Chapter 184
Elena: POV
The plane touched down at JFK with barely a jolt, and I felt my entire body tense as the wheels hit the tarmac.
Through the small window, I could see the familiar gray skyline of New York emerging through the November fog—a city I supposedly knew, but that felt as foreign to me as the surface of the moon.
"Mama, are we here?" Lila mumbled against my shoulder, her small body warm and heavy with sleep.
"We're in New York for our connection, baby," I said softly, stroking her curls. "We still need to catch another plane to Richmond."
Julian was already unbuckling his seatbelt, moving with that efficient precision I was beginning to recognize as habitual. He retrieved our bags from the overhead compartment without being asked.
"Our connecting flight to Richmond is at Gate C24," he said quietly. "We have about an hour layover. And I've arranged for additional security at the Richmond airport. I know it might seem like overkill, but with Victoria still out there—"
"I understand," I cut him off, not wanting to hear the rest.
We made our way through the jet bridge and into the terminal, Lila's weight growing heavier in my arms with each step. The airport was crowded despite the early hour—business travelers rushing to catch connections, families reuniting, the usual chaos of JFK.
"The gate's this way," Julian said, his hand hovering near the small of my back without quite touching. "We'll need to go through the connecting flight security checkpoint."
We were halfway through the terminal when I heard it—a voice calling out behind us, sharp with disbelief.
"Elena? Elena!"
I froze, confusion washing over me.
I turned slowly, my arms tightening instinctively around Lila. Julian went rigid beside me, his entire body shifting into a protective stance.
A man was pushing through the crowd toward us—tall, well-dressed in an expensive suit, with dark hair and sharp features. He was moving fast, his eyes locked on me with an intensity that made my pulse spike.
I'd never seen him before in my life.
"Elena, my God," he said as he reached us, slightly breathless, his face a mixture of shock and overwhelming relief. "You're alive? I thought—I thought you were dead. All these years, I thought—"
"I'm sorry," I interrupted, my voice uncertain. "Do I... do I know you?"
The man stopped short, his expression shifting from relief to confusion to something that looked almost like pain. "What? Elena, it's me. It's Ethan. We spent time together, I helped you with your mother—"
"Back off," Julian said, his voice dropping to something lethal as he stepped directly between us. "Now."
Ethan's eyes flicked to Julian, and something cold settled over his features. "Julian. I should have known you'd be here. What did you do to her? Where has she been all this time?"
"She doesn't remember you," Julian said flatly. "She doesn't remember anything from the past four years."
"Doesn't remember?" Ethan's voice rose, desperation flashing across his face. "What are you talking about? Elena, what happened to you? I've been looking for you for years—everyone said you disappeared, that you might be dead—"
"I had an accident," I said quietly. "I have amnesia."
The words seemed to hit him like a physical blow. His face went pale, and I saw his hands shake slightly.
"Amnesia?" he repeated, staring at me with horror. "You don't remember anything?"
"I don't remember the past four years," I confirmed, feeling uncomfortable under his intense gaze. "I'm sorry, but I don't know who you are."
"This is impossible," Ethan said, talking more to himself than to me. "I was just here for a business conference. I was catching a flight back to Miami, and then I saw you—I couldn't believe it. I thought I was seeing a ghost."
He looked between Julian and me, his expression growing more agitated. "What happened to her? Where has she been? Why didn't anyone know she was alive?"
"That's none of your business," Julian said flatly.
"None of my business?" Ethan's laugh was harsh. "I spent months looking for her after she disappeared. I hired private investigators, I contacted hospitals—"
"You what?" Julian interrupted, his voice tight with barely controlled anger.
"I cared about her," Ethan said, his voice breaking slightly. "We were close in Florida. I was there when her mother was dying, I helped her through the worst time of her life. And then one day she was just gone."
Something about the way he said it made my skin prickle with unease. "How close were we?"
"We were friends," he said, but there was something in his eyes that suggested it was more complicated than that. "Good friends. I cared about you deeply. And when you disappeared, I thought something terrible had happened to you."
"Something terrible did happen to her," Julian said coldly. "She was attacked. She nearly died."
Ethan stared at me, his face cycling through emotions I couldn't identify. "Attacked? By who? When?"
"That's not your concern," Julian said.
"Of course it's my concern!" Ethan's voice rose again. "Elena, please. You have to remember something. We spent weeks together in Florida. I was there for you when no one else was—"
"I don't remember," I said, hating how small my voice sounded. "I'm sorry, but I don't know who you are."
"Mama?" Lila's small voice cut through the tension. She'd woken up fully now, her body tense against mine, her eyes wide with confusion at the angry voices. "Who's the man?"
Ethan's gaze shifted to Lila, and I saw something flicker across his face—surprise, then calculation.
"You already have a daughter," he said, his voice soft with wonder. "How old is she?"
"That's none of your business," I said firmly, protective instinct kicking in as I held Lila closer.
"She's four," Julian said, warning in his voice. "She's mine."
Ethan's eyes snapped back to Julian, and I saw understanding dawn on his face. "Really?"
"I don't believe you," Ethan said, but there was uncertainty in his voice now. "Elena was terrified of you in Florida. She said you were controlling, that you wouldn't let her leave—"
"I think you should go," I said quietly, cutting him off. The conversation was getting too intense, and Lila was starting to whimper against my shoulder. "We have a connecting flight to catch."