Page 185 of The Echo of Forever

“We dismantle the worst of it and make it clear that certain lines aren’t to be crossed.”

But leave the rest to continue suffering. The unspoken part of his proposal bothered me.

“I see,” I said, closing the briefcase. “And Demetrius’s role in all this?”

Lucien leaned back, studying me. “He asked to head up counsel for outside alliances, and I’m granting that wish. The more allies he can garner, the easier it will be to move forward with Amal’s plans. Slow and steady wins the race, Forever.”

They wanted to use my baby for the connections he’d already made, and I wasn’t feeling that. But that was fucking Everwood for you.

“Just so you know,” I started, standing to signal the end of our meeting. “I will kill you if something happens to my husband. Don’t make me shake this city to its core over my man, Lucien.”

He rose and buttoned his jacket, letting my threat hang free. It was what it was, but I meant what the fuck I said.

After the door closed behind him, I returned to my desk and pressed the intercom. “Carmen, can you come in, please?”

She appeared moments later, and I gestured for her to sit.

“Everything alright?” she asked.

I closed my eyes and rested my head on the desk, the cool surface soothing against my skin. When I spoke again, my voice was quieter than intended.

“Do you remember someone from our elementary school named Arabella Hartley?” I asked, lifting my head to meet her gaze.

Carmen frowned, confusion evident in her expression.

“I was home-schooled until the eighth grade,” she told me. “You were my only friend for the most part.”

All she did was remind me I didn’t remember shit about a lot of things and that it’d probably always be that way.

My head throbbed suddenly, a familiar pressure building behind my eyes. I massaged my temples, trying to ward off the incoming pain.

“Forever?” Carmen’s voice was laced with concern. “Should I call Demetrius?”

I shook my head. “No. I’m fine.”

But I wasn’t fine. It was maddening, the inability to remember important life events.

And yet…

Despite everything, I felt strangely content. My marriage to Demetrius had given me purpose. A center to orbit around when everything else felt uncertain. I knew I needed therapy to stay this way, to manage the migraines and the memory issues. But for the first time in a while, I had hope.

“Actually,” I said, looking up at Carmen. “I am fine. Really.”

She didn’t look convinced, but she nodded anyway. “If you say so.”

“I do.” I straightened in my chair. “Now, let’s talk about this security briefing.”

I made a silent promise to myself to personally be part of the fall of Solomon’s empire. Piece by piece, until nothing remained.Not just the parts that affected society, but all of it. Every girl, every victim, would be accounted for.

No matter how long it took.

CHAPTER 50

ECHO

Tristian madehimself at home after ambling in with a big ass smile on his face, reaching for Forever’s untouched plate like he hadn’t just eaten breakfast at his own house. His mother cooked every day.

This kid was something else, full of that typical Cannon confidence but with none of the baggage the rest of us carried. His eyes lit up at the sight of bacon and eggs, reminding me of what youth was supposed to look like. Something I never really got to experience.