Chapter 22
But each time , she never came . Nina froze . Suddenly , her mind jolted back to the last conversation she'd had with Julian before she fully disappeared . " Figures . You only ever show up when I'm dying , " he'd said , and the words hit her like a sledgehammer to the chest . Suddenly , it all made sense . The scars on his wrist . The hospital records . He hadn't wanted to die . He'd just wanted to see her one more time . Nina couldn't speak .
It felt like a blade was twisting inside her , slow and merciless . She curled her fingers into her palms , forcing the sharp sting to anchor her , to drown out the ache . Her voice , when it came , was low . Distant . " What's that got to do with me ? " Samantha didn't answer . Her eyes were red - rimmed , but she kept talking like she couldn't stop . " I tried everything , " she whispered . " I begged . I threatened . I used guilt . I told him my parents would want us married .
I hoped it would spark something - anything . But even then , he stayed hollow . " She paused , then gave a broken laugh . " Until one day , I found a letter . At Nina Carter's house . It was addressed to Julian . " Nina stiffened . Samantha continued , her voice quieter now . " In the letter , she asked him to finish her dreams . The ones she never got to live out . That's when he came back to life . That's why he started the company." She let out a shaky breath , but Nina just stared at her , stunned . Because none of that made sense . She'd never written a letter like that . Not to Julian . Not to anyone . A farewell letter ? Then it hit her . A flash of white . Blood in the bathtub . Julian's pale face . A desk. A ring . She was writing something - yes , she'd written something ! But the moment she tried to recall the words , pain exploded in her skull . She gripped the edge of the table to keep from collapsing .
Samantha kept talking . " He's still here , technically . Alive . But there are days I swear his soul is long gone . Until he saw you . Since then … there's been something different . Some flicker of life . " She looked at Nina with misty eyes . " I don't care if you're just a stand - in or a ghost in his mind . Hayden … I'm begging you . Help me bring him back . " Nina didn't speak . The pain in her head came and went like waves crashing against bone . She stood in silence for a long time before finally saying , quietly , " I'm sorry . I can't . " Chapter 23 30.26 % Later , in the stairwell , Nina leaned against the railing , phone pressed to her ear . Sunlight spilled through the window , casting golden streaks on the floor . Lysander's voice came through , flat and unreadable . " Why did you refuse ? " Nina gazed out at the sunlit sky , her thoughts far away . " I don't know , " she murmured .
" When I heard what Julian's been through these past three years , I … I wanted to tell him everything . I really did . " " But then it felt like someone whispered in my ear - Don't say yes . " " She said , ' You got a second chance at life . Don't waste it living for someone else . This time … live for you . " " There was a pause on the other end . Then Lysander let out a low chuckle , almost inaudible . " Guess you're not as dumb as you used to be . " Nina ignored his usual bite. "Still," she said , " I remembered something today . " . " I think … I wrote a letter once . At my desk . I put a ring inside the envelope . But I can't remember the design . Or the words I wrote . " " What do you think it means ? " Lysander was silent for a beat . Then he said , " Maybe your wish … was to get married . Maybe that'll help jog more memories . " Nina frowned . " Married ? To who ? " There was another long silence. She thought the line had gone dead - until his voice came back , hoarse and quiet . " To me.
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