Familiar Faces and Forbidden Fire
Hazel couldn't shake the feeling even as daylight crept into her apartment.
The dream still pulsed beneath her skin — the scent of rain, the soft piano notes, the weight of the champagne silk dress. But it wasn't just the imagery. It was the emotion.
She hadn't just dreamed of Emily.
She had been her.
She walked to her laptop, still in her robe, her heart pounding with a strange mix of fear and urgency. She opened a browser and typed the name she had only heard once from Aiden, spoken in fragments and shadows:
Emily Hart.
The search returned pages of results. But one article stopped her cold.
"Tragic Death of Emily Hart, Wife of Tech Investor Aiden Cross — Questions Still Unanswered."
Hazel's fingers hovered over the touchpad as her breath hitched.
The photo embedded in the article made her freeze.
It was Emily — but it was her face.
Not similar. Identical.
Same bone structure. Same eyes. Same faint scar near the temple.
She sat back slowly, heart pounding. "What the hell…"
Suddenly, her phone buzzed.
Aiden.
Can I come by?
Her instincts screamed yes, but her brain was already spiraling.
Still, she typed back:
Door's open.
When the knock came, Hazel was already pacing.
She opened the door, and Aiden stepped in — calm on the outside, storming on the inside.
He spotted the laptop immediately.
"You found her," he said.
Hazel nodded. "She's me."
Aiden shook his head. "She looked like you. That's not the same."
Hazel raised her voice. "You didn't think I should know this before now? That I have the face of your dead wife and someone who's stalking me knows it too?"
"I was trying to keep you safe," he said tightly. "Until I understood what Liam was really after."
She folded her arms, voice trembling. "Well, I had a dream last night. Not just a dream, Aiden. I saw you. Younger. I felt her feelings. I heard her speak. I kissed you like I'd done it a thousand times."
That made him freeze.
His eyes searched hers like he didn't want to believe it — and yet somehow, he already did.
"I didn't tell you everything because I was afraid it would trigger something," he said. "And now… it has."
Hazel stepped closer. "Tell me the truth. Did you love her?"
"Yes."
"Then why me?"
He hesitated. "Because I'm not sure if this is a coincidence… or something else. But I knew from the first moment I saw you that ignoring it wouldn't make it go away."
Their silence tightened between them.
Hazel's voice softened. "So what now?"
Aiden stepped closer — slowly, deliberately. His hand brushed hers, and she didn't pull away. Their breath mingled, tension thickening.
When their lips met, it was less of a decision and more of an unraveling. His kiss was slow at first, hesitant — like memory and present were colliding in his chest.
But then it deepened.
Hazel clutched his shirt as he backed her against the wall, his hand cradling her cheek like she might disappear again.
There was heat, yes — but also pain. Longing. Grief. And something dangerous neither of them could name.
When they finally broke apart, breathless, Hazel rested her forehead against his.
"I don't know what I'm doing," she whispered.
"Neither do I," he murmured. "But I know one thing — Liam is watching."
Hazel blinked. "You're sure?"
"I felt it when I came in. I checked the street. There was a car idling across from the building. Lights off. Same one from last night."
Her stomach turned.
"I don't want you staying here tonight," he added.
She stepped back. "Then where do I go?"
He looked at her, eyes intense but steady.
"My place."
Hazel swallowed.
"This is the first time you've invited me."
"It won't be the last."
She hesitated for only a second… then nodded.
"Okay," she said. "Let's go."
And as she grabbed her coat and the burner phone from the nightstand, Hazel felt the weight of the evening settle around her. She wasn't sure if stepping into Aiden's world would protect her or destroy her…
…but she had a feeling she was finally about to find out.