Chapter 18 New Discoveries 1/9 After ending the call , Caroline stared blankly at her phone , lost in her thoughts in the spacious office . She hadn't even noticed when her assistant , Kelly Johnson , entered . " Ms. Ashbourne , these documents need your signature . " Caroline snapped back to reality and gave a cool nod . Kelly turned to leave . As Kelly closed the door thoughtfully behind her , she couldn't help but quickly glance at Caroline's elegant figure . Even as another woman , Kelly had to admit Caroline was drop - dead gorgeous . The only problem was how cold and distant she seemed , making her difficult to approach . It was hard to imagine what kind of man could be worthy of her . After giving it serious thought , Kelly concluded that probably no one ! If Kelly had known that Caroline was not only married but had actually initiated the marriage herself , she would have thought she was hallucinating . Chapter 18 New Discoveries 2/9 Caroline opened the folder , but her pen hovered in midair . She hadn't asked , so Alistair hadn't volunteered any information . He could have handled the situation and had already resolved the trouble . Still , she wanted to help Alistair and be involved . Caroline , who usually minded her own business , found herself inexplicably concerned about every aspect of Alistair's life despite him being a stranger . But Alistair hadn't given her the chance . After signing the documents , Caroline pushed them aside and picked up her phone again . She began researching Alistair's personal information . Caroline began investigating Alistair's background . When they first met , she felt an inexplicable urge to approach and get to know him better . This feeling came without any apparent reason . While Caroline didn't mind spontaneity , she disliked confusion without cause . It couldn't simply be that Alistair matched her type perfectly , and she'd fallen for him at first sight , could it ? Caroline believed such superficial reactions wouldn't apply to someone as naturally methodical as herself . Chapter 18 New Discoveries 3/9 Unable to find answers , she looked for them in Alistair's past . She hoped to uncover clues in his history that might explain her attraction . Caroline focused on Alistair because she had a year - long gap in her memories . She remembered nothing from when she was twelve - an entire year completely erased . She had asked about it before , and everyone told her the same story . She had been gravely ill that year , nearly dying . She had spent the entire time bedridden at the Ashbourne Manor . They assured her it was normal not to remember anything from such a difficult period . Was that true ? If so , Caroline reasoned , even if she hadn't forgotten , those memories would only be filled with the smell of antiseptic and the tedium of recovery - hardly worth dwelling on . Yet , while Caroline outwardly accepted this explanation , a slight doubt occasionally nagged at her . Why did everyone's expression seem unnatural whenever I asked about that year ? Alistair had grown up in one of Chicago's poorer neighborhoods . As a child , relatives raised him while his parents worked in New Chapter 18 New Discoveries York . When Alistair was seven , his mother died unexpectedly . 4/9 That same year , his father remarried and used his savings and his late wife's insurance to buy a house in New York . Alistair continued attending elementary school in Chicago . Alistair's grandfather , Robert Harlow , brought him to New York for middle school . Alistair transferred to a middle school in New York . He later earned admission to New York's most prestigious high school , thanks to his exceptional grades . Caroline reviewed Alistair's personal history multiple times and found almost no trace of Liam's involvement in his life . It was as if Liam had wholly forgotten his son . During the spring semester of his freshman year , Robert passed away , leaving Alistair completely alone . He managed to survive on Robert's modest savings and financial aid from the school . Just before the SAT , despite his teachers ' high expectations , Alistair suddenly dropped out . Caroline knew he had left school because of a teenage romance . However , she noticed something puzzling . Chapter 18 New Discoveries According to her investigation , Alistair attended the regular honors program while Rebecca was in the international program . The regular and international programs occupied different buildings , so students from each program rarely interacted . 5/9 How had Alistair , a determined , hardworking scholarship student , ended up in a relationship with a wealthy student like Rebecca ? And they even had a son together ! Though all of this happened before Alistair knew her , and even though being with him now didn't mean they were a conventional married couple , Caroline still felt bothered . She had no real reason to be jealous , yet she was . She made a phone call . " I need you to investigate someone else for me - Rebecca Whitfield . She's Alistair's ex - wife . Get me everything you can find . The more detailed , the better . " It wasn't her only discovery . According to the records , Alistair had lived in his hometown . until he was thirteen . And Caroline , who was the same age as Alistair , had lost her memories when she was twelve . Could there possibly be a connection between them ? DIPS HE Chapter 18 New Discoveries It seemed absurd to force a link between herself and Alistair based on such a flimsy coincidence . Yet these strange thoughts grew wild in her mind like weeds given ample sunlight and water . 6/9 She might have convinced herself she believed it , but she only realized today how long she'd harbored doubts about her twelfth year . Chicago … Alistair's hometown … Caroline decided she would make time to visit someday , if only to clear her head . ***** To help children adjust more quickly , the preschool allowed new students to leave early on their first day . Though Eloise was in the middle class , this was her first day at preschool , so she , too , got the early dismissal treatment . Alistair waited for her at the preschool entrance , Eloise emerged , her small hand held by the teacher . Alistair noticed her hair styled in a neat fishtail braid , with sparkly hair clips still perfectly in place . The preschoolers napped at midday , and while boys ' hair didn't matter much afterward , the teachers always took time to fix the Chapter 18 New Discoveries girls ' hair before dismissal . 7/9 She stretched her neck , searching toward the gate , and when she spotted Alistair , her serious , tense little face lit up instantly . She ran to him excitedly , calling out , " Daddy ! " Alistair drew her close , and the little girl nestled against him , looking up with pure adoration . Anyone watching would see a father and daughter with a deep bond . Nobody would guess they'd only been together as an improvised family for two days . This preschool was the finest in New York , with annual tuition . approaching a million dollars . The children here came from wealthy or prestigious families . Since Caroline , like Rebecca , had money to spare , she naturally wanted only the best for Eloise . It wasn't surprising that she would become Daniel's classmate . He would inevitably run into them while dropping off or picking up Eloise . Alistair had thought such encounters would bother him , but now he realized he didn't care . Could you make flies extinct just because you despise them ? If not , the best approach was simply to ignore them . Alistair naturally wanted to ask about Eloise's first day of kindergarten . " There are so many kids at kindergarten , " she told him . Chapter 18 New Discoveries 8/9 " The teachers are really nice to me , " she continued , eagerly reporting everything that had happened at school . " Nobody was mean to me , Daddy , so don't worry ! The food was yummy . I ate three big plates ! " Alistair couldn't help but laugh . To an adult , three plates meant three full servings of food . But to a child , three plates meant three separate times . Even if each " plate " contained just a single strand of pasta , it still counted as one . When Caroline and Alistair dropped Eloise off at preschool in the morning , her teachers added both parents to WhatsApp . They were giving Eloise special attention . Throughout the day , Alistair had received numerous private messages from the teachers on his phone - practically a real - time broadcast of Eloise's activities at kindergarten . Caroline had undoubtedly received identical updates . Even so , hearing about the day directly from Eloise was far more reassuring . That was probably the essence of parental worry . Though Alistair had been stuck with an irresponsible father , Chapter 18 New Discoveries ninety - nine percent of parents genuinely love their children , including Alistair himself , despite being a stepfather .