Chapter 26
Chapter 26
Skylar burst onto the street just as a black BMW raced toward her.
Recognizing Aiden’s car, she waved frantically.
He screeched to a stop and she dove in without hesitation.
“Go! Now!”
Aiden floored it as Skylar watched the rearview mirror, only relaxing when no one appeared.
“Who called me?” Aiden finally asked, his voice tight. “Why are you out here?”
Before she could answer, a horn blared behind them.
She whirled around to see Callias’s car gaining on them, his face twisted with fury.
“Can you lose him?” she asked, heart racing.
Aiden accelerated, his jaw clenched. “Your brother?”
She nodded, surprised he’d guessed so quickly.
Understanding passed between them without words.
Aiden pushed the car faster, but Callias matched them recklessly, the gap shrinking to sixty feet.
Through the back window, Skylar could see the manic gleam in his eyes.
Her heart pounded as the distance dropped to fifty feet, then thirty.
At twenty feet, she realized this wouldn’t end with her escape.
“Aiden, st-”
The word died in her throat as she saw Victoria grab Callias’s steering wheel, her face contorted with emotion.
Their car swerved violently, smashing through the guardrail.
Then silence, broken only by the splash far below.
The rescue teams arrived quickly.
Both Callias and Victoria survived, but fell into comas.
No one knew if they’d ever wake up.
Aiden’s dashcam captured everything.
08:54
Addio To The Stand In Past. This Time I Chose To Reclaim My Own Life
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Chapter 26
The Harrison and Winters families turned on each other, their arranged marriage dreams ending in tragedy.
Skylar stayed silent through it all.
Everyone assumed she was traumatized by witnessing the accident.
But really, she kept quiet to protect her mother from learning about her relationship with Callias.
Selfish, maybe.
But wasn’t protecting her mother worth it?
Besides, the truth wouldn’t change what happened.
Two years passed.
Neither coma patient showed signs of waking.
Skylar graduated from the University of Florence.
Her mother flew in, greeting her with an armful of flowers.
They took pictures all over campus, Aiden playing photographer.
Skylar posed with her mother, the engagement ring on her finger catching the light.
Checking the photos, she teased him. “The subject should be centered! Haven’t I taught you anything?”
“He’s still learning!” her mother laughed. “Be patient!”
“Fine, one more shot…”
The Italian sun wrapped them in warmth, playing across their smiling faces.
Just one ordinary moment in their new life together.
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