Tears welled in Camilla’s eyes as she heard Alaric words.
“Oh, sweetheart,” she said, her voice breaking “Why torture yourself like this?”
She reached for his hand, gripping it tightly.
“Stella worshipped the ground you walked on, and you couldn’t see it. Now she’s gone, and your’re hased by what might have heen for dreams wehring her back to you.”
Alaric stared at the ceiling, his jaw clenched.
This wasn’t just see longing induced fantasy. It felt like memory–visceral, precise, overwhelming in its detall.
The dream had been unnervingly real, as if he’d actually lived that lide.
In that other reality, be and Stella had also been engaged since childhood
But there, Stella hadn’t escaped to any aerospace facility. She had married him, just as everyone expected
And that version of himself that blind, selfish version–had never seen through Jenna’s manipulation or recognized his own feelings for Stella. As a result, he had treated his wife with casual cruelty for decades.
In twenty years of marriage, he had never once thought to buy her a gift, never planned a single date night
Their physical relationship had been cold and mechanical–a monthly obligation that only existed because Stella had requested it as her thirty fin birthday present, like someone starving asking for crumbs.
All while dream Maric remained obsessed with Jenna.
He hadn’t physically cheated, but he had given Jenna everything that should have belonged to his wife–his attention, his care, his heart.
This hollow mockery of marriage had dragged on for over twenty years.
Until his pharmaceutical company faced catastrophe when he was fifty–five.
Even that disaster had been linked to Jenna, by then married to a worthless trust fund playboy.
Dream Alaric, consumed with jealousy, had nonetheless handed her husband lucrative opportunities to ensure Jenna’s comfort.
The man had prien dangerously incompetent. A simple production line had become contaminated, resulting in medications that killed dozens
While Alaric had been drowning in the crisis, Jenna had called his at midnight during a thunderstorm, lang she was scared and alone with her husband away.
And dream–Alaric–pathetic, devoted fool that he was–had driven through a blizzard to comfort her.
The combination of icy roads, exhaustion, and urgency had been fatal.
Mfifty five, dream Alaric had died behind the wheel.
But death hadn’t been the end. His consciousness had lingered, forced to witness the aftermath of his wasted life
He had watched in helpless horror as Stella discovered the photo album hidden in his safe.
Page after page of Jenna–trom eighteen award, every milestone, every shared moment, meticulously documented and preserved like precious
artifacts
Dream Stella’s face as understanding dawned–that moment of clarity after decades of denial–had been unbearable to witnes
Then came the will, leaving everything to J
This detail wasn’t shocking to Alaric. His own plan had been identical–to ensure Jenna received his entire estate after his death.
Chapter 19
It was why he had planned to keep
to keep Stella on contraceptives–to make certain she never bore his children who might elami
And dream Alarie had executed this plan flawleydy
After nenty childless years, every penny had gone to Jenna.
Stella had been left with nothing but his debts–massive pharmaceutical liabilities.
own considerable wealth could have covered these debts.
But the victims‘ families, unaware of her personal fortune, had assumed she was a penniless widow abandoned by her husband even in death.
In their blind rage and grief, they had stabbed her to deaths
The agony and horror had jolted Alaric awake, gasping and disoriented.
-the one who had just awakened or the one who had watched his wife die
For several terrifying moments, he hadn’t known which Alaric he truly was—i because of his lifelong selfishness.
Now, lying in his hospital bed, his emotions were a hurricane–guilt, grief, confusion, and a desperate, clawing need to make things right somehow.
Chapter 20
Chapter 20
