The Lie That Shouldn't Exist
756 Words
Emily barely made it out of the building before her legs started to feel weak.
The cold air of New York City hit her face, but it didn’t help.
Nothing could.
He didn’t remember.
Of all the things she had prepared herself for—
Anger.
Blame.
Rejection.
This?
This was worse.
Because now—
She was the only one carrying the truth.
Her phone buzzed in her hand.
Jason.
She hesitated… then answered.
“Hey.”
“You sound like you just saw a ghost,” Jason said immediately.
Emily let out a quiet breath. “I might as well have.”
Silence.
Then—
“You saw him.”
Not a question.
She leaned against the side of the building. “He doesn’t remember me.”
“What?”
“He looked at me like I was nothing,” she whispered. “Like we never—”
She stopped herself.
Jason’s tone dropped. “That doesn’t make sense.”
“I know.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes,” she said firmly. “If he remembered… he wouldn’t be that calm.”
Jason exhaled slowly.
“Then something’s wrong.”
Her grip tightened on the phone.
“Or something’s being hidden,” he added.
That thought—
Sent a chill through her.
“I should leave,” she said suddenly. “Before this gets worse.”
“And go where?” Jason asked. “You just got the job.”
“I’ll find something else.”
“Emily,” he said firmly, “you didn’t come all the way back just to run again.”
Her chest tightened.
Because he was right.
She didn’t come back for a job.
She came back because something never sat right about the past.
Because the way everything ended—
Didn’t make sense.
“I need to think,” she said quietly.
“Then think,” Jason replied. “But don’t disappear again.”
She didn’t answer.
Because that had always been her instinct.
“Call me later,” he added.
“I will.”
The line went dead.
Emily looked back at the building.
Tall.
Silent.
Dangerous.
“Maybe this is a mistake,” she whispered.
But her feet didn’t move.
Back Inside Kane Global
Alexander Kane stood exactly where she had left him.
Still.
Unmoving.
His gaze fixed on the closed door.
Something felt… off.
Not obvious.
Not clear.
But there.
“Sir?”
Vanessa stepped inside, watching him carefully.
“You hired her quickly,” she noted.
Alexander didn’t respond immediately.
“Something about her,” he said slowly.
Vanessa’s eyes sharpened slightly.
“Yes?”
He frowned faintly.
“I’ve seen her before.”
There it was.
A crack.
Small.
But real.
Vanessa smiled lightly, masking the tension in her chest.
“I reviewed her file. Nothing unusual.”
Alexander turned to face her.
“People don’t feel familiar for no reason.”
Her expression remained calm.
“Maybe she reminds you of someone.”
A pause.
A dangerous one.
Because for a second—
That explanation almost worked.
But then—
A flash.
Quick.
Sharp.
Gone.
A memory.
A hand in his.
A voice.
Her voice.
Soft.
Close.
“You promised me, Alexander…”
His jaw tightened instantly.
“What was that?” he muttered.
Vanessa stilled. “What?”
He shook his head slightly.
“Nothing.”
But it wasn’t nothing.
And they both knew it.
“Keep an eye on her,” he said finally.
Vanessa’s lips curved slightly. “Of course.”
Later That Evening
Emily stood in her small apartment, staring at the envelope in her hand.
Old.
Worn.
Hidden for years.
She hadn’t opened it since the day she left.
She wasn’t supposed to.
She wasn’t ready to.
But now—
Nothing made sense anymore.
Her fingers trembled slightly as she opened it.
Inside—
A document.
Folded carefully.
Protected like something fragile.
Or dangerous.
She unfolded it slowly.
And there it was.
Clear.
Undeniable.
Official.
Marriage Certificate.
Her name.
His name.
Emily Carter.
Alexander Kane.
Her breath caught.
“He doesn’t remember…”
But this?
This was real.
This couldn’t be ignored.
A second paper slipped out.
She hadn’t noticed it before.
Smaller.
More personal.
A note.
Handwritten.
Her heart started racing as she unfolded it.
And the moment she read the first line—
Everything inside her froze.
“If anything happens to me… do not come back.”
Her hands shook.
Because she knew that handwriting.
She knew it too well.
It was his.
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