---- Chapter 18 Life with Caleb was a dream. He was attentive, loving, and fiercely protective. He shielded her from her family, who made several awkward attempts to visit, always with Hailie in tow. Caleb sent them away every time. Ericka started painting again, a passion she had let go of before the coma. Her work was raw, emotional, and beautiful. It caught the eye of a gallery owner, and soon, she was preparing for her first solo show. She and Caleb fell into a comfortable, happy routine. They were building a life together, a life free from the shadows of the past. But Caleb knew the shadows were still there, lurking. He knew Hailie was a sociopath, and she would not give up so easily. He had his security team keep a close watch on her, on his own family. He was taking no chances. One afternoon, Ericka went to Caleb's office to surprise him with lunch. As she stepped out of the private elevator, she saw her brother, Fitzgerald, arguing with Caleb in the reception area. Hailie was standing behind him, looking pale and victimized. "l can't believe you're doing this, Caleb!" Fitzgerald was shouting. "You're trying to ruin us! After everything we've been ---- through!" "You brought this on yourselves," Caleb said, his voice calm. "| told you to get her out of your lives. You didn't listen." "She's family!" "No," Caleb said coldly. "Ericka is my family. And you will not hurt her again." He held up his hand, showing off the simple gold band he now wore. "We're married." The news hit Fitzgerald and Hailie like a physical blow. Just then, Ericka stepped forward. She ignored her brother and Hailie, walking straight to her husband. "Am | interrupting?" she asked, a small smile on her face. Caleb's entire demeanor changed. The cold businessman vanished, replaced by a doting husband. "Never," he said, kissing her. "Ericka!" Fitzgerald's voice was sharp. "You need to talk some sense into him! He's destroying our family company!" Ericka's smile faded. She turned to her brother, her eyes sad. "Fitz, he's not the one destroying it. You are." She pulled up the hem of her skirt, revealing a faint, silver scar on her thigh. A scar from the bone marrow donation. "| gave a piece of myself to save you," she said, her voice quiet but firm. "And when | woke up, you had all but forgotten ---- | existed. You chose her," she nodded toward Hailie, "over me. A family is built on love and loyalty, Fitz. Not replacement." "But... but she's your sister!" he sputtered, grasping at straws. "No," Ericka said, the finality in her voice like a closing door. "She is a stranger. And you, my brother, have become a stranger to me, too. | wish you well, but my life is with Caleb now. She took Caleb's hand. "Let's go home." Caleb gave Fitzgerald one last, warning look, and then had security escort him and Hailie from the building. That night, as Ericka slept in his arms, Caleb felt a profound sense of peace. He had done it. He had saved her. He had protected her. The past was truly in the past. He allowed himself to believe that the nightmare was finally, truly over.