THE DAY I WOKE UP

RESTART

GEORGINA'S PERSPECTIVE:

Julian hugged me tightly, and for a moment, it felt like nothing else in the world mattered. In his embrace, I felt safe, as if all the chaos around me had melted away. His words gave me strength—the strength to move forward. I never wanted to part from him again.

Samantha may be my sister, but that doesn't give her the right to treat me this way. And why should I waste my energy on people who hate me when I have people who love me? Julian made me realize that I have friends and family who are willing to stand by my side no matter what. So why should I let some bitter, twisted stranger ruin me?

I wiped my tears and looked up at Julian with newfound determination.

"Ju, I've decided," I said, my voice steady. "Like you said, when I have you guys, why should I cry? I'm going to talk to Lisa and win her back. There's no way she would hate me that much—something feels really off about this whole situation. The accident... and especially Samantha."

Now that I could think more clearly, something about Samantha didn't add up. Why does she hate me when we barely know each other? And more importantly, how does she even know she has a twin when I had no clue?

Julian frowned. "Yeah, babe, something is definitely off about her. But what do we do now? Legally, she's Lisa's guardian. If things get out of hand, she could even convince Lisa to file a restraining order or something."

I clenched my fists. "I need answers. I have to talk to Mom first. She's in Toronto, so it should be around three in the morning there. I'll call her when we're back in our room." I exhaled sharply. "I just can't believe she hid something this important from me."

Julian sighed. "We'll figure it out. But what's your plan?"

I suddenly remembered something. "What company does Lisa work for?"

"I think it's called Britan Tech or something," Julian said.

A lightbulb went off in my head. "Oh! It's Brittany Tech!" I quickly pulled out my phone and searched for it. The results confirmed what I suspected—it was one of the top IT companies in Britain. And right then, an idea struck me.

"Julian, I know what to do."

I turned my phone toward him, showing him the company's website.

"It's an IT company," I continued, excitement creeping into my voice. "That's my area of expertise. And look—there's a job opening for a department director."

Julian's eyes widened. "Wait, wait, wait—you're saying you want to work at Lisa's company?"

"Exactly."

"But... what about your job in New York?"

"I'll resign. Simple."

Julian ran a hand through his hair. "Whoa, hold on. You're talking like this is no big deal. Moving here means you need a place to live. And what about me? I still work in the U.S. And Cassy? Her school?"

I grabbed his hands and squeezed them gently. "Julian, in simple terms, I'm moving here. No—we're moving here. Book us a flight to New York. Let's settle everything there and come back as soon as possible. As for your job, you can resign and find a new one here. With your talent and qualifications, it won't be hard."

Julian hesitated. "Gina... are you sure? You're ready to leave everything behind?"

I smiled. "Yes, Julian. I want my life to have a restart."

JULIAN'S PERSPECTIVE:

When she said, "Yes, Julian. I want my life to have a restart," there was a spark in her eyes I hadn't seen in months.

She wanted to fight back, to take control of her life, and I couldn't be prouder. To be honest, a fresh start sounded good. Back in New York, no matter how much we tried to leave the past behind, it always found a way to catch up with us. Maybe moving somewhere new would finally allow us to live like a normal family.

But a part of me hesitated. Not for myself—but because of my parents.

As far as Gina and everyone else knew, I was American-born and raised. But the truth was, I was born in Britain and later brought to America. Moving to London meant there was a risk—however small—that my parents could find me. And if that happened, it would be an entirely new level of disaster.

Still, looking at Gina's hopeful expression, I couldn't bring myself to voice my concerns. Instead, I smiled back at her and said, "Yeah... a restart is exactly what we need."

And this time, I was going to make sure nothing stood in our way.