After ending the roll, Harper calculated the time needed to wrap up her affairs and booked a flight to Boston for two weeks later. Shortly after purchasing the ticket, a nurse arrived to notify her about a follow-up exam.
She settled into the wheelchair, and as she was wheeled out the door, she glanced up to see a face she immediately recognized from photos—though she’d never met him in her conscious memory. Dylan Rodriguez!
The moment he spotted her, his expression hardened, his eyes turning glacial. “Seriously? How did you find out I was here? Are you tracking my every move now?” he snapped.
Harper hadn’t imagined her first encounter with Dylan after losing her memory would be this hostile. After a moment of shock, she composed herself. “Hold up. I’m not stalking you. I was in a car accident on the highway—that’s why I’m here.”
Dylan’s eyes narrowed as he looked her over, about to retort when someone emerged from a nearby room. His demeanor instantly softened as he moved to greet them. “Ruby, you just broke your fever. I told you to stay in bed—what are you doing up?”
At that name, Harper instinctively turned to see Ruby Hale gliding toward them in a flowy white sundress, her long dark hair cascading past her shoulders. When their eyes met, Ruby offered a gentle smile and glanced curiously between them.
“The room was crazy stuffy. Needed some air,” she said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Dylan, who’s this?”
Dylan’s expression closed off slightly. “A… friend of my sister’s. She works in the design department at the firm—Harper Coulson. We barely know each other.”
Ruby’s smile widened as she extended her hand. “Hi Harper, I’m Ruby. That’s quite a bandage you’ve got there—what happened?”
Harper nodded, instinctively reaching up to touch her head. “Car accident. Got a mild concussion and some memory…”
A nurse’s voice cut through from down the hall. “Ms. Coulson, room 1124. We’re ready for your scan.”
With that interruption, Harper saw no point in chatting with people who meant nothing to her current life. She quickly excused herself. “That’s my cue. Nice meeting you, Ruby. Take care.”
As she wheeled herself away, she missed the puzzled frown that crossed Dylan’s face as he watched her go. This wasn’t her typical behavior at all. Usually, she’d use any excuse to linger around him. Yet today, she’d dismissed herself without a second glance.
After completing her tests, Harper stopped by the pharmacy for her medication. Passing the courtyard garden downstairs, she noticed the perfect spring weather and decided to soak up some sunshine. As she approached the small ornamental pond, Ruby appeared on the path ahead.
“Harper! Getting some fresh air too? What are the odds?”
Harper was surprised to run into her again but exchanged polite greetings. Ruby was naturally outgoing and soon took charge of Harper’s wheelchair, chatting animatedly as they strolled.
“Dylan got called away for a work emergency. I was dying of boredom in there,” she leaned down slightly as she pushed the chair. “Since you’re Jemma’s best friend and you’ve worked with Dylan forever, I’ve been dying to ask—I heard while I was in Europe about some woman who’s been chasing after Dylan for, like, seven years straight. Do you know who she is? What’s his deal with her?”
At these words, Harper tensed momentarily before quickly masking her reaction, her voice deliberately casual. “No clue, honestly. But considering he’s had someone pursuing him for seven years and still only has eyes for you… I’d say that tells you everything you need to know. You’re clearly the only one who matters to him.”