Page 64 of Final Vendetta

But as she pressed another kiss to my mouth, the knot in my chest returned.

Melanie’s words had been perfect — poignant, heartfelt, and full of hope.

Hope I wanted to believe in.

But I’d learned long ago how fleeting hope could be.

I feared it would soon be taken from us, too.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Imogene

Packing up my townhouse wasn’t as bittersweet as I’d expected.

After all, it never truly felt like home.

When I moved to California earlier this year, I thought it would be the fresh start I needed. That it would somehow help me move on and forget the past.

Little did I know my past would soon find me.

Regardless, I never decluttered my life. Never let go of things.

That was what I was doing, especially now that Gideon and I were about to embark on the next chapter of our lives. Instead of simply stuffing all my belongings into boxes and taking them with me, I was finally going through everything, getting rid of anything I’d been holding on to for far too long.

It felt freeing to finally do this. To purge my life.

And with each item I discarded, it lightened the weight I’d been carrying.

This move wasn’t just about consolidating space. It was about making room for something new.

When I couldn’t fit anything else in the trash bag, I tied it up and pulled myself to my feet. My muscles were sore from all the lifting I’d been doing, but I pushed ahead.

Since I decided not to renew my lease on a townhouse I no longer lived in, I needed to be out by the end of the weekend so the property management company could prepare it for the new tenant.

Which was why I’d been coming here every day after work.

Gideon had been coming here to help after work, too.

Apparently, his cover story that he was a venture capitalist was actually true, much to my surprise. With all the money he now had after Henry gave him his share of the profits in his cyber security firm, Gideon wanted to do something with that money. It was his way of paying it forward, considering he wouldn’t have found any success if an angel investor hadn’t taken a risk on his concept for a gaming platform.

It was because of that success he was able to provide the start-up funds for Henry’s firm.

Lifting the giant trash bag off the floor, I carried it onto the back deck and toward the trash bins tucked along the side of the detached garage. I heaved it on top of the other bags, the lid no longer able to fully close.

I brushed some of the dust off my shirt and yoga pants and was about to turn when a sound coming from the garage caught my attention, faint but noticeable.

Was someone in there? Or was I just letting my mind play tricks on me because of the recent break-in?

That had to be it. This townhouse was completely safe and secure. If anyone broke in while I wasn’t here, I’d know.

More importantly,Gideonwould know.

Reminding myself of that, I shook off my unease and started back toward the house.

Then I heard it again.

But this time, it was more than just a light shuffling sound. It was more deliberate. More rhythmic. Almost like footsteps against the cement floor of the garage.

---