Chapter 49

Nicholas stepped out of prison, his sharp suit slightly wrinkled from wherever they had put it, but his presence was as commanding as ever. When his eyes found mine, they softened, and the hard lines of stress melted away. I didn't care about our lawyers or the cops around us—I ran to him, my heels clicking on the pavement, and threw myself into his arms. He caught me. 

He actually caught me as he lifted me up the air. 

"Nicholas!" I breathed, my voice breaking as I clung to him. His arms wrapped tightly around me, grounding me, pulling me back from the precipice of fear and exhaustion I'd been teetering on for days.

"Cleo," he murmured into my hair, his voice thick with emotion. He pulled back just enough to look into my eyes, his hands cupping my face. "You did this, didn't you? You got me out."

Tears welled up in my eyes, but I shook my head, a small laugh escaping despite the ache in my chest. "I had to. I couldn’t let you stay there. Not after everything, but after it was clear that someone was after your life. I wasn't going to let them keep you in there. You belong here—with me."

For a moment, neither of us spoke, the noise around us fading into the background. Then, without warning, Nicholas kissed me. It wasn't the gentle, careful kiss of a man afraid of breaking something fragile—it was fierce, desperate, and unapologetically passionate. I melted into him, forgetting everything else as his hands slid down my back, anchoring me to him.

When we finally pulled apart, breathless, Nicholas rested his forehead against mine. "I love you, Cleo," he said, the words raw and unguarded. "I don't think I've ever said that, but I do. More than anything. I want you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” 

My chest tightened, the weight of his words filling me with equal parts joy and dread. "I love you too," I whispered, my voice trembling. "So much."

He kissed me again, softer this time, before taking my hand and leading me to the waiting car. The drive back to the mansion was quiet, but his hand never left mine. He kept stealing glances at me, as if he couldn't believe I was really there. I tried to focus on the moment, on the warmth of his touch and the relief of having him back, but a growing unease gnawed at the edges of my mind.

When we arrived at the mansion, I was grateful that Alex was not around. I couldn’t stand his presence, nor was I ready to pretend to be civil to the man who had thrown my husband in jail. Nicholas pulled me into another embrace as soon as we stepped inside. "I owe you everything," he said, his voice low. "And I promise, I'll never let anyone come between us again. Not even your stupid brother.” 

I nodded, forcing a smile, but the unease tightened its grip on me. Once he disappeared upstairs to freshen up, I made my way to the study. The large calendar on the desk caught my eye, and I froze as the realization hit me like a punch to the gut.

The date. 

I recognized the date. 

Three days.

My death anniversary was in three days.

The day I had drowned and left for dead by my ex-fiancé and his lover—the day everything had changed—the day I was supposed to die was looming over me like a dark shadow. I stared at the date, my hands gripping the edge of the desk as my heart raced. What if it happened again? What if fate was cruel enough to make me relive that day, to strip away everything I'd fought so hard to reclaim?

Or what if I died? 

Jace has mentioned that I might have reset the timeline, but nothing about what he said sounded like he was positive about what he was saying, or even sure of it. 

I couldn't bear the thought. Not when Nicholas was finally free. Not when we'd just found our way back to each other.

I sank into the chair, my head in my hands. I needed to tell someone, but the thought of burdening Nicholas with this terrified me. He was finally smiling again, finally back home, finally at peace after everything he'd been through. I couldn't shatter that fragile joy—not now.

There was only one person I could turn to.

I found Jace in the greenhouse, his new favorite spot to unwind according to the staff. He was leaning against the counter, inspecting a tray of seedlings, but he straightened up when he saw me. "Ms Cleo? You’re back. I heard you and Nicholas got back but I didn’t want to intrude.”

“Yes. He was released today.” I answered with a weary smile. 

Jace raised his eyebrow, “Well, you don’t exactly look happy, is everything okay?” 

I hesitated, my stomach twisting with anxiety. "I just realised the date today. And my death anniversary, it’s…" I blurted out, my voice shaking. "In three days."

Jace's eyes widened, and he immediately crossed the room to stand in front of me. "Well…. That shouldn’t change anything should it? You’re Arcani. You reset the timeline. You don’t think it could happen again do you?” 

"I don't know." My voice cracked, and I looked away, unable to meet his gaze. "But I can't stop thinking about it. What if it does? What if something happens again and I actually die?What if this is some cruel twist of fate, and I... and I don't make it this time?"

He placed a hand on my shoulder, his grip firm and steady. "Cleo, listen to me. We're not going to let that happen. You survived once, and you're stronger now than you've ever been."

“Now you have all the answers, nothing is going to happen to you.” 

I shook my head, the tears I'd been holding back spilling over. "You don't understand, Jace. I feel like there's this weight pressing down on me, like it's already decided, and I can't do anything to stop it."

Jace frowned, his expression hardening with determination. "Then we'll change the rules. We'll rewrite whatever's been 'decided.' You're not doing this alone."

I wiped at my eyes, the smallest flicker of hope breaking through the fear. "What do we do?"

"We go back to Rashida," Jace said firmly. "If there’s anyone who knows more about this stuff, you know she’s the one. She’s the only one who can help you figure it all out.” 

"Do you think she'll see me?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Of course she’ll see you," Jace said without hesitation. "You're not just anyone, Cleo. And I'll make sure she understands how urgent this is."

“Don’t worry. You’re not going to die again. That’s not happening. At least not on my watch it won’t.” 

Jace sounded reassuring, but I wasn’t too sure. The memory of me drowning, it was still fresh. 

Still so fresh it was almost like yesterday.