CHAPTER 42 — The Memory That Doesn’t Fade
Lately, Nova had been forgetting things.
Small things at first—where she left her purse, what time she was supposed to call the florist, what day she and Luca had dinner with the board. Then names began to slip. Rooms blurred together. Sometimes she’d walk into the kitchen only to stand there, unable to remember why.
It scared her.
She didn’t show it, of course. She smiled through the haze, masked the cracks with lipstick and pressed blouses. She rehearsed appointments in the mirror, wrote reminders in places she knew she'd glance at. She’d always been sharp—razor-edged, efficient. To watch that clarity dull felt like losing herself piece by piece.
But if dementia wanted a war, then it picked the wrong woman.
Nova Steel didn’t go down easy.
Still, today wasn’t about her. It was about Alex.
Her daughter had been through enough lately—too much. The engagement, the deal, the company, the emotional weight of a future she didn’t choose. Nova could see the exhaustion in her shoulders, the emptiness in her laugh. And despite the tension between them, she just wanted to be there.
To be her mother.
With that thought, Nova climbed the stairs slowly and made her way down the hallway toward Alex’s room, intending to check in, maybe offer a quiet moment of calm—ask how the case had gone, listen without judgment.
But just as she reached the door, she paused.
Alex’s voice spilled out from behind the wood—tight, angry.
“I can’t believe you told him, Brenda!”
Nova stopped.
There was a beat of silence, then more:
“Yes, you—who else would’ve told Michael? He literally said you told him about the marriage... You knew how bad things were between us and you still—ugh!”
Nova blinked, frozen in place.
Michael?
She’d never heard that name before.
A chair scraped. Footsteps.
“He broke up with me because of Zade! Because he thinks I chose him over some stupid future with him. Brenda, I didn’t choose anyone! I—”
The sound of the door opening made Alex jump.
Nova stood in the doorway, arms folded, face unreadable.
Alex’s eyes widened. “Mom—”
She ended the call instantly, lowering the phone like it had betrayed her.
Nova walked in slowly. “Who is Michael?”
Alex looked cornered. “It’s not—he’s nobody. I mean, was nobody. He’s not in the picture anymore.”
Nova’s gaze sharpened. “He was your boyfriend.”
Alex didn’t reply.
“While you were also agreeing to marry Zade.”
Alex winced. “It wasn’t like that.”
Nova raised a brow. “Really? Because from what I just heard, it sounds exactly like that.”
“I didn’t plan for this, Mom! I didn’t ask for an arranged marriage either!”
Nova’s voice rose without warning. “But you agreed to it. You said yes.”
“Because I thought that’s what you wanted!” Alex shouted, tears pricking her eyes. “I thought if I just followed through, you and Dad would stop doubting me. That maybe I’d finally be taken seriously.”
There it was.
The truth, messy and loud and broken open like glass.
Nova’s anger wavered. She looked at her daughter—the red eyes, the trembling fingers, the barely-held-together breath—and her heart cracked.
“You’re crying,” she said softly.
“I’m trying not to,” Alex whispered, voice breaking.
Nova crossed the room and sat beside her. She didn’t speak for a while. Just reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind Alex’s ear like she used to when she was little. Back when the world felt simpler. Safer.
“I don’t agree with what you did,” Nova said finally. “Keeping secrets like this. Hiding a relationship.”
Alex bit her lip but nodded, ashamed.
“But I also know what heartbreak looks like. And you, my love, are wearing it.”
Alex looked down.
Nova exhaled. “You’re going to be okay.”
Alex’s voice was hoarse. “You think so?”
“I know so.” She paused. “But you need to let go of Michael. Don’t go crawling back, and don’t let him drag you into guilt. Zade may be a stranger now, but at least he’s not tearing you down.”
Alex gave a small, reluctant nod.
Nova leaned in. “Besides... you’ve got something else coming up to distract you.”
Alex looked up.
“There’s a gala,” Nova said. “Sponsored by Steel. Your official debut. Your first appearance as the heir.”
Alex groaned. “Tell me it’s not black-tie.”
Nova smirked. “What else would it be?”
***
Later that night, Nova made her way to the study, her steps slower than usual. The headache had returned again—persistent, hollow, digging behind her eyes like claws. She blinked hard and pushed it down. One more conversation. Then she could rest.
Luca was already inside, sipping something dark and expensive, reviewing the next quarter’s report like the world depended on it.
When he saw her, he smiled. “Hey. How was she?”
“Wounded,” Nova replied simply.
He set the glass down. “Teenagers.”
She crossed the room and wrapped her arms around his torso, resting her cheek against his shoulder.
Luca stilled.
“What’s wrong?” he asked softly.
Nova was quiet for a moment.
“Do you remember the last gala?” she murmured. “The big one. When Alex was maybe six?”
Luca’s arms tightened slightly. “The one with the investor scandal.”
“Yeah.” She closed her eyes. “I remember wearing that red gown. We were proud, strong. And then—police. Chaos. Everyone scattered like rats when the name dropped.”
“Because one of the sponsors turned out to be laundering money through three of our vendors,” Luca said quietly. “And the media thought we were in on it.”
“And you got arrested.”
“It was one night, Nova.”
“But I still remember it like it was yesterday.”
Silence stretched between them.
“She was just a baby,” Nova said. “She doesn’t even remember. But I do. And it terrifies me.”
“This one won’t be the same,” Luca said, rubbing her back. “Different team. Different vetting process. No liabilities. I’ve gone over everything three times.”
Nova didn’t speak. She just stood there, clinging to him—not as the Vice Chair of Steel Industries, not as the perfect image of the Steel family matriarch.
Just as a woman—tired, afraid, and holding on.
Luca kissed the side of her head.
“It’s going to be okay.”
And for tonight, Nova let herself believe it.