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Love Me Back (Amelia and Daniel) novel Chapter 43

By the time Daniel had settled Violet in for the night, darkness had already fallen. The wind outside seemed even fiercer than it had during the day, howling against the windows and biting through his coat with an icy sting.

He drove back to Emerald Meadows, exhaustion pressing on his shoulders.

Ever since he’d landed in Silkwood, he’d been busy nonstop, barely finding a moment to go home, shower, or change clothes.

As soon as the front door creaked open, the housekeeper hurried out to greet him. Seeing it was Daniel, she craned her neck to peer behind him, curiosity written all over her face.

Daniel glanced over his shoulder, a smirk tugging at his lips. “Expecting a ghost to follow me in?”

She scoffed, waving away the thought. “Don’t jinx it, Mr. Campbell—no talk of ghosts, please. Isn’t Mrs. Campbell with you?”

Daniel shrugged off his coat and let out a cold laugh. “If your lady ever answers my calls, I’d count myself lucky—let alone hope she’d come home with me.”

The housekeeper took his coat. “That’s odd. Mrs. Campbell stopped by this afternoon. I’d just come back from the market when she was heading out. I thought she was going to meet you.”

Daniel paused, halfway through rolling up his sleeves, and looked up. “Did she say anything?”

“She just mentioned dropping something off, then left right away.”

That hollow ache in his chest hadn’t faded with time; if anything, it had only grown heavier. Tonight, the emptiness in the house pressed in on him harder than ever, as if someone had carved out a part of him without warning.

He strode quickly into the master bedroom.

Amelia had taken plenty of her things to the research base, but after two years, her mark was everywhere. The walk-in closet still held her clothes and accessories.

She favored muted dresses in the summer, loved minimalist jewelry, and always chose flats over heels.

Everything lay quietly in its place, just as it had before they left for Sunland.

The housekeeper knocked on the door, asking if he wanted a late supper. He called back, “No, thanks,” and then flicked on the closet’s old-fashioned record player.

Amelia had bought it herself—a vintage turntable, all sleek lines and nostalgia. The day she brought it home, she’d danced around the room, twirling in a new dress and humming along to the music, spinning in front of the mirror with the happiest grin.

Daniel had watched from the doorway, silent, just taking her in. She’d looked like a songbird, flitting about, her laughter filling the room. He couldn’t help but smile, his heart so full it almost hurt.

Now, with the cheerful music swirling around him, he grabbed his pajamas and turned to leave the closet—but stopped short by the bed.

The upbeat melody faded, replaced by a mournful love song. The sound of rain drifted in behind the bittersweet intro.

That’s when he saw it: a set of papers resting on the nightstand.

Divorce papers.

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