I Am The Ghost He Remembers

Just as I finished half the box of instant pasta, a clearer photo went viral on social media. It showed Cillian and Scarlett walking out of Aspen's most expensive five-star hotel, Scarlett clinging to his arm, the picture of intimacy.

A few minutes later, Scarlett posted an update on Instagram: a teary-eyed selfie. "Feeling like I'm being followed. So scared... Can anyone tell me what's happening? I just want a quiet vacation with the person I love."

Less than ten minutes later, my phone rang. Cillian's voice roared on the other end: "Ava Monroe, what the hell are you trying to pull? Did you hire a private investigator to follow us? Did you leak our location to the media?"

"I didn't—"

"Still lying?!" His voice was sharp with fury. "Who else would pull a stunt like this? You're jealous of Scarlett, so you're trying to ruin this for her! Do you think this will make me come running back to you? How pathetic."

I remembered a night last winter. I was still weak from a miscarriage and couldn't accompany him to an important business party. Cillian had flown into a rage, accusing me of being unsupportive. He forced me, weak as I was, to apologize to each of his business partners one by one, until I finally fainted in the middle of the ballroom.

"Cillian, I really didn't—"

"Ava Monroe, you'd better back the hell off!" he raged. "Scarlett is terrified because of you. Don't test my limits again!"

Scarlett's trembling voice cut in. "Cilli, I feel like... there's someone watching me from outside. I'm so scared..."

The call was immediately disconnected. I sat motionless at the table, staring at nothing.

Sure enough, ten minutes later, Cillian's bodyguards broke down my door. Without a word, they grabbed me and hauled me to my feet like a sack of potatoes. "Let's go. The boss wants you at a restaurant to act as a decoy for Miss Reed."

...

The high-end restaurant had a massive, floor-to-ceiling window. They sat me at the most conspicuous table by the glass and slapped a menu down in front of me. On the other side of the restaurant, in the safest private room, Cillian was gently holding Scarlett. "Don't be afraid," he whispered. "I'm here. I'll protect you."

She curled into his chest, her slender fingers clutching the lapels of his expensive Brioni suit. "Cillian, are they... are they going to kill me? I'm so scared. I don't want to die..."

"They wouldn't dare," he murmured, stroking her long hair. "You're safe here. I promise."

Her crying slowly subsided into soft sobs. "Cillian, what would I do without you?"

"Don't be silly. You'll always have me. I'll be with you until we're old and gray."

The sound of their kissing filled the private room—soft, wet, lingering. No matter how hard I tried to focus on the menu, every sound reached my ears. This went on for nearly an hour, only stopping when a waiter came to ask if they were ready to order.

Then, Scarlett's saccharine voice piped up. "Cillian, Ava is still sitting out there. She's your wife, after all. Maybe you should have someone protect her, too."

Cillian shot a cold glance in my direction. "If she hadn't hired someone to follow us and leak our location, you wouldn't be in this situation. She brought this on herself."

I tried to keep reading the menu, but the words blurred. I thought I had no tears left to cry, but new ones were already falling. I didn't understand why, and I didn't want to.

I don't know when I fell asleep. When I woke up, a fog of pain and exhaustion made everything slow and hazy. The System's voice echoed faintly in my ear: "24 hours remaining."

But before I could move, a sharp slap from Cillian struck my face. "Ava Monroe, how could you be so vicious? Sneaking in to kidnap Scarlett while I was asleep?!"

I sat up too quickly, and a sharp pain lanced through my abdomen, stealing my breath. "Ah—"

"Stop playing the victim," he snarled. "Where is Scarlett?"

Only then did I realize I was somehow in their hotel suite. I didn't even remember how I'd gotten there, but Scarlett was, indeed, gone.

"I don't know. I was at the restaurant all night—"

"Liar! Where did you send her?"