Chapter 4

As we reached the mouth of the alley, Kellan suddenly stopped and pointed at a figure in dark robes in the distance. "Mommy, that man looks just like Daddy!"

My heart tightened, and I quickly clapped a hand over his mouth.

"Kellan, that's not Daddy."

"But he really does look like him..."

"You must have seen wrong." I picked him up and hurried away, keeping my voice low. "Kellan, remember what Mommy told you. Daddy's sick and can't remember us. Until he gets better, we can't let him know who we are, or his illness will only get worse."

"I remember!" Kellan nodded earnestly. "We're playing the 'Daddy doesn't remember us' game!"

"That's right, Kellan. You're such a good boy."

I didn't dare look back, just hurried deeper into the alley.

Behind us, that figure in dark robes stood in the fading light, unmoving for a long, long time.

After Kellan drifted off to sleep, I sat alone by the window, staring into the night, my mind spinning.

This small town was called Villanueva, a thousand miles from the capital. I had thought I would never see Payton again in this lifetime.

Yet, somehow, he found me.

Why?

Was it fate, or did someone pull the strings?

After thinking it over, the only thing that made sense was that Payton was making his rounds down south for the empire.

Ever since Payton lost his memory, he'd been slowly getting the hang of running things in court. This trip was probably just him doing a tour for the Lunaris Empire, checking up on the provinces.

And Villanueva just happened to be right on his route.

He just happened to walk by, happened to spot me, and happened to get obsessed all over again.

So many coincidences stacked up. Was it fate messing with me, or was it just that no matter how many times life resets, he always ends up locking onto me?

Just like back in the palace, out of all the princesses and noble ladies, he had eyes for no one but me.

Just like that night when my secret was revealed, everyone thought he'd turn his back on me, but instead, he stormed in with his sword, pulled me out of the depths, only to trap me in an even deeper cage of his own making.

I closed my eyes, my thoughts were all over the place.

He said he'd be back in three days to hear my answer.

What answer?

Be his woman, or die?

I knew Payton way too well. He was dead serious about everything.

If I turned him down, he'd have no problem ending me.

But if I said yes...

The King and Queen's warning still rang in my ears: "If you dare show your face to the crown prince again, not a single one of your family will survive."

I couldn't let them get caught up in this mess.

Besides, Payton had lost his memory. He didn't remember me, didn't remember Kellan, didn't remember anything between us.

If I went to him now, what was I then?

Was I just another woman chasing after power, bringing my child along to cling to someone powerful?

I'd had enough of being scorned by the whole world. I didn't want to endure that all over again.

But I didn't want to die, either.

I still had Kellan to take care of. He was so little. He needed his mother.

After turning it over in my mind, there was only one option left.

Run.

Before the three days were up, I'd grab Kellan and get out of Villanueva to head somewhere Payton would never think to look for us.

I got up and started packing, grabbed all the cash I'd stashed away at the bottom of my chest, and folded Kellan's clothes, shoving them into our bundle.

Just as I was busy packing, a soft chuckle drifted in from outside the window.

"Hi, lady. Where are you going, packing up in the middle of the night?"

I froze, whipping my head around.

Payton was perched on my windowsill, one leg thrown carelessly over the ledge, the other dangling down, looking completely relaxed, almost careless.

Moonlight washed over him, tracing the sharp angles of his face, while his fox-like eyes sparkled with a teasing, mischievous glint.

"H-How did you get in?"

"Just walked in," he said with a smirk, landing lightly from the windowsill and strolling toward me. "A little wall like that can't keep me out."

I instinctively backed up, but my knees hit the bed and I tumbled onto it.

He stopped right in front of me, looking down, and casually took the bag from my hands, tossing it aside.

"Want to run?"

"N-No..."

"Esme," he said, his voice low and edged with danger, calling me by my alias for the first time. "I said I'd give you three days, but that doesn't mean you have to stay away from me."

"And I never said I wouldn't come find you, either."

His fingers gripped my chin, forcing me to look up at him.

Under the moonlight, his eyes were shockingly bright, swirling with that familiar, possessive madness I knew all too well.

"Don't even think about running, lady."

"You're not getting away from me."

Facts had proved that Payton did what he said.

The next morning, just after dawn, someone banged on the door of my inn.

It was the magistrate of Villanueva, the guy who usually acted all high and mighty in front of the townsfolk. But now, he was practically groveling, bowing and scraping like he was terrified of offending me.