Irina didn’t press. She left.And Nina stayed. Alone with a past that, it turned out, hadn’t been hiding in her head.
It lived in those photographs. In a child’s laughter she’d never heard.
Lynn.
Her daughter.
And Nina didn't know if Lynn would ever forgive her.
CHAPTER 41
Nina was trapped in a strange dream she couldn’t break free from.
Someone was calling her. At first it was a whisper, then a little louder. She tried to force her eyes open, but it felt like she was sinking—dragged under. And then it was like a sharp shove to the chest.
“Nina.”
Her eyes flew open, and a loud, terrified scream tore out of her throat. A figure loomed in the dim bedroom. Tall. A man.
Jasper?
What was he doing here?
Her heart hammered. Instinctively, Nina grabbed the blanket and yanked it up to her chin.
“I’m sorry,” Jasper said immediately, stepping back and lifting his hands.“I didn’t mean to scare you. I knocked—you didn’t answer.”
“Of course I didn’t answer, I was asleep!” she snapped, still struggling to catch her breath. Her hands were shaking.“It’s morning. People sleep in the morning!”
“It’s almost noon,” he replied calmly.
Nina shot a glance at the clock.
11:40.
Damn it.
She’d only fallen asleep near dawn,exhausted from crying. She probably looked awful. She glanced toward the window. The curtains were still drawn, giving the illusion that the sun hadn’t risen yet.
She smoothed her hair and looked at him with suspicion.
“What are you doing here?” she asked hoarsely, anxiety and irritation tangled.
Jasper stood in the middle of the room—less frightening now, but still deeply out of place. She knew the house technically belonged to him, but hadn’t he promised not to disturb her? And was it really normal for her to be lying in bed with him standing right there?
“Irina said she heard you crying all night,” he said quietly.“So I came. Are you in pain? Do you need a doctor?”
Nina shook her head, biting her lip.
“I… I wasn’t crying because of that,” she admitted.“There’s no need to worry. I’m fine.”
He nodded and looked away—and then noticed the album on the nightstand. It was open to the page where Lynn was celebrating her tenth birthday.
And Nina knew instantly: he understood everything.
His expression didn’t change, but she saw his jaw tighten. He took a step closer—and she barely resisted the urge to pull back.
“You…” He cleared his throat roughly.“You looked through the album?”
