Love Beyond the Mask by Adelaide Sinclair

"Ever since I learned the truth, all I've felt is regret. Regret that I waited all those years to find her. Regret that Tina grew up missing out on a mother's love. Regret that Sandy lost her memory and had to live all alone, trying to piece her life back together.

She was barely twenty when she had my daughter. She gave up college, her dreams, and her future because of me.

You both know what's right and fair. Don't you think I owe it to her to make things right, to give her a second chance at the life she could've had? I owe her—so much more than I can ever say."

Shane's voice grew heavier, like the room itself was closing in.

Sandy's eyes shimmered, turning red around the edges.

He'd glossed over how they first met-but he told the truth about the mess that came after.

None of it would've happened if Florence hadn't been so cruel. Sandy wouldn't have had to give birth during a crisis, get into that car wreck, her education in ruins, tail between her legs, forced to come back home.

She really did lose years of her life to all this.

Maybe, if things had gone differently, she wouldn't be so quiet and withdrawn now. Maybe she'd still have that spark Shane always talked about.

What about now?

felt the tears slip down her cheek. Her shoulders shook, just

and wanted to reach out, to comfort her. Losing those memories was more than a

Shane got there

she started to fall apart. He looked down at her, his eyes full of pain and something deeper. "I'm sorry," he said, voice low and rough.

of my

the only woman I've ever

raw from years of being buried.

ever going to be accepted into the Nelson family, he couldn't hold back now. His parents needed to

turned to his mom and tried

with a crooked smile. "Mom, the woman I care about is the mother of my child, fsn't that what you always hoped for? Better her than some random

to make a joke out

just sat

ever believed. Wasn't Sandy the one who'd chased after Shane when she was young and pretty, scheming

was Shane who'd been interested first, that

son was just a victim here? Sandy, some nobody, taken in