Page 104 of The Broken Keys

“It’s possible, yes.” Dr. Smith doesn’t sugarcoat it. “The brain is complex. Trauma affects everyone differently.”

Jaxon runs his palm down his face, his composure fracturing with each passing second. “I need to comfort her andtalk to her. Maybe if she sees me or hears my voice, it could trigger something.”

“Absolutely not.” Dr. Smith’s tone hardens. “That’s the worst thing you could do right now.”

“She’s my partner.” Jaxon’s voice rises. “I have a right to?—”

“You have a right to nothing if it puts my patient at risk.” The doctor shakes his head. “Forcing memories or presenting her with information that contradicts her current reality could cause significant psychological trauma. We’re talking about potential seizures, panic attacks, or a complete mental breakdown. Is that what you want?”

“No, she’s prone to panic attacks.” Jaxon drops his gaze, and his shoulders roll forward. “She had one this morning.”

I shift to hold in the mix of emotions churning in my gut. They’re making it hard to stand still.

Jaxon suffering like this should be a victory. He’s the man who had Livianna’s heart while I was clawing out of my own hell.

But he’s also the man who gave me a chance when I had nowhere else to turn. He has my respect and always has. Even after I figured out he’s Livianna’s king.

“What about the baby?” Jaxon stares at the floor, broken. “When can we tell her she lost our child?”

Dr. Smith takes a moment before he answers. “Not now. Not until she’s more stable. Adding that kind of traumatic information on top of her current confusion could cause irreparable damage. We need to let her brain heal first.”

“So what?” Jaxon’s head snaps up. He gestures toward me without looking my way. “We just let her believe she’s eighteen? Let her think she’s still with him?”

“For now, yes.” The doctor slides his hands into the pockets of his white coat. “Her brain is protecting itself by reverting to a safer time. We don’t force it to confront trauma it’s not ready to process.”

“This is insane.” Jaxon turns away, his muscles rigid with tension.

“This is medicine, Mr. Crowne. And right now, Ms. Hemings’ mental and physical well-being takes precedence over anyone’s discomfort with the situation.” Dr. Smith relaxes his stance. “I understand this is difficult for both of you, but my priority is my patient’s recovery. Nothing else matters.”

Dr. Smith excuses himself, leaving Jaxon and me standing in the hallway with the weight of everything we just learned crushing down on us.

Jaxon glares at Livianna’s closed door like he’s trying to see through it. His entire body is coiled tight, ready to strike. For the first time since I’ve known him, he seems completely powerless.

Our eyes meet across the space between us. No words pass, but something shifts. An acknowledgment that despite everything, despite our new rivalry, our history, and the mess we’re both tangled in, we have the same desire.

We want Livianna to be healthy, and we’ll do anything to make sure that happens. Even if we destroy each other in the process.

Chapter Twenty-Two

JAXON/JAX

Now

No Kingdom When There’s No Queen

Some losses don’t announce themselves with screams…they arrive in silence, erasing you one memory at a time.

The hallway walls are closing in on me with each breath I force into my lungs. Cash stands across from me, his expression is one of exhaustion.

We’re both wrecked. Both trying to process what just happened.

Livianna doesn’t remember me. Two years of building something extraordinary with her, gone. Vanished like it never existed.

My throat constricts as I force the words out. “I need to ask you something.”

Cash’s gaze shifts to mine, guarded but not hostile. “What?”

“Let me see her.” The request scrapes against every ounce of pride I have left. “Just once. When she’s asleep. I just need to see her with my own eyes.”