faeni

Following a horrific car accident, Adeline Moore awakens from a months-long coma with no memory of her life, her identity, or the family who insists they love her. As she struggles to make sense of the fragments around her, she's met with an unsettling reality—her fiancé, Luke, is cold and distant, and her younger sister, Hazel, seems far too close to him.

As flashes of memory return—snippets of arguments, uneasy emotions, and inexplicable grief—Adeline begins to uncover the truth: Luke and Hazel were having an affair even before the crash. Shattered by the betrayal, she’s dealt a second blow when her family rallies around Hazel, dismissing Adeline’s pain and blaming her for not being “the same” since waking up.

Isolated and unsure of who she used to be, Adeline makes a bold decision—she doesn’t want her old life back. She wants truth. She wants freedom. She wants to start over. With quiet resolve and growing clarity, she begins to rebuild her life—this time, on her own terms, and far from those who broke her.

The Second Life of Adeline Moore

The antiseptic smell lingered in the air, mingling with the sterile hush of the hospital corridor. Adeline leaned back against the pillows, a touch pale but composed. The IV trailing from her arm whispered quietly of everything that had led her here.

Lucas entered first—immaculate as always, his smile polished to perfection. Behind him came Hazel, delicately cradling a bouquet of white lilies in her gloved hands, the sharp click of her heels punctuating the quiet.

"Adeline," Lucas said, voice smooth as silk. "You're awake. Good. You gave us quite a scare."

Hazel beamed, her smile saccharine. "We came as soon as we heard. Elias must be relieved."

Adeline tensed faintly, her expression still. "I'm sure the company will survive a few days without me."

Lucas settled into the chair at her bedside. "Oh, the company's running just fine. Elias has everything under control. And now that Seraphina's back on her feet… well, let's just say, he won't be lacking company."

Adeline didn't respond. Her gaze flicked to Hazel, who was carefully arranging the lilies on the windowsill.

Hazel turned, her voice sweet and deliberate. "White lilies symbolize purity, you know. I thought they'd suit you—something delicate to contrast the rather... cruel ordeal you've been through."

Adeline offered a faint smile. "How thoughtful."

Lucas leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "Still, one has to wonder. Same place as Seraphina, same time. Wrong place, wrong moment? Or something a bit more... intricate?"

His tone was casual, but the undertone wasn't.

Adeline's voice remained even. "What exactly are you implying, Lucas?"

Hazel gave a light, airy laugh. "Oh, nothing at all. Just that some people always seem to be in the thick of things—even when they claim not to be."

Lucas's smile didn't reach his eyes. "Elias tends to protect the people he cares about. Admirable, really. Though, sometimes that loyalty can become... inconvenient."

Something twisted in Adeline's chest, but she met his gaze, calm and steady. "He's always been loyal to what truly matters."

Hazel tilted her head. "Let's just hope the company remembers where its loyalties lie."

Adeline's voice was quiet but edged with steel. "If you're hinting I crossed some invisible line, maybe you should ask who drew it in the first place."

Hazel blinked. Her smile faltered for just a breath. Lucas cleared his throat and stood, adjusting his coat with care.

"Well," he said. "Rest up, Adeline. You'll need your strength. Things have a way of... shifting."

Hazel trailed after him, pausing with a glance that aimed for sympathy but missed its mark.

Adeline inhaled slowly, her fingers brushing the edge of the sheets. The lilies stood too white on the sill—more like a mourning token than a get-well gesture.

She sank deeper into the pillows, eyes tracing the ceiling.

A dull ache throbbed beneath her ribs.

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