Chapter 51
Chapter 30: Mia’s Life
Belle led the way, her voice warm with pride and joy as she introduced their flower farm.
I saw my past self in her–the girl who could talk about flowers endlessly and never grow tired of it.
This land has been in our family for generations, she said, gesturing to the endless stretch of blossoms swaying gently in the late afternoon breeze. “We grow everything organically–roses, daisies, sunflowers, and these..” She knelt beside a bed of delicate pink blooms. “These are our prized ranunculus. My grandmother says they symbolize charm and attraction”
ed the
Liam listened attentively, even stepping closer to inspect
e flowers as if they were the most fascinating thing in the world.
- however, remained quiet, pretending to admire the place, acting as if I were interested in the flowers. But deep inside, my feet ached to run away.
As we walked through the flower farm, memories came rushing back–sunlight filtering through fields of blossoms, laughter carried by the wind. whispered promises among the flowers.
Along with them came the people I missed
My grandma–the way she used to hum softly as she personally picked the flowers we grew
Noah–his teasing smile, how he’d run ahead, daring me to catch him as we played between the rows of marigolds.
Liana–his voice calling me by a name I hadn’t heard in so long.
My workers. My friends. Their laughter rang through the fi and morning dew.
fields, mingling with the sound of scissors snipping stems, the earthy scent of fresh soil
This place reminded me of the life I had before everything shamered.
A life I once thought would last forever.
I swallowed hard, pushing the memories away before they consumed me.
Iwasn’t here to relive the past..
I wasn’t here to remember.
And yet as I looked down at Ryleigh, her tiny hand still clutching mine, I knew that some things–the ones that truly mattered–could never be forgotten.
A gente tug on my hand snapped me out of my reverie.
Kyleigh hesitated momentarily before raising her small hand, and that’s when I noticed the daisy between her little fingers.
“Oh, you want to put that on me?” I asked, tilting my head slightly.
She nodded, so I lowered my head to let her reach me
She carefully tucked the flower behind my ear. I stared at her, something tightening in my chest.
Belle let out a soft chuckle. “She must really like you.”
Their attention was no longer on the flowers but on us now.
Мукусь
My eyes met Liam’s softened gaze, but I quickly averted mine, gently caressing Ryleigh’s hair.
“She doesn’t warm up to people this fast. Holding onto you like she’s known you forever, giving you a flower..” Belle tilted her head slightly. studying me. “You ust be really good with kids.”
Irshaled, holding the daisy in place when the wind blew. “I already have kids. I think they’re the same age. Maybe that’s why.”
Belle’s eyes widened slightly as she shifted her gaze between Liam and me. “Oh, you guys already have a kid? You must have been married for quite
same time.”
I stiffened.
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But before I could correct her. Ryleigh let out a soft groan.
Belle’s attention immediately shifted to her daughter, who clinched her tummy, her small small wooden building in the distance
“Oh, sweetheart” Belle said gently. “Do you need to go to the restroom
Ryleigh nodded
face scrunched in discomfort. She pointed toward.
Belle turned to us with an apologetic smile. “Excuse me, I need to take her real quick. I be right back”
She lifted her daughter into her arms and walked off, leaving me alone with Lim
Silence stretched between us, broken only by the distant hom of the wind rustling through the flowers.
“Is this your first time at a
at a flower farm?!”
I turned my gaze to him, studying how his expression remained unreadable.
His brows lifted slightly. He hadn’t expected that answer.
1 almos; smirked but in
t instead let out a gentle smile, pretending to reminisce as I stared at the flowers before us
“I was eight when my parents brought me to one.” I began slipping into Mia’s story. “It was a school trip, but they tagged along. At that time. I was jun a little girl who thought flowers were the most magical things in the world”
This
i was Mia’s story. A life I had learned from her pictures.
It was nothing like Camille’s life.
“I remember running between the rows of lavender and marigolds, my hands stretched out like I could touch the sky. My mom braided daisies into my hair, and my dad carried me on his shoulders so I could see the field from above”
Liam studied me, his gaze unreadable. “It sounds like a good memory, but you look like you don’t want to be here.”
“That was the first and last time I visited a flower farm. We were supposed to go again when I was thirteen.” I paused briefly. “But they passed away in a car accidentTM
His jaw tightened as he gave a slight nod. That’s tragic
Liam remained quiet, but I could tell he was processing every word, searching for cracks in my story.
But you won’t find any, Liam. Mia’s life is already mine.
t
“After that, I never went to another flower farm again. The Winslows fostered me. They were my parents” bosses”
I smiled and looked at him. His expression remained unreadable. “They’re good people. They took me in when I had no one. They never made me feel unwanted–especially Gavin. He was always there, making sure I never felt alone.”
I swallowed hard and continued. “They cared for me in a way I didn’t think anyone would after I lost my parents.”
After I lost everything, they were the ones who saved me.
“But I didn’t want to be a burden, so when I turned eighteen, I moved out. I had to find my own way and make a life for myself. College.jobs- anything to survive. I never had time to think about flowers again”
Hlet out a soft chuckle, my gaze drifting over the field. “Strange, in’t it? How can something you once loved so much become nothing more than a distant memory?
He didn’t say a word.
I tilted my head slightly, meeting his gaze. “So, tell me, Sir.. do you finally believe I’m not
her!”
His jaw tightened, his silence stretching between us like a challenge.
Then, finally, he spoke.
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Tipkd you–I already believe you.” he said.
I studied him, searching for deception, but there was mone. A laugh almost slipped past my lips. “Really?” I dullenged. “But didn’t you being use here, hoping to catch me slipping Hoping I’d act like her?”
Liam took a step forward, closing the distance between us.
I stepped back, but his arms caught me before I could move away.
My breath hitched as his arms wrapped around my waist. Instinctively, I pressed my hands against his chest, trying to push him away
“You’re not her,” he murmured, his voice low and deliberate. “That can you pretend
Can you be her! C
Can you be my Camilliana, my doleezza?”
I parted my lips to speak, to push back, but nothing came out
My heart pounded as he leaned down, our noses brushing against each other, our lips mere inches apart…
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