Chapter 44
Chapter 43: His POV
LIAM ANDERSON
“He’s not the one wise did this to me.”
I clenched my fists as I walked out of Mia’s place. No, wasn’t me—at least not this time. But I had a feeling I’d be putting those bruises on Winslow’s face soon enough
Dragging a hand down my face, I exhaled sharply. The image of her rushing toward him, that concerned look in her eyes—it wouldn’t leave my head.
I had no right to feel this way. I knew I’d fucked up. This was my own doing
I’m not her.
She had told me that countless times. Hunter had told me that Mia Miller existed here in California. He even showed me proof–her records and details of her life since she was young.
I was nothing like Camilliana’s
Mia Miller didn’t grow up on a flower farm. She lost her parents in a fire when she was thirteen.
She was placed in foster care with the Winslows. I even confirmed that with Juliana Winslow herself.
And yet-
The moment I saw her, the moment my heart slammed against my ribs-
1 knew the truth
She’s Camilliana
She’s my wife.
My Dolcezza, My Amore Mio.
“You have a conference meeting with the Dela Russo-
I snatched the keys from Hunter before he could finish. He took a step back.
“Don’t follow me.”
He sighed. “Drive safe, then.”
Safe:
I smirked as //smed my foor on the gas, tires screeching against the pavement as I sped away.
But the sound of Rylie’s laughter echoed in my head, pulling me back. I slowed down, gripping the steering wheel tightly as I remembered the promise I made to her and Ryker.
And then, I remembered how she reacted when I hugged her.
“You’re not her! Really?”
You are Mia Miller?
Then how do you explain the way you react every time I’in near!
The way you flinch h when I get too close. The fire in your eyes when they meet mine. The way you say my name like it tastes bitter on your tongue
You didn’t just hate me, Camille.
You feared me.
And I hate that..
1/4
Chapter 44
1 fucking hate it. But I understand why-
I was a bastard–an asshole.
A monster
I was the one who killed you.
You almost convinced me that you weren’t her
But I knew the moment I heard you sing that lullaby_the moment your eyes met mine that night
You are her.
You are Camilliana
my phone rang. I wasn’t in the mood to answer, but I picked up when I saw Matthew’s name on the screen.
I snapped our of my thoughts when n
“What”
Thave the results”
swallowed hard and pressed my foot to the gas.
“Be there in fifteen minutes, I muttered before ending the call.
Fifteen minutes later, I pulled up in front of Matthew’s townhouse and killed the engine. He was already at the door when I got there.
“Where is it!“.
He sighed, then turned, and I followed him inside. From upstairs, I could hear my godson’s voice as he sang. It reminded me of Rylie.
“Of all the things he could inherit from me, it had to be my voice,” Matthew said, shaking his head as he walked into his office.
I smiled. For a brief moment, I forgot why I was here.
But when Matthew handed me an envelope, my heart started to pound. I reached for it, but he held it tight.
“Lium, listen—”
“I don’t have time to listen. Just give me the damn results.”
He hesitated, then let go.
My hands were steady as I tore open, but my chest felt like it was caving in. My eyes scanned the document, desperate, searching–until I reached the only words that mattered.
95.9% match.
Matthew stepped beside me, glancing at the result. “You were right. They’re yours. Mia Miller is your ex–wife.
A hollow laugh escaped me, followed by a wave of something I hadn’t felt in years.
**cking shir
Matthew’s expression darkened. “Hunter, he betrayed you. I can’t believe he’d do this to you. F*ck! I never doubted him, even when you asked me to secretly run the test again because you didn’t believe the results he gave you. So he’s the reason you could never find her! Now, it all makes sense
Matthew stopped talking when I sank onto the nearest chair, gripping the paper so tightly my knuckles turned white.
I should have felt victorious, I should have felt relieved.
Hait all I felt was regret.
1*cking regret all over again.
I was af*cking f
fool.
I had destroyed her.
2/4
Cluster an
was spinning, flashing back to all the times I had searched for her, all the dead ends, all the moments I had cursed the world for taking But the world didn’t take her away because they just wanted me to suffer.
was what I deserved because I was stupid. Because I thought that by hurting her means I could protect her, but I was damn wi
wrong
-Fck that asshole! He didn’t just keep this from you, Matthew continued, voice filled with restrained anger. “He erased her. He gave you fake resulu. Lied to your face. F*ck. Liam, he made sure you’d never find her. If you hadn’t taken that sample yourself—”
I clenched my jaw, my pulse pounding in my ears. “Say it
Matthew sighed. “You never would’ve known.”
er my face
A batter laugh rumbled from my throat. “I never would’ve known, I repeated, running a hand over
Hunter. My most trusted man. The one who had been by my side for years. He had looked me in the eye, time and time again, and told me she was gone, that she didn’t exist anymore.
I had believed him.
I had let him turn my wife into a ghost
And now,
the ghost was
s real. Flesh and blood. Fire and Fury.
Mia Miller.
Camillian Anderson.
My wife.
My f*cking wife.
I stood abruptly, shoving the paper into my pocket. My body was too tight, too restless. I needed air.
I needed to see her.
“Liam, where are you going? Are you going to kill that bastard-
“No. I’m going to see my wife.”
Matthew stepped in front of me, eyes sharp with concern. “Liam, don’t do anything reckless. Who knows? Maybe she really doesn’t remember you
“No! She remembers me, Matthew. I know it. I could feel it–the way she reacted and looked at me. No matter how good she is at pretending or how close she came to convincing me she’s someone else, this fcking heart hows it’s her, and she remembers me.”
Matthew exhaled sharply, shaking his head. “And you know why she does that. Why did she have to take someone else’s identity just to survive, Liam? You’re the man she ran from, don’t forget that”
Istified.
Right. Her reason.
Manhew’s words pressed down on me, suffocating. I clenched my jaw, my hands curling into fists at my sides.
“She wants to see me suffer,” I muttered. “She wants to keep running from me.”
1 lified my gaze, meeting Matthew’s stare with unwavering determination.
“But I’ve already been suffering, Matthew. From the moment I lost her. She can make me suffer all over again, break me apart piece by piece if that’s what she wants”
I took a breath, steadying myse
myself “But I will never let her run away from me again”
My fuskosened. My resolve hardened.
“I’ll chase after her, Matthew. No matter how far she goes or how much she fights it, I won’t stop. I lost her once and won’t let it happen again”
wwith
emation.
My voice dropped, raw
“I am never going to lose my wife and my children.”
