Heartprints in the Void
⊰ 4.5 ⊱ Guilt's Shadow

**Cade** [

I stand in the kitchen, my hands braced against the marble countertop, my knuckles white with tension. The sound of Elysian's laughter drifts in from the living room, mingling with Ava's more subdued responses. But I can't focus on their conversation, can't bring myself to join them.

Because the moment I saw Ava standing on our doorstep, it all came rushing back.

The sterile smell of the medical facility. The cold metal of the chair beneath my hands. And Ava's face, her eyes wide with a mixture of fear and guilt as she stood in the corner of the room, a clipboard clutched to her chest.

I remember hearing my father's voice, remember him saying, "It's for the best, Cade." Through the disorientation, I could feel the coldness, the determination in his tone. "You'll thank me for this one day."

I squeeze my eyes shut, willing the memory away. But it's too late. The floodgates have opened, and now I can't stop the torrent recollections.

*Ava was there. She knew about the hypnosis treatment. She was a part of it, even if just as a student intern.*

My jaw clenches, anger bubbling up inside me. How dare she show up here, acting like nothing had happened? How dare she pretend to be Elysian's friend when she had played a part in tearing us apart? *I need answers.*

Taking a deep breath, I push away from the counter and make my way to the living room. Elysian looks up as I enter, her smile bright and oblivious to the storm raging inside me.

"Hi, my love," she says, patting the spot next to her on the couch. "Come join us. Ava was just telling me about her latest research project."

I force a smile, but it feels more like a grimace. "Actually, I was hoping I could borrow Ava for a moment."

Ava's eyes widen, a flicker of panic crossing her face before she quickly masks it. "Oh? What for?"

"Just some... old memories have resurfaced," I say, my tone deceptively casual. "You're studying psychology, right? I thought you might be able to help fill in some blanks." Elysian looks between us, her brow furrowed in confusion. "Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine," I assure her, leaning down to plant a kiss on her forehead. "We'll just be a few minutes."

Ava stands, her movements stiff and reluctant. I lead her out to the back patio, closing the French doors behind us to ensure our privacy.

For a long moment, we merely stand there, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife. My heart pounds in my chest, and I can feel a muscle ticking in my jaw from clenching it so tightly. Finally, I break the silence. "You were there," I say, my voice low and dangerous. "At the clinic. During my *treatment*."

Ava flinches, her gaze dropping to the ground. "Cade, I-"

"Don't," I cut her off, my anger boiling over. "Don't try to deny it. I remember, Ava. I remember seeing you there."

She looks up at me then, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "I'm sorry," she whispers. "I never wanted to hurt you. Either of you."

"But you did," I snarl, taking a step closer to her. "You were a part of erasing my memories of Elysian. You helped tear us apart."

Ava shakes her head frantically. "No, it wasn't like that. I was just an intern. I didn't have a choice. Your father-"

"My father," I scoff, disgust coloring my tone. "And you just went along with it? You didn't think to warn Elysian, to do something?"

"I couldn't!" She cries, wrapping her arms around herself. "Your father... he threatened me. He said if I said anything, he'd ruin my chances of ever having a career. And worse, that he'd hurt Elysian."

I pause at that, my anger momentarily giving way to confusion. My racing heart skips a beat. "What are you talking about?"

She takes a shaky breath, her words tumbling out in a rush. "When your father found out I was Elysian's friend, he cornered me. He said he knew about my connection to her, and that if I didn't keep quiet, he'd make sure to end me. And he... he implied he'd kill Elysian if I broke *confidentiality*."

The revelation hits me like a punch to the gut. I nearly stumble back, my mind reeling. "So you... what? Decided to go along with his sick plan to protect yourself and Elysian?"

"I didn't know what else to do," Ava reiterates, her voice small and broken. "You know the kind of influence your father has, Cade. I was terrified."

I laugh, a harsh, bitter sound. "Oh, I know exactly what kind of man my father is. That's why I can't believe you didn't try to fight back, or at the very least warn us."

She flinches again, but her eyebrows knitting together briefly. But then, she straightens, a spark of defiance in her eyes. "I did what I thought was best at the time. And when I found out you were back...I did what I could to get her to the truth and it worked. Alright? I did the best that I could."

*Of course... That's why Elysian went snooping in those damn files.*

Logically, I know that Ava did the best she could. I know she did the right thing. But there's this anger in me... an anger that overrides all sense of reason and pushes me toward the path of blame and hatred.

"You lied to her. You betrayed her. And you betrayed me." I shake my head, my jaw clenched tightly. "Some friend you are."

"Please," Ava begs, reaching out to grab my arm. I jerk away from her touch, but she presses on. "Please, don't tell Elysian. It would ruin our friendship. She'd never forgive me."

I stare at her, incredulous. "You're seriously asking me to keep this from my wife? To lie to her, just like you have been all this time?"

Ava's shoulders slump, defeat written in every line of her body. "I know I don't have a right to ask. But please, Cade. At least let me be the one to tell her. When the time is right."

I want to refuse. Every fiber of my being is screaming at me to march back inside and tell Elysian everything. But something holds me back. Maybe it's the genuine remorse in Ava's eyes, or maybe it's that I know that this would break Elysian. *Damn it.*

"Fine," I growl, my voice low and threatening. "You have until the end of your little visit to come clean to Elysian, or I'll do it myself."

Relief floods her face, but just as quickly as it comes, it's replaced by a fear I'm all too familiar with. "Thank you," her voice is just above a whisper.

I turn away from her, unable to look at her a moment longer. "You'd better. And if you ever hurt Elysian again, in any way... I promise you my father will be the very least of your concerns."

Without another word, I stride back into the house. But even as I put distance between us, I can't shake the anger, the betrayal and confusion...and underneath it all, a deep gnawing fear. *How am I supposed to keep this from Elysian, my wife, for the next few days?*