Chapter 2 - The Husband Who Knew Her Name Before She Met Him
Rafe did not fully wake for three days.
But he was no longer comatose.
His condition fluctuated.
Sometimes he opened his eyes for minutes.
Sometimes only seconds.
He remembered certain things and forgot others.
He recognized Malcolm.
He recognized Silas.
He recognized Tessa.
He did not, according to Dr. Hail, remember the accident.
But he remembered Mave.
That was the first thing that frightened her.
The second was that Rafe had apparently known her long before their wedding.
“You were listed in my files,” he told her on the fourth morning.
His voice was stronger now.
Mave stood near the window.
“What kind of files?”
“Personal.”
“That doesn't make sense.”
“It does to me.”
He tried to sit.
She helped him without thinking.
Their eyes met.
Rafe looked at her wedding ring.
“You really did marry me.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
She almost laughed.
“You know why.”
“I want to hear you say it.”
Mave folded her arms.
“I married you to save my father.”
“And would you have married me if your father were safe?”
“No.”
Rafe nodded.
“Good.”
She frowned.
“Good?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I don't want a wife who lies.”
Mave stared.
“You were unconscious.”
“I was.”
“So how would you know whether I was lying?”
His expression changed.
“Because you didn't look at me like everyone else.”
She went quiet.
“What does that mean?”
“They looked at what I could provide.”
“What did I look at?”
“Whether I was breathing.”
She didn't know what to say.
Rafe leaned back.
“You are not what I expected.”
“I could say the same.”
His mouth almost curved.
“Fair.”
The door opened.
Silas entered.
His expression tightened when he saw them sitting together.
“Rafe.”
“Uncle.”
“You're awake.”
“Yes.”
Silas approached the bed.
“There are important matters to discuss.”
Rafe's eyes hardened.
“Later.”
“You need to understand what happened while you were unconscious.”
“I know enough.”
“Do you?”
Silas looked at Mave.
She immediately stood.
“I'm leaving.”
Rafe caught her wrist.
“No.”
Mave looked down.
He released her slowly.
“Stay.”
Silas frowned.
“This is family business.”
“She is my wife.”
Tessa appeared behind him.
Her expression was unreadable.
Silas looked at Rafe.
“You've known her for four days.”
“I knew her before that.”
Mave's heart stopped.
Silas looked at him sharply.
“What?”
Rafe said nothing.
The silence told Mave everything.
After Silas left, Mave turned.
“What did he mean?”
Rafe looked toward the window.
“You want the truth?”
“Yes.”
“You were under surveillance before you ever met me.”
“By whom?”
“Calder Security.”
“Why?”
“I ordered it.”
Her face changed.
“You what?”
“I needed to know whether you were safe.”
“Why would you care?”
Rafe closed his eyes.
“Because your father saved my life.”
Mave froze.
“When?”
“Eight years ago.”
She stared.
“My father was a software engineer.”
“He was.”
“He didn't know you.”
“He did.”
“My father never worked for you.”
“Not officially.”
Rafe told her the truth.
Years earlier, a financial attack had nearly destroyed Calder Holdings.
Someone had breached their accounting systems and redirected money through a network of shell companies.
Patrick Callahan had discovered the breach.
He had traced it.
But when he realized the hackers were connected to a much larger criminal network, he tried to walk away.
Rafe's father wanted him silenced.
Rafe refused.
Patrick helped him escape.
Then disappeared.
Mave shook her head.
“My father never told me.”
“He wanted you away from my world.”
“Then why did you marry me?”
“I didn't choose it.”
She looked at him.
“What?”
“You didn't know because you weren't supposed to.”
“Supposed to know what?”
Rafe reached toward the bedside table.
He picked up a photograph.
Mave stared.
It showed Patrick Callahan.
With Rafe.
And a woman she did not recognize.
A younger woman.
Pregnant.
“Who is she?”
Rafe looked at the photograph.
“My mother.”
Mave's breath caught.
“I thought she died before you were born.”
“She did.”
“How is she in a photograph with my father?”
“Because she was alive when I was born.”
Mave stared.
“What are you saying?”
Rafe looked at her.
“I am saying your father knew my family before either of us understood what family meant.”
Before she could respond, the door slammed open.
Malcolm entered.
“Rafe.”
Rafe looked at him.
“What?”
“We found something.”
“What?”
“Evidence that Patrick Callahan moved money through one of our old accounts.”
Mave's face went pale.
“My father?”
Malcolm nodded.
“You married her to protect him,” Rafe said quietly.
“Because she needed protection.”
“No.”
Malcolm smiled.
“Because her father is guilty.”
Mave stepped toward him.
“You froze his accounts.”
“Yes.”
“You accused him.”
“Yes.”
“And now you want me to believe he worked with you?”
Malcolm's eyes narrowed.
“You don't understand the world you're in.”
Mave looked at Rafe.
“Do you believe him?”
Rafe stared at the documents.
Then at Mave.
“No.”
Malcolm's face hardened.
“You are making a mistake.”
“Maybe.”
Rafe leaned forward.
“But it's my mistake.”
Malcolm left.
Mave waited.
“What did you see?”
“Forged signatures.”
“How do you know?”
“Because my father used a different format.”
“You remembered?”
“Yes.”
Rafe touched his forehead.
“I don't remember the accident.”
“But you remember the documents.”
“Yes.”
She sat.
Rafe looked at her.
“Mave.”
“Yes?”
“Your father was framed.”
Her eyes filled.
“Then why was he in debt?”
“Because someone wanted him desperate.”
“Who?”
Rafe shook his head.
“I don't know.”
“Then find out.”
He looked at her.
“You're giving me orders.”
“Yes.”
He smiled.
“I married an excellent wife.”
She laughed despite herself.
The next morning, Rafe walked for the first time.
Mave stood nearby.
He was unsteady.
She offered her arm.
He took it.
Their bodies were suddenly close.
His shoulder brushed hers.
He looked down.
“You smell like lavender.”
She blushed.
“That's not relevant.”
“I know.”
“You shouldn't flirt with your nurse.”
“I don't.”
“I'm your wife.”
“Exactly.”
She looked at him.
For a man still recovering from a coma, he had an irritating amount of confidence.
Then he stopped.
“There's something else.”
“What?”
“You were supposed to die.”
Mave froze.
“What?”
“On the night of my attack.”
She stared.
“Why?”
“Because you were with me.”
“I wasn't.”
“Exactly.”
He looked at her.
“Someone expected you to be there.”
“What does that mean?”
Rafe's expression darkened.
“The attack wasn't meant for me.”
He touched the scar near his temple.
“It was meant to create a reason to put the family under new control.”
“Whose control?”
“Silas.”
Mave's heart stopped.
“You think your uncle tried to kill you.”
“I don't think.”
Rafe looked at her.
“I know.”
That night, someone entered Patrick Callahan's house.
They found the study open.
Nothing was stolen.
Except an old family photograph.
May you like
And one handwritten note.
Ask Mave why her father trusted Rafe's mother.
