Chapter 44

Goldie stared out of the window, her gaze fixed on the distant horizon. After she had checked her personal accounts, she couldn't help but feel a sense of longing for her former life. She missed her family more than words could express. It had been at least three months since she had seen them, and the ache in her heart had only grown deeper with time. The memories of her mother's smiling face and her father's calming presence tormented her.

The next evening, Goldie decided she couldn't bear it any longer. She needed to see her family, even if it meant deceiving Remy, she had to find a way to get back to Oaks Creek. She knew it was a long shot and that seeing her family wouldn't guarantee anything, it might not even give her any comfort since they would not recognize her in somebody else's body, but Goldie knew she had to try. So, she devised a plan to visit her family under the guise of seeking help from the specialist in Oaks Creek for her missing memories.

Remy was the only person she could turn to, she also had to phrase the question in a way that it wouldn't raise too much suspicion on her part.

As they sat in one of the cozy living rooms, Remy enjoying a glass of wine with his eyes on the laptop in front of him, Goldie hesitated to broach the subject. Finally, she took a deep breath and said, "Remy, I've been struggling  to tell you something for a while now, and I think that it's time I tell you about it."

Remy looked concerned, he put his laptop away. "What's going on? Are you okay?"

Goldie nodded.

"I'm not... it's been months and I haven't gotten back my memories. I've been thinking about me going back to see the specialist."

"I think I want to give her another trial, maybe she can help me. I'm tired of living without my memories."

Remy's eyes softened with empathy. "Of course, Valentina. That shouldn't be a problem, whenever you're ready just let me know, I'll come with you."

Tears of guilt welled up in Goldie's eyes as she thanked Remy.

She didn't like lying to him, but there was no way he would believe the things coming out of her mouth if she was being honest with him.

She knew that she was manipulating his kindness and care for her, but the thought of seeing her family again was too enticing to resist.

"When do you want to leave?"

He asked and she sighed.

"I want to just go and get it over with. I think we should leave tomorrow if that's okay with you."

"I just... I'm just really tired of it all. I miss them Remy..."

Remy, who had probably thought that she was talking about her memories nodded in unison, his face soft and empathetic.

"You'll give me a few hours to put some things in order and then we'll leave."

.......

Goldie Parson had always been a daddy's girl, and her father, Simon Parson, loved his daughter. When she and Remy had arrived at Oaks Creek, she told Remy to let her go see the specialist on her own while he stayed in their hotel. Surprisingly, Remy had agreed and Goldie diverted and walked to her father's office building.

As Goldie pushed open the door to her father's office building, a sight met her eyes that left her dumbfounded. There, in the elevator across in the lobby, stood her father, Simon, cozying up to a woman she had never seen before. They were laughing, their arms intertwined, and she couldn't ignore the unmistakable affection in their eyes.

Goldie's initial reaction was a surge of anger and betrayal. She fought to control her emotions, swallowing the lump in her throat. What was going on? Her father was married to her mother, and as far as she knew, they were happily wedded for years. She didn't think she had ever even seen then even fight.

As Simon and the woman walked across the lobby together, Goldie couldn't let her curiosity go unanswered. Her father walked back into the building moments later and despite being in another body, Valentina still hid her face from him, afraid that he would see her.

She decided to follow the mysterious woman discreetly. Heart pounding, she trailed her through the busy streets of the town until she finally caught up with the woman at a nearby park.

With trembling nerves, Goldie approached the woman, who was now sitting on a park bench, engrossed in her phone. She cleared her throat nervously, and the woman looked up with a faintly surprised expression.

"Excuse me," Goldie began, "Can I sit here?"

She asked and the woman nodded. "Sure."

Goldie sat next to her. The woman had short blond hair and she was wearing jeans and a blue top. She looked like she could be in her early thirties, or maybe even younger.

"I was just at the Staten building, I'm sorry to pry but I couldn't help but notice you with Mr Parson earlier. How do you know him?"

The woman glanced at Goldie for a moment, assessing her, and then smiled slyly. "I'm sorry, Who are you?"

Goldie smiled nervously as she cleared her throat.

"My name is Valentina Combe... I'm sorry for prying but I used to know Mr Parson. I was going to meet him today and offer my condolences about his daughter but then I saw you with him."

The woman shifted uncomfortably in her seat, she looked bothered. "Well, he's my boyfriend." She answered quickly.

Goldie felt her chest tighten.

"I sort of remember that he's married. Are you aware of that?"

The woman laughed, a sound that grated on Goldie's nerves. "Married? Oh, sweetie, Simon and I are together now. He's getting a divorce. It's all very complicated, you know."

Goldie's heart sank. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her father, the man she had looked up to her entire life, was leaving her mother for another woman. It felt like a betrayal beyond words.

Unable to contain her anger and devastation any longer, Goldie turned on her heel without another word and left the woman sitting there without an explanation. She felt tears welling up in her eyes as she walked away. She shouldn't have come. She shouldn't have come at all.

.......

Rafael paced back and forth in his new apartment in the heart of Los Angeles. His eyes burned with a fiery determination as he plotted his revenge against Alpha Remington Albrecht and his entire pack. Rafael vowed to take back what was rightfully his.

"Listen up, men," he said, addressing his loyal group of men. "Information reaching me tells me that the Silverback Pride is a founding pack. And Alpha Remington and his Silverback Pride are next in line to hold the mantle, and I won't let that happen."

His men nodded in agreement, their faces hidden stern just like their boss, they stood around him, they had been with Rafael through thick and thin, and they trusted him implicitly.

"He also seems to have some sort of connection with Valentina Combe, the woman I have been looking for over a year now. He will probably be the one to lead her to us, so it is important that we find out where he is and find their location."

"We've got a lead," one of his men chimed in, his voice laced with anticipation. "Word on the street is that Mr Albrecht closed a deal in Malibu a week ago, he has a follow up with the client coming up next week."

Rafael's lips curled into a wicked grin. "Excellent. We'll crash his little meeting and rough him up a bit, see what he knows."

"In the meantime, find out everything you can about his pack. But remember, our primary objective is to find Valentina Combe and bring her back to me."

His men nodded in agreement, their expressions fierce.

The battle line had been drawn and Rafael was intent on winning.