Chapter 161


    I’m happy to arrive in California, though it doesn’t distract me from my thoughts and recent past as


    much as I might like.


    The new Roberts Corp apartments are amazing. Aaron has made my dream a reality. Not all of them


    are finished, of course, but the site manager takes me on a tour through the apartments that are


    even a waiting list of people wanting to move in, because the homes have proven


    so popr.


    “You made the right call on this, Leah,” James tells me as I stand in a kitchen and imagine a family


    living happily here together, partly because I made it possible. “This had turned out better than anyone


    could have predicted. You should be proud.”


    I am proud, but also sad that my project is all but finished, and I didn’t have a direct hand in bringing it


    to life.


    The site manager says something about assuming I’ll be staying in the Rathborn apartment and I look


    at James in confusion, who agrees on my behalf.


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    Once the site manager has gone back to his job, James leads me to the elevator.


    “What Rathborn apartment?” I ask as soon as the elevator doors close.


    James gently takes my hand and presses it onto a screen that turns out to be a security scanner. A


    new option pops up that wasn’t avable before-the upper floors.


    James presses the button for one, and then the elevator silently whisks us upwards.


    I don’t bother asking again. James is quiet at the best of times, and I know he won’t answer no matter


    how many times I ask


    It was one thing I learned when I was still a kid and first arrived at the Rathborn mansion. No amount of


    trailing or pestering would get James to change his mind on anything.


    I suppose he’d had a younger sister in Jessica, so he was used to those tactics. And lord knows she


    was way more annoying and insistent than I was.


    The elevator arrives, not to a hallway lined with doors like I’m expecting, but a foyer, meaning this


    apartment takes up the entire floor. It’s the size of eight apartments in one.


    We step forward and again, James uses my hand on a palm scanner to open the door.


    We step into a flood of evening Cfornian sun. The far wall is entirely windows, looking out over the


    valley.


    “What is this?” I ask, looking around, noticing the small things.


    Art hangs on the walls by artists I like. A color palette I would’ve put together if I was designing a living


    space for myself. Thick carpet, soft nkets,rge, soft cushions scattered about on both the huge


    couch and floor. Even lush nts and one of those floating fireces that takes pride of ce in the


    center of the living room.


    “This is your home away from home, Leah,” James says in a gentle voice. “Aaron designed it specially


    for you.”


    The knowledge that Aaron is behind this-a perfect space pulled straight from my dreams-hits me hard


    and fast.


    “I think I need toy down for a while,” I say to James, my voice thick.


    If he notices anything is wrong, he doesn’t say so, but I don’t wait for him to react anyway, I simply flee,


    and find my way to the master bedroom.


    I copse onto the bed in a mess of tears, crying until my throat is raw and my eyes are aching.


    Through all that, I think I can


    catch a hint of Aaron’s scent in the nkets, and wonder if he has stayed here recently. It only makes


    me cry harder.


    Eventually, I fall into a fitful sleep, but thoughts of Aaron chase me into my dreams.