I Faked My Death, But He Never Let Go

Chapter 1

Calista Ellery was dead.

Thrown from the 29th floor, she slammed into the pavement so hard her features were completely unrecognizable.

Rumors swirled that she'd killed herself after her wealthy sugar daddy dumped her...

No one knew the truth. The man she'd loved with all her heart had tricked her, sending her tumbling into a living hell there was no escaping from.

Later, that scumbag who'd caused her brutal death ended up with a broken leg. His company went belly‑up, drowning in hundreds of millions of dollars in debt. He finally jumped off a building to end his own miserable life.

In front of her grave stood Emrys Calder, her foster uncle, who'd never acted as if he cared for her. Dressed all in black, his hand curled so tight around the handle of a black umbrella that angry veins bulged under his skin.

But when he spoke, his voice was as soft and gentle as it had been when he comforted her as a little kid.

"Calista, the pain's over now. Everyone who hurt you is dead."

Only then did Calista realize Emrys had been the one to avenge her.

The next time she opened her eyes, she was back three years in the past, right before she'd left Emrys's side...

*****

Dawncrest Manor blazed with light, every window lit up so bright it looked like daytime. Prism Magazine was hosting a charity gala on the premises. Half the entertainment industry's A‑listers had turned out, and the place was packed with scions of old‑money families and flashy new‑money magnates alike.

At that moment, Calista was sitting in front of a vanity mirror, finally snapping out of the stunned fog that had wrapped around her since she'd realized she'd been reborn.

Suddenly, rapid footsteps thudded outside the door. Her agent and boyfriend, Finlo Rainier, burst into the room. He grabbed her hand and tugged her toward the banquet hall, rattling off plans as he went.

"Every person here tonight is a big shot. I'm gonna introduce you to a living legend in the acting industry later, so you'd better make a good impression."

This familiar scene and those words felt as fresh as if they'd happened just yesterday. The memories were seared into her very bones, and she trembled from head to toe.

Calista was the only daughter of a wealthy Haleysford businessman, raised in the lap of luxury, doted on by everyone around her.

But fate had other plans. Her family's fortunes crumbled overnight, and she'd entered the entertainment industry to pay off her father, Gideon Ellery's debts.

Never in a million years did she think the man she loved with all her heart would trick her into signing a grossly unfair contract, then scheme to send her to another man's bed.

When she'd confronted him, broken and hysterical, he'd grabbed her and thrown her off the top floor of the building without a second thought...

The terror of plummeting a hundred meters through the air, the searing, all‑consuming pain of her bones shattering and body smashing to pieces on impact—and that agony was still so fresh it made her shake uncontrollably even now.

With a sharp c***k, Calista wrenched her hand out of Finlo's grip so hard her wrist stung. "I'm not going," she said. "Finlo, we're done. I'm terminating my contract with you."

Finlo's eyebrows snapped together in a harsh frown, but he forced himself to keep his tone steady. He asked, "Calista, what's your problem this time? Don't you want to make more money to pay off your family's debts?"

After dying once already, hearing him spout that same old "it's for your own good" garbage now sent a cold, revolting shiver crawling down her spine.

She was about to say something else when a voice up ahead caught her ear as someone said, "Mr. Calder."

Calista looked over. A short distance away, Emrys stood in a crisp, tailored suit, his face cold and impassive as he listened to the people around him grovel and flatter.

Fifteen years ago, Aldric Ellery had brought home the orphaned son of a fallen comrade‑in‑arms and adopted him, making him Calista's foster uncle.

In her past life, after she'd died, it was Emrys who'd arranged her funeral and avenged her.

The memory of all that made Calista's nose sting, and hot tears pricked the back of her eyes.

Fate had finally done her a favor, giving her a second shot at life. This time around, she wasn't just going to make that scumbag Finlo pay for every last thing he'd done. She was going to stay by Emrys's side.

She couldn't hold back the surge of emotion any longer. "Uncle Emrys!" She sprinted straight toward him and crashed into his chest, wrapping her arms tight around his waist.

Emrys blinked in faint surprise at the girl who'd just thrown herself into his arms.

"Calista?" he murmured. His sharp, icy gaze flicked past Finlo first before he looked away, his face settling back into its usual detached calm. Then he asked, "What's wrong? Did someone give you a hard time?"

That warm, concerned tone sent a jolt through her, and she was instantly pulled back to the memory of her own grave site, when she remembered Emrys holding a black umbrella over her headstone, his voice just as soft when he'd said, "Calista, the pain's over now. Everyone who hurt you is dead."

That was when she'd finally realized his feelings for her ran far deeper than just a foster uncle's care for his niece.

The regret hit her like a ton of bricks. She'd let Finlo, that worthless piece of trash, turn her against him, push him away, and even fight him every chance she got in her past life. How stupid had she been?

She squeezed her arms around his waist even tighter, her voice thick with emotion. "Uncle Emrys, I've missed you so much."

The second those words left her mouth, curious, gossip‑hungry stares darted toward them from every corner of the room.

Emrys's face stayed perfectly even, not a hint of embarrassment to be seen. He said, "The kid's just being a little spoiled and clingy. We'll be taking our leave first." He laced his fingers through hers and led her straight to the private lounge.

The second his large hand slipped out of hers, a sharp, hollow ache bloomed in her chest out of nowhere. She reached out on instinct and grabbed his hand again.

As he looked down at her in obvious surprise, she said firmly and deliberately, "Uncle Emrys, I want to be with you."