Reborn for him

Chapter 10:The First Promise

Emma's POV

Alexander's study was quieter than I expected.

A fire burned in the hearth, casting warm light across the shelves and dark wooden furniture. Documents covered the desk, and a map of the Blackthorn territory hung on the wall.

I stood beside the window while Alexander read the information I had brought him.

When he finally looked up, his expression was grave.

“If Daniel is involved, this may be more serious than I thought.”

“I believe he is.”

“Belief isn't proof, Emma.”

“I know.”

He placed the papers on the desk.

“We'll need evidence before we confront him. Until then, you must be careful about what you say to Sophia.”

“I understand.”

“And you must not approach Gareth.”

I frowned.

“Have you found him?”

“Not yet. But we know he is connected to the missing records.”

I wanted to tell Alexander that Gareth was more than a suspicious name on a list. I wanted to explain that the conspiracy would eventually lead to a moment when Alexander would stand between me and a gunman.

But the future was still uncertain.

Every choice I made could change what happened next.

“I won't approach him,” I promised.

Alexander studied me.

“You've changed.”

My heart stopped.

“What do you mean?”

“When we first discussed the possibility of an engagement, you seemed uncomfortable whenever anyone mentioned my family. Now you're risking your safety to help protect it.”

I lowered my gaze.

“I was wrong about you.”

“Who convinced you that you were right?”

I knew the answer.

“Daniel.”

Alexander's jaw tightened.

“And now?”

“Now I'm trying to think for myself.”

He was silent for several seconds.

Then he walked toward the window and stood beside me.

“Emma, I need you to understand something. I cannot promise that life with me will be easy. My responsibilities come first, and there will always be people who want to use my position against me.”

“I know.”

“You may be frightened. You may become angry with me. There may be times when you think I've chosen my duties over you.”

The words hurt because I knew how much he had sacrificed in his previous life.

I turned toward him.

“I don't expect you to be perfect, Alexander. I only want you to be honest with me.”

He searched my face.

“And what do you offer in return?”

The answer came from somewhere deep inside me.

“The truth.”

It wasn't entirely true. I was still hiding the greatest truth of all.

But I intended to stop hiding behind other people's lies.

Alexander held my gaze.

“Then let us begin there.”

He extended his hand.

I stared at it.

In my first life, he had offered me his hand on our wedding day. I had taken it reluctantly, believing that I was surrendering my freedom.

Now I understood that he had been offering me something precious.

A partnership.

A chance to stand beside him.

I placed my hand in his.

His fingers closed gently around mine.

The contact sent a shiver through me.

For a moment, I could almost remember another life in which his hand had grown cold inside mine.

I tightened my grip.

Alexander noticed.

“Emma?”

“I'm all right.”

He didn't look convinced.

But he didn't pull away.

Instead, he said, “I cannot promise you that I'll trust you immediately.”

“I wouldn't ask you to.”

“Trust takes time.”

“Then I'll give you time.”

His expression softened slightly.

“And if I discover that you've been lying to me?”

The question struck the very center of my heart.

I looked at him, knowing that one day the truth about my impossible rebirth might come between us.

“Then I'll accept the consequences.”

He studied me for a long moment before releasing my hand.

“Very well.”

It wasn't a declaration of love.

It wasn't forgiveness.

But it was a beginning.

When I left Blackthorn Estate, the sun was setting.

I had taken only a few steps toward the carriage when a messenger hurried through the gates.

“Miss Emma?”

I turned.

He held out a folded note.

“This was delivered for you.”

I opened it.

The handwriting was unfamiliar.

You have been warned once. Stay away from Alexander Wolfe, or the next message will be delivered in blood.

My fingers went numb.

For several seconds, I couldn't move.

Then I folded the note and slipped it into my pocket.

The threat was no longer subtle.

Someone wanted me away from Alexander.

Someone was frightened by my attempts to change the future.

I looked back at the estate.

Behind those walls lived the man I had once lost.

The man who had died because I failed to protect him.

I would not abandon him now.

I would not let Daniel or anyone else decide whom I could love.

I climbed into the carriage and closed the door.

As the wheels began to turn, I pressed my hand against my chest.

“I'm coming for you,” I whispered to the unseen enemies watching us.

“Every secret. Every lie. Every person who wants to hurt you.”

The carriage rolled into the night.

And somewhere beyond the territory, someone was already preparing the next move in a game that had begun long before I returned to life.

I had ten chapters' worth of memories of the future.

But the future itself was changing.

And I was beginning to understand that saving Alexander Wolfe might demand more from me than I had ever imagined.