“Look,” he said softly. “See that? All those buildings… they look small as hell from up here, right?”
I nodded, my vision blurry.
He pressed his forehead against mine, his voice rough but gentle. “That’s life, Danica. No matter how big something feels, it’s not bigger than you. You hear me? There’s no problem you can’t get through.”
His hand squeezed mine. “And you’re not doing it alone. You’ve got me. I’ll get you through anything. I swear.”
Back then… I believed him.
I really did but now I knew the truth. That nightmare… that pain… it started because of him.
...
The helicopter sound pulled me back to the present. I looked up, my eyes narrowing slightly. For a second, I thought I was imagining it.
But I wasn’t.
It landed right next door.
Another mansion.
Identical.
My chest tightened.
The ring in my hand buzzed faintly, and his voice came through.
“Shannon,” Felix said, calm, almost soft in a way I hadn’t heard in a long time, “you didn’t get to leave the villa before. But I’ve got something for you now. This place… it’s yours. Your anniversary gift.”
I stopped breathing.
“I’ll stay here with you today,” he added quietly.
Shannon laughed, bright and happy, like she’d just been handed the world.
At the same time, my phone lit up.
[Danica, I’ve got to meet a client about a project. Won’t be back until tomorrow night. Don’t wait up. Go have fun or whatever you want. If you need anything, call your husband. Love you.]
My fingers tightened around the phone.
A tear slipped down and blurred the word husband on the screen.
He could build the same life twice.
Same house. Same love. Same everything. But he could only belong to one woman.
And it wasn’t me.
Just one wall away, he was with his real wife.
And me? I felt like a dirty secret. Like something hidden in the dark. Like a mistress he couldn’t show the world. My chest hurt, but this time… I didn’t cry.
Not anymore.
It was almost over anyway.
I wiped my face and turned away from the mansion. I didn’t stay. I went home.
And I worked.
I picked up my instruments, both hands stiff but steady enough now, and forced myself to focus. I had only passed the preliminary stage. If I wanted to go further, I had to be better. Stronger. Faster.
Better than everyone else.
Maybe it was everything that had just happened… but decisions started coming to me fast. Sharp. Precise. Like pain had carved something open inside my mind, turning hesitation into instinct.