Chapter 291:

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August’s reflexes were instantaneous. He shot out a hand, his large, warm fingers closing around a small, surprisingly solid shoulder, steadying her just before she hit the polished floor.

“Whoa there,” he said, his voice a low rumble.

The little girl righted herself and looked up.

And August’s world tilted on its axis.

She looked up at him with wide, startled eyes. And for a dizzying, heart-stopping second, he wasn’t looking at a stranger’s child. He saw a disquieting echo of himself.

It wasn’t just the shape of the eyes, a perfect almond so much like Elisa’s. It was the color, a shade of stormy gray so familiar it made his heart stutter. A ridiculous, impossible thought struck him like lightning. But he immediately crushed the notion. Impossible. Her name was Gilmore. And Elisa would never have the audacity. It had to be a coincidence, a trick of the fluorescent lights and his own frayed nerves.

Kayden stared up at the tall, imposing man. His eyes were intense, a little scary, but she wasn’t afraid. Just… curious.

“Sorry, sir,” she said, her voice small but clear. She tried to pull away.

He didn’t let go. His grip was gentle, but firm. He was staring at her face, his brow furrowed in deep, agonizing concentration. He saw the stubborn set of her jaw. He saw the faint arch of her eyebrow. It was Elisa. But it was also… him. It was a terrifying, impossible composite of the two of them.

“What’s your name?” he asked, the words coming out before he could stop them. His voice was rough, strained.

Kayden shrank back a little. “Kayden. Kayden Gilmore.”

T𝗁е 𝘣е𝘴𝗍 𝗋е𝖺𝗱i𝘯g eхp𝗲𝗿𝗶e𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗻 g𝖺𝗹𝗻𝗈𝗏е𝗅𝘴.𝘤о𝗺

Gilmore. The name was a splash of cold water. Jewel’s last name. Of course. This was Jewel’s child. The child Elisa was so obsessed with. It had to be.

But the feeling, the feeling wasn’t going away.

“Kayden!”

Jewel came running around the corner, her face a mask of panic. She saw August’s hand on Kayden’s shoulder and her blood ran cold.

She lunged forward, snatching Kayden and pulling her behind her back like a shield.

“Mr. Chambers,” Jewel said, her voice shaking with barely suppressed rage. “What do you think you’re doing?”

August blinked, as if waking from a trance. He pulled his hand back, straightening his cuffs in a reflexive gesture of regaining control.

“The child… she ran into me,” he said, his own voice sounding distant to his ears.

“Then thank you for catching her,” Jewel said, her tone dripping with ice. “We’ll be going now.”

She grabbed Kayden’s hand and practically dragged her away, her pace fast and urgent. Kayden, confused, looked back over her shoulder one last time at the strange, sad-looking man.

August stood frozen in the empty hallway, watching them go. He watched the little girl’s back, the way her hair bounced when she walked.

The jolt in his chest had subsided into a deep, hollow ache.

He pulled out his phone. His hands were steady, but his mind was reeling.

He dialed his assistant.

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