you promised her for her birthday?"
I closed my eyes, the memory surfacing unwillingly. "I promised to take her to Moonlight Fair."
"Yes," Olivia nodded. "She was so excited, Ethan. For weeks, it was all she talked about. 'Daddy and I are going to ride the carousel together. Daddy and I are going to eat cotton candy.' She even practiced riding on my shoulders so she wouldn't be scared on yours."
Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes. I blinked them away, unwilling to show such
weakness in public.
"But you never showed up," Olivia said, her own tears now flowing freely. "Because Emma had
a dance recital that day, and Victoria needed you there."
The accusation hung in the air between us, undeniable in its truth. I had chosen Emma over
my own daughter, Victoria over my mate.
"I made a mistake," I admitted, the words feeling inadequate even as I spoke them.
"A mistake?" Olivia's voice rose slightly. "You broke her heart, Ethan. And it wasn't the first
time."
She reached into her purse and pulled out a USB drive. "Didn't you want to see Lily? Watch
this, and I'll take you to her immediately!"
I took the drive from her outstretched hand, my fingers trembling slightly. Whatever was on
this drive, I knew it would change everything.
"Maxwell," I called, my voice hoarse. "Play this on the main screen."
Maxwell nodded, taking the drive and connecting it to the control panel for the massive display screen I'd installed at the fair's entrance. Within moments, the screen flickered to life.
The footage showed Moonlight Fair, the old one, not the grand new version I'd built. The
3/5
Olivia's face was streaked with tears, her pain a mirror of my own. The question hung between us, unanswered, as her earlier words echoed in my mind.
"Lily is dead!"
A wave of terror washed over me as the horrifying question formed in my mind: Was Lily truly
gone?