Chapter 4

Later, Jack Harlan showed up at my door with a swollen, red mark across his cheek—his eyes bloodshot from crying. I'd expected him to come demanding answers, or to take back the engagement token. But when I placed the token on the table in front of him, he barely glanced at it. Instead, he spoke calmly, voice low and steady: "I'm sorry. I was just... confused for a moment. Lily's gone now. Let's go ahead with the engagement." My mother was overjoyed when she heard this. She'd always adored Jack—not just because he'd saved her life when they were kids, but because she knew how deeply I'd once cared for him. She'd treated him like a son for years. The recent rift between us had weighed heavily on her. Now that Jack was acting like his old, respectful self again, she beamed with relief. I studied his face. Beneath the calm words, I saw reluctance in his eyes—the same unwillingness that had haunted our past. I opened my mouth to refuse. But then I remembered the Harlans' kindness. In my previous life, when I'd fallen gravely ill and needed a kidney transplant, Thomas Harlan hadn't hesitated. The moment he learned his kidney was a match, he gave it to me without a second thought. And now, the Harlan family needed this engagement banquet—a public alliance with the Harpers—to break into Lincoln's upper social circles. I sighed. It was just an engagement. With time, our parents would see we weren't meant to be. They'd understand that no matter how carefully the match was arranged, some unions were never meant to bloom. Time flew. Before I knew it, the day of the engagement ceremony arrived. Jack stood at the front of the banquet hall in a tailored navy suit—tall, handsome, and polished. Guests turned their heads as he passed, murmuring about how perfect we looked together. But the longer the evening went on, the more his expression darkened. A knot formed in my stomach. Still, I told myself: this was too important a night. Jack wasn't reckless—not when it came to appearances. He wouldn't risk a scene here. My heart pounded as we walked down the red carpet, cut the cake, and exchanged rings. No one interrupted. Lily didn't burst in, tearful and desperate, begging Jack to run away with her. Jack didn't suddenly retract his vows or declare he couldn't go through with it. The ceremony ended without incident. I finally let out the breath I'd been holding. Of course. Jack only lost his head when Lily was involved. When it came to matters of family and reputation, he knew exactly what to do. I watched the faint sheen of unshed tears at the corners of his eyes and remembered everything—the pain of my past life, the love that had once consumed me. Maybe it was time to let go. Not just of him, but of the ghost of what I'd hoped we could be. I leaned in slightly, ready to tell him the truth—that this engagement was only for show, and that soon, I'd set him free. But before the words left my lips, the grand doors of the hall slammed open. Three police officers strode in, faces grim. Without warning, they grabbed me by the arms and forced me to my knees on the polished floor. "Emily Harper," one of them said, voice sharp and final. "You're coming with us."