Do You Still Love Me When We Meet Again? (Aubrey and Damon) novel Chapter 190

Chapter 190

The weight of their collective stare made Aubrey feel a sudden surge of nerves. She quickly tried to backtrack, her voice slightly breathless. “I mean, it’s just a wild theory. It sounds pretty crazy when I say it out loud, I know.”

Zachary couldn’t help but burst into applause. “No, no, don’t sell yourself short. That hypothesis is incredibly solid. Honestly, Aubrey, you should quit the law and join the force. You’ve just given me a completely new lead to chase.”

Tracy sat up straight, her eyes wide with pure hero worship. “Now I see why a high–profile lawyer like Vincent Hall was so desperate to headhunt you. You’re amazing, Aubrey! Whether Caleb Taylor is the killer or not, that theory is as bold as it is logical. It’s the breakthrough we needed.”

Even Chase, who was notoriously difficult to impress and rarely cracked a smile, looked at her with unmistakable admiration.

n that moment, he finally understood why his youngest son was so utterly consumed by this woman. Now that she had stripped away the shadows of her upbringing and moved past the lingering grief, her true nature was shining through–brilliant, fearless, and unshakably resilient.

Aubrey looked around at them, genuinely puzzled by the sudden influx of praise. To her, the connection felt obvious; she didn’t think she had done nything extraordinary.

When her gaze finally landed on Damon, she found his eyes shimmering with an intense, prideful warmth. The smile playing on his lips was levastatingly tender, as if he were looking at the only thing in the world that mattered.

Did I really never think of this before?” she whispered softly to him, still questioning her own insight.

Damon shook his head, his gaze softening as he looked at her. “No. Maybe it was just a case of being too close to the situation–you were too motionally invested to see the patterns. After your father’s accident, followed immediately by our breakup, you were spiraling into a mild depression. You were fighting too many battles at once back then. You didn’t have the clarity you have now to look at things so rationally.”

I see,” Aubrey murmured, absorbing his words. She turned to Zachary, her eyes filled with a quiet urgency. “Zachary, could you have your colleagues ocus the investigation on Caleb Taylor? We need to know exactly where he was and what he was doing five years ago when the accident happened. We an’t let him slip through our fingers.”

He’s not going anywhere,” Damon interjected, his voice dropping an octave, cool and steady. “He’s already behind bars. He has over three years left on is sentence.”

Aubrey blinked, her eyebrows shooting up in surprise. “What did he do? What law did he break?”

racy’s face lit up, and she jumped in, practically vibrating with excitement. “He messed with you, Aubrey! Damon hired Vincent Hall specifically to rosecute the case, and they threw the book at him. The sentence was incredibly heavy. That’s actually how Vincent first met you–he was so blown way by your talent and your grit that he offered you that massive salary just to lure you here to New Haven. Back in Crestview, you were a total owerhouse. You were a pro bono lawyer, taking on cases for free, and you were a local legend!”

A brilliant, unapologetic smile broke across Aubrey’s face. She didn’t even try to be humble; instead, she immediately pulled out her phone. “Well, if hat’s the case, I’m Googling myself right now. I need to take a trip down memory lane and bask in my former glory.”

Victoria and Tracy burst into laughter, completely charmed by her sudden burst of confidence and wit. They looked at her with nothing but pure. loting affection.

Zachary picked up the file and stood. “Aubrey, the lead you’ve provided might be the breakthrough we need. I’ll have my colleagues in Crestview City ook into Caleb Taylor immediately. It’s been a long time, so the investigation will be difficult. You’ll have to be patient.”

Thank you for the hard work, Zachary,” Aubrey said, nodding her gratitude. “I’m in no rush. Please, take all the time you need.”

It’s no trouble at all.” Zachary’s gaze drifted slowly toward Damon. In his mind, it was his brother who was truly exhausted–and truly desperate

He hoped, for Damon’s sake, that this would have a happy ending.

Otherwise, the version of Aubrey who had lost her memories felt no emotional tie to his brother. A woman this brilliant and independent wouldn’t necessarily choose a lifetime of marriage just for a man’s wealth or his looks.

With her talent, she would shine in any field she chose to enter.

She was the perfect balance of grace and beauty, intellect and capability. It wouldn’t be hard for a woman like her to find a man even better than his

brother.

Perhaps Damon had recognized Aubrey’s worth long ago, which explained why his love was so bone–deep–and why he was so constantly terrified of losing her.

With that thought, Zachary turned to leave.

50

< Chapter 190

Zachary, wait! I’ll go pick some pears for you to take back,” Tracy said, hopping up.

I’ll go too.” Aubrey added, standing up with her.

The two women linked arms and followed Zachary out toward the courtyard.

Damon’s eyes followed Aubrey’s retreating figure until she disappeared. A moment later, he started to stand.

“Damon, sit back down,” Chase called out, stopping him firmly.

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Damon had just started to stand up when his father’s voice pulled him back. He hesitated for a second, then sat back down.

Chase and Victoria watched him, their expressions heavy with a mixture of concern and weary resignation.

“Damon, you can’t force these things,” Chase said, his voice thick with paternal wisdom. “I can tell Aubrey isn’t the type to be swayed by surface–level gestures. She’s far more independent than any of us realized. Without the foundation of shared memories to lean on, and considering she’s no longer an impulsive girl, making a woman that mature and self–assured fall for you all over again… do you have any idea how difficult that is?”

“I know,” Damon muttered, his voice leaden. He lowered his head, exhaling a long, ragged breath to clear the suffocating tightness in his chest. He gave a slow, painful nod. “I’m not going to push her. I’ll

let things take their course.” .

“Even if her father’s case is eventually overturned, don’t use that to pressure her into marriage. Love has to be mutual, Damon. She doesn’t owe you

anything.”

Damon leaned back against the sofa, his shoulders sagging under a weight he couldn’t shake. He nodded again, his dark eyes growing even more shadowed, the light in them fading into a dull, hollow ache.

Seeing him like this brought tears to Victoria’s eyes. She let out a long, shaky sigh and turned to look at him, her gaze filled with a mother’s heartbreak and regret. “Damon, your father and I know she’s an incredible woman. It’s impossible not to love her. But she is her own person, and we have to respect whatever choice she makes.”

A bitter, strained smile pulled at Damon’s lips. “You’re so worried I’ll force her or hurt her,” he whispered, his voice thick with a raw, jagged edge. “But does it even cross your mind that your son is falling apart?”

Chase’s voice was heavy, grounded in the harsh pragmatism of their world. “You’re a man, Damon. Put your focus back on the business. No matter how much it hurts, you grit your teeth and you get through it.”

I’m a man. I can carry the weight.” Damon stood up, his voice raspy and drained of all strength. He let the words hang in the air, hollow and weary. “If she wants to leave, I’ll endure it. Don’t worry… I won’t force her hand.”

Without another word, he turned away. His broad shoulders, usually a silhouette of unshakable power, now looked slumped and defeated as he walked sut, every step heavy with the weight of his own silence.

He moved through the long corridor, ignoring the path to the courtyard where the pears were waiting to be picked. Instead, he retreated straight to his

oom.

eft behind, Chase and Victoria could only look on in helpless frustration. Their hearts ached for the fractured paths their two sons were walking.

One was trapped in a marriage of convenience, forced into a life he never wanted, enduring each day with a quiet, reluctant compliance.

The other was drowning in a love that had no place to land. He wanted a future that felt impossible to grasp; the woman he loved was right there beside

im, yet she had erased him from her soul entirely.

t was a heavy burden for any parent to witness, their hearts shattered by the sheer unfairness of it all.

Later that night, Zachary returned home, carrying a basket of fresh Bartlett pears and two jars of pear preserves,

The world outside grew still as the dead of night settled in.

The lights at Blackwood Crescent began to dim, one by one, until most of the rooms were swallowed by the shadows.

After her shower, Aubrey Hayes dried her hair and spent the next few hours sprawled on the bed, buried in her textbooks. She revisited the landinark egal cases that had slipped from her memory, her mind absorbing the complex details with effortless precision.

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