Love Beyond the Mask by Adelaide Sinclair

Chapter 1199
He was nervous-more nervous than he'd ever been in his entire life, and that was saying something, considering everything he'd
been through.
Not even the night he confessed his feelings to Parisa had made his heart hammer like this. Time had passed, and with it came
a thousand tangled emotions: guilt, regret, and that stubborn love that refused to die.
"Parisa," he started, voice low and trembling, "I know you don't remember me. Maybe you don't even want to see me you
probably only agreed because of Whitney. You didn't want to upset her, so you're here... is that right?"
He stood straight and tall at the edge of her bed, dressed in her favorite navy button-down and a sharp suit and tie. There was
something undeniably dignified about him, a kind of old-money class that used to catch Parisa's eye every time.
And deep down, hidden even from herself, lay a complicated mix of longing and resentment. She found herself glancing at him
more than once, her heart aching and fluttering at the same time.
She realized with a start: this was her old self's feelings for this man, echoing back from before she lost her memory.

It made her wonder-just how much did she use to love Hudson? What had happened between them, really? She'd had a child,
lost a child, almost died in that explosion... How could any love survive something so devastating?
Parisa forced herself to look away, her tone cool and distant. “Since you already understand how I feel, Mr. Sheldon, I hope after
today, you won't contact me again."
Hudson froze at her words.
He couldn't bring himself to meet her gaze, instead focusing on the blanket
bunched up in her lap. A bitter, helpless smile flickered across his lips. "Of course.
I won't."
"Thank you for understanding." She
kept her voice even. "Whatever we were-whatever might have

happened it's in the past. I haven et
amnesia. I've lived a whole other life overseas for more than a decade. People say it all the time: time moves on. Everything
becomes history."
Hudson's smile was faint, almost lost. "For you, it's all in the past. Parisa, don't worry. Don't get the wrong idea-I know better than
to hope you'll ever look back

at me.
But I don't have amnesia. Every day, those memories are still fresh for me.
They torture me. They comfort me. They make sure I never forget what it felt like to love you."
Parisa listened to his low, aching
voice, catching a glimpse of his clenched fists at his side. She could almost feel the cold sweat on his palms and the pain in her
chest grew sharper when she heard him say "love you." She felt raw, suddenly close to tears, and angry at the same time.
She couldn't stop herself-her own voice sounded strange and distant. "Hudson, you talk about loving me so much, but why did
you leave me and our child in the first place?4 remember being abandoned being betrayed, almost dying. If you were the one
who hurt me, why are you pretending to be some innocent, heartbroken man now?"
"Parisa, I'm not here to make excuses."
Hudson stepped closer, but only by half a stride, his eyes searching her face for any sign of softness. Her sharp questions made
something flicker in his dark gaze. “Parisa, have you started to remember little pieces?"
He took a deep breath. "I came here because I want to tell you the truth about what happened back then. If you're willing to hear
it, if you're not completely against it... can I tell you my side?
It took me years to find out what really happened. There were so many misunderstandings, you and I both missed so much of
the truth.
Our families tore us apart. Other people played their games. That's how we ended
up like this... Do you want to hear it? Do you want to know about the life you can't remember?"