Page 113 of The Broken Keys

“Lily, maybe we should wait until the doctor says it’s okay to fill in these gaps.”

“No! I’m sick of everyone treating me like I’m made of glass that’ll shatter if you breathe too hard. If there’s something I need to know about my very successful fashion business that I somehow built from nothing, then someone better start talking right now.”

The four of them fall silent again. Great. I need them to help me, and they’ve all gone mute.

And judging by the way Callum is staring at me like he’s witnessing his entire world prepare to crumble, and by the way my heart hammers against my chest hard enough that the monitor betrays every accelerated beat, some part of me that still remembers is absolutely terrified of finding out the truth.

I’m not known for being timid, so I press past my fear. “Callum, what are you hiding from me?”

Chapter Twenty-Four

CALLUM/CASH

Now

Ghosts On Quartz & Three Brutal Kicks

Sometimes the hardest truths are tests you’re not expecting.

“Lily, I’m not hiding things from you. I’m just trying to listen to the doctor’s orders.” My insides wrench down.

I have no idea how to navigate this situation in a way that honors her well-being and is honest.

Jaxon may be the man I owe my current life to, but I don’t want him around Livianna right now. Not when she’s in a delicate place.

“Darling.” Her mom shifts closer to her. “Please, try to calm down.”

“I will once someone tells me about how I got here.” Livianna fakes a laugh. “And how did you get Jaxon Crowne to help me? He’s rude and thinks I’m some silly?—”

“Livianna, that’s not the case anymore.” Greg squeezes her covered knee.

I find it interesting that Livianna seems to hold bitterness about Jaxon. It cuts through the room and carves trenches intothe silence that follows. Her family stands frozen, unsure how to navigate this minefield without setting off another explosion.

And me? My lungs refuse to expand properly. Every breath I force in presses against my ribs because I know something they don’t.

The man she thinks can’t stand her? He’s in love with her and is the father of the baby she just lost. My insides empty. I’m a complete dick for keeping this from her.

Livianna’s heart monitor betrays her accelerating pulse. The beeping climbs faster with each passing second. Her chest rises and falls too quickly. Panic is building again, and if I don’t redirect this conversation right now, she’s gonna spiral.

They’ll knock her out with a sedative again. And I’d rather have her awake, calm, and speaking to me.

“Lily.” I push off from the door frame and position myself closer to her bedside without crowding her. “Your business isn’t going anywhere. We don’t need to figure everything out today.”

Her blue eyes snap to mine, something desperate flickering behind them. “But how am I supposed to just accept that I don’t recognize my own life?”

“You take it one day at a time.” I keep my tone steady even though everything in me wants to punch through a wall. “Focus on getting out of this hospital first. Everything else can wait.”

“Cash is right, darling.” Lorna wrings her hands together. “You need to heal before we overwhelm you with business details.”

“I’m already overwhelmed.” Livianna throws her head back and glares at the ceiling. “Five years are just gone. How do I get them back?”

Greg exchanges a weighted glance with Lorna. “The doctor said your memories might return gradually, or theymight not return at all. We have to prepare for both possibilities.”

“That’s not helpful, Daddy.” Livianna’s voice cracks, and she brings her sad gaze to her pops. “I need answers, not possibilities.”

Bren uncrosses his arms. “What you need is rest, Livianna. You’ve been awake for less than an hour and you’re already pushing yourself too hard.”

“Because everyone keeps talking around me instead of to me.” A tear slides down her cheek, and she bats it away. “I’m not a child. Stop treating me like I’m going to break.”