After I Could Hear the Don's Thoughts
The day I learned the family's secretary had been Richard's mistress for three years, I called off the wedding without a second thought.
Heartsick, I took a family flight and moved out to the West Coast, only to walked straight into an ambush.
When they had me surrounded, Richard appeared out of nowhere and threw himself in front of the bullet meant for me.
He ordered his most trusted guards to keep me alive, whatever it cost.
Dying, he stared deep into my eyes. "Elise, I have no right to ask your forgiveness. Just live. Live well, and let me love you properly in the next."
The sea ran high and wild that day, and they never found his body.
By the time the rescue boat pulled me out of the water, I had already cried myself hoarse.
After that I lived to eighty, carrying the guilt of him every single day.
Then I opened my eyes again and found myself back, before he had ever betrayed me.
This time, before I could even speak, he fired Charlotte right in front of me.
Apart from family business, his greatest interest was cooking dinner for me.
Everyone marveled at it. The Don himself, Richard, loved Elise nearly to the point of madness.
And then, the night before our wedding, I heard his thoughts.
[I'm finally about to have Elise.]
[This time I can't let her find out Charlotte exists.]