targeted because of me. I thought you were dead. I died that day too, Lily."
The doors opened. Before Bennett could help her out, a tiny blur of pink vaulted down the mansion steps.
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"Mommy!"
Lily dropped to her knees on the gravel, catching Mia in a fierce, desperate embrace, burying her face in her daughter's hair. Bennett watched them, a massive lump in his throat. He had his family back, but the woman he loved was locked behind a wall of trauma and shattered memories. He swore in that moment that he would spend the rest of his life tearing that wall down, brick by brick.
