Love Beyond the Mask by Adelaide Sinclair

Shane's long, strong hand closed over Sandy's, gripping it tight.

She didn't react. Not at first.

He'd said so much—each secret hitting her like a thunderclap, one after another,

exploding in her mind.

She just stared at him, eyes shimmering with tears, lost in his words, reliving the

last few years in her head.

The truth was, she really had lost her memory. She'd never told anyone.

It wasn't that she didn't want to come clean, or take time off to repeat a year. But

Florence had threatened her—said she'd already “helped” Sandy get her degree.

Florence told amnesiac Sandy that she'd been a terrible student before the

accident, way behind at their top-tier college.

Sandy still remembered how Florence had sneered, practically poking her in the

chest: “You only came to Brittainia to be my study buddy, just like you promised

Grandma. Now that I've graduated top of the class, I'm heading home. And you're

coming with me.

Don't think you can stay here, Sandy. I paid your hospital bills after the car crash.

You owe me.

Stop poking around. The amnesia? It was because of the accident.

never a good student. You

diploma or you'd never have made it out

sake, I'm giving you,

You can either come home with me and I'll throw you a

up with nothing. No

your fate, Sandy. You've always been my shadow. Don't even

family. Let's be real: you're just not

enough.

you keep fighting me, your dad—the in-law—will have an even

the Sheldons!”

been trapped—no powerful family,

Florence destroyed her diploma, Sandy's whole future would go up

couldn't remember anything about that

been uneventful—just more classes, more

even wondered if Florence

do with the

she never

total

darker. That

year, she'd met

up with him,

had a daughter.

was born, Florence had taken her away

abandoned her.

staged the crash, left Sandy with a

amnesia.

had a lab, access to all kinds of drugs. Making Sandy

was nothing for her.

was cruel beyond

All because Florence was

would end

and

threatening her