Chapter 89
Chapter 89:
Rylan’s grin twisted into something wild and cruel. “So you tied the knot with a girl with mental issues—and kept it hidden from Grandma p>
Alden didn’t answer with words. His boot landed square in Rylan’s gut, sending him sprawling to the floor.
Without wasting a second, he walked out with Helena in his arms. Shelley caught a glimpse of them from across the hallway. Panic lit up her face, and she rushed after them.
Alden carried Helena back into his own room.
Helena looked lost. Her hair clung to her cheeks, and her eyes stared through the walls like she didn’t know where—or who—she was. The sight of her like that broke something inside Alden. The ache in his chest felt like it might split him open.
“I’ll get the doctor,” said Shelley, her voice shaking.
“Hold on,” Alden said, lifting a hand to halt Shelley. “Give us a moment alone. And don’t breathe a word of this to Grandma p>
“But…” Shelley hovered near the door, torn between duty and guilt. None of this should’ve happened. Letting Helena stay alone with Rylan had been a mistake she’d never forgive herself for.
From across the room, Alden’s stare was ice-cold. There was fury in his eyes, but also something deeper—something that made her skin prickle.
Shelley lowered her head and stepped away without another word. After she was gone, Alden turned the lock and pulled out his phone. He dialed Valeria.
The call caught Valeria off guard. She hadn’t saved his number, and the sound of his voice jolted her.
He didn’t waste time as he said, “Valeria, it’s Helena. Something happened. I need you p>
Valeria’s breath caught. She listened as he explained, and was taken aback.
“She’s displaying signs of resurfacing trauma. Tonight, you have to keep her from falling asleep. If she does, it’ll push the memory further down and cause even more harm mentally. It’s better to wait until she’s ready to speak on her own p>
Valeria listed what Alden needed to watch for, her tone steady and clinical.
Then came a pause. “There’s something I never shared with Helena,” she said quietly. “I always had a feeling… that before she lost her memory, someone had hurt her p>
The rest on gⲁ𝗅𝗇𝑜ν𝖊𝗅𝘀⩺𝒸𝗈𝗺
“Thank you for keeping it to yourself,” said Alden, cutting in with a low voice. “Some memories are better left untouched p>
Valeria blinked, caught off guard by those words.
“I’m staying with her tonight,” Alden added without hesitation.
Only after the call disconnected did it truly hit Valeria—Alden hadn’t flinched at any of it.
It was as if her words had only confirmed what he already believed to be true.
Just as the line went dead, the lights in the room flickered out and vanished completely.
Shadows swallowed the space. In the stillness, Helena moved on autopilot, beginning to undress like she was somewhere far away, unaware of Alden’s presence.
Alden stepped toward her in silence and gently wrapped his arms around her, pulling her back into the moment.
“Let’s stay awake tonight,” he murmured near her ear.
Not once did she resist. Her head gave the faintest nod, as if agreeing wasn’t even a decision.
To ease the chill in the air, Alden adjusted the heater until the room warmed with comfort.
From the corner cabinet, he dug out an old projector—the one that cast stars across the ceiling like scattered dreams.
When the light bloomed across the walls, Helena’s shoulders eased. Some part of her exhaled.
She didn’t say a word. Her head tilted back, and her eyes locked on the floating stars, wide and vacant.
The room sat under an unfamiliar hush. Normally, it was Helena who filled their home with conversation, while Alden quietly listened. But tonight, everything had flipped—their roles had completely switched.
Alden started telling cheerful stories about the early days when he first moved in with Frida.
By the time he got around to talking about Nyno, the first light of dawn had already begun to creep in.
Helena looked as though she had just stirred from a long, distant dream. Her voice finally came through, soft and full of hesitation. “The wine… the one you and Frida p>
“Saved for Nyno—it broke. I didn’t catch it in time. I’m sorry. I know it meant something to you p>
Somewhere deep in her memory, she could recall someone just like Nyno. But unlike Alden, she had nothing left to hold on to—not even a name.
“You didn’t do anything wrong,” said Alden, holding her in his embrace. His voice was low, steady, and it echoed through his chest. “Earlier, you told Grandma you wanted to be my real family. Did you mean that p>
The question stirred something in Helena’s chest, sending a small flutter across her heart.
Lying didn’t even cross her mind. “I did p>
Alden’s eyes lowered until they found hers, holding her there in that quiet moment. “I’m giving you a way out. If your heart’s not in this, say it now p>
What happened with Rylan had shaken her. It had shown her just how dangerous it could be to stay connected to the Wilson family. He was the one who brought her in—but he was also the one now offering her a path to leave.
Keeping her close only seemed to bring more trouble into her life. Helena laced her fingers through his, her eyes glimmering with tears she hadn’t yet let fall. “I don’t turn my back on the choices I make p>
Years of caring for her father without help. Chasing a dream no one believed in. She hadn’t let go back then. And it was Alden who had reminded her that she was strong enough to keep going.
Even if their time together was short-lived, she would carry it with her like something sacred.
As the early morning sunlight spilled into the room, Helena finally caught sight of the bite mark she’d left on Alden’s wrist, the dried blood dark and flaking. He hadn’t tended to the wound at all through the long night.
Helena dropped her eyes, her long lashes quivering softly, and placed a tender, warm kiss against the wound on his wrist.
The warmth of her touch spread through Alden’s chest, slow and unshakable, like something blooming.
“There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you,” he said. “It’s about Nyno p>
Whatever came next was lost. Helena suddenly wrapped her arms around him.