Page 111 of The Broken Keys

“I was afraid this would happen this morning.” Dr. Knight moves quickly to the IV stand. “I’m going to give you something to help relax you. It’s a mild sedative to take the edge off.”

“No!” I try to pull away, but Callum’s grip keeps me steady. “I don’t want drugs. I want to go home.”

“Lily, you need this.” Callum squeezes my hand. “Let him help you.”

The doctor adjusts something on the IV. Within seconds, warmth spreads through my veins and tension melts from my neck all the way down to my feet. The cutting edges of panic begin to dull, smoothing into something more manageable.

My breathing slows. The itch beneath my skin fades to background noise. My eyelids grow heavy again.

“There we go.” Dr. Knight steps back. “Just rest, Livianna. We’ll talk more when you’re stronger.”

Callum remains by my side, solid, and the only real thing in my life at the moment. “I’m not going anywhere, Lily. I promise.”

The room blurs as the sedative pulls me under. I sleep in a dreamless state.

Voices pull me back to consciousness. Not the clinical tones of doctors and nurses, but warmth that wraps around me like a blanket I didn’t know I needed.

“I don’t care what the doctor says, I think we should tell her everything about her past.” Ah, that’s Mom with her usual direction and taking over my life.

I open my eyes. The room comes into focus as reality slams into me.

Mom stands at the foot of my bed, her dark hair pulled back in a low bun, worry etched into every line of her face. Dad hovers beside her, one hand on her shoulder as if he’s keeping her grounded.

My brother leans against the wall near the window, arms crossed. His expression is unreadable, but his laid-back posture is exactly how I expect him to be.

“Livianna.” Mom moves to my side. She wrings her hands together like she doesn’t know if she should touch me. “Oh, darling. Thank God you’re okay.”

“Mom?” I try to sit up, but it hurts too much. I relax back. “What are you doing here?”

“I was worried sick.” She blinks rapidly. “You were in an accident, and we immediately chartered a flight home from Spain. I had to make sure you’re well cared for.”

Of course, she needs that. She always needs her fingers in my business.

Callum shifts from where he’s been standing near the door. “I called them right after you were brought in.”

“Cash filled us in on everything.” Dad steps closer, gripping the bed rail. “The amnesia, the memory loss. All of it.”

Right. My amnesia. The five years that have been erased.

My head throbs and I press my palm against my forehead. Please make the pain go away. I need to get out of here and figure out how to get my past back.

“We’re not going to overwhelm you, darling.” Mom pats my thigh. “Dr. Knight said to take things slow.”

“I lost five years of my life. How much slower can I go?” I laugh, but there’s no humor in it. “It seems like I should be on fast forward so I can catch up.”

Bren finally speaks up. “Take it easy, Livianna. That’s all you should do.”

I study my brother. He looks different. Older. More ink covers his arms than I remember. His hair is longer and styled differently. Even the way he stands has changed. He’s more confident and settled.

“You look different, Bren.”

“Yeah, well.” He shrugs. “Five years will do that.”

Mom clears her throat. “Livianna, we need to discuss some practical matters. Your fashion house, Lehlani Rose Designs. You have a meeting scheduled with Marcus Chen coming up to finalize your partnership for global expansion.”

I gawk at her. “Lehlani Rose Designs? I did it? I changed the name from Livianna Grace Designs to Lehlani Rose Designs?”

Jesus, how did I manage that?