Chapter 22 22
“Keren has an ID card, right?” Matt asked, leaning back. “What if she’s faking her name too?”
“I doubt it,” Nathan replied. “I’ve seen her ID, and her bank account matches the same name. My dad wouldn’t have been able to block her from getting jobs if she was using a fake one, right?” His tone shifted at the end, turning the statement into a question.
“Yeah… maybe,” Matt said thoughtfully. “But something about that girl feels off. I can’t explain it.”
He remembered that night at the club when Ryan had mentioned how familiar Keren looked. She’d quickly dismissed it, insisting they were mistaken.
“Well, I guess we’ll find out soon enough,” Matt added.
“Yeah,” Nathan agreed. “I can’t wait to get this over with.”
The two friends were still in Nathan’s office, sitting and talking. Their meeting felt incomplete without Ryan, but Nathan had to make do with the company he had. He and Ryan still hadn’t settled their differences, and Nathan didn’t want that tension right now.
After a while, their conversation drifted from Keren to business matters. Then life in general before circling back to the main issue.
Matt suddenly smirked. “On a different note, guess who’s back in town or at least, I think they are.”
Nathan barely looked up from his phone. “Who?”
“The Parkers. I saw a car leaving their mansion earlier today.”
Nathan’s head tilted slightly. “You mean Georgina Parker?”
“Yep, the same one.” Matt grinned. “That girl was crazy about you back in high school. Remember how she couldn’t stand Brooke? She even pushed her in front of a moving bus out of jealousy.”
Nathan froze for a second, eyes clouding with old memories. “Yeah,” he said quietly.
“Good thing you were there to save Bee,” Matt continued. He’d always believed Nathan and Brooke would end up together. Their divorce had come as a shock, but he knew forcing Nathan’s choices wouldn’t change anything.
“I think that was the last time I saw Georgina.” Nathan said, recalling how desperate she had been for his attention. Not because she wasn’t attractive. she was but because she tried too hard to be noticed.
“That was one reason Dad cut ties with her father,” he added with a small smile. “He was so fond of Brooke. Treated her like the daughter he never had.”
Matt chuckled. “Your dad wasn’t the only one. You were just as protective of her.”
Nathan didn’t deny it. He remembered how Brooke used to wait for him outside his class. how she’d run to the senior hallway just to walk home with him. Those were simpler days before everything changed.
“Bee…” Nathan repeated softly, the name bringing a faint relief amid the chaos around him. Her face flashed in his mind, bright, innocent, full of life. Then he remembered how that spark had dimmed after their marriage.
“I’m so sorry you had to go through this because of me,” he murmured under his breath. “But I promise to make it right somehow.”
Matt raised a brow. “That would be a good start. She might actually forgive you after that.”
Nathan blinked, realizing he’d spoken louder than he intended. Still, the idea took root in his mind. Brooke had always wanted to go to Paris. Her birthday was coming soon. Maybe that could be his gift to her.
But first, Keren had to face justice. Only then could he truly make peace with his past.
\# When one door closes, another one opens… #
We might be disappointed or heartbroken when a door shuts, but eventually we learn to move on. Life is too short to dwell on what’s gone. Live in every moment.
Brooke reread her caption carefully, smiled in satisfaction, and hit “Post.” The picture accompanying it showed her standing proudly. She was at the entrance of Emberwood Medical School.
Within minutes, likes and comments flooded in. One of them was from Ryan. She didn’t even remember adding him as a friend, but there he was. His comment read:
Sometimes the door that opens holds better opportunities than the one that closed. You just need to see it clearly.
Brooke smiled faintly. Nathan never used social media. He always said it was a distraction. That small fact gave her the confidence to share her joy freely.
It was her first day at medical school, and for the first time in a long while, she felt certain she was where she belonged. After classes ended, she stepped out of the building looking happy. She felt fulfilled and eager for what was coming ahead.
As she walked toward the parking lot, lost in her thoughts, a familiar voice called out from behind her.
“Hi, Bee. How was your first day in medical school?”
Brooke turned sharply, hand on her chest. “Oh my gosh, you scared me,” she said, her face unamused.
Her expression hardened as she recognized him. “What are you doing here?” she asked coldly.