The sun shimmered across the Amalfi Coast as Brooke Logan gazed out of the luxury SUV window, her mind miles away from the breathtaking view. While Rich Forester spoke animatedly about the beauty of Italy, and Eric chuckled from the backseat with his usual warmth, Brooke’s thoughts lingered on the message she had received days before: “I’m in Italy, too. We need to talk. Nick alone.”

The name Nick Marone triggered emotions long buried—memories of passion, betrayal, and lost love. Though it had been years since she’d last seen him, and she had heard he was sailing somewhere off the Mediterranean, here he was, reaching out to her in Italy. The weight of her past with Nick clashed violently with her present with Ridge, who had just proposed to her after they both survived near-death experiences. As the car approached the luxurious clifftop hotel, Brooke smiled absently, her heart heavy with the secret she had kept from her fiancé.

Once inside the hotel, while Eric charmed the staff and Ridge dealt with the luggage, Brooke excused herself, claiming the need to rest before the flight. But instead of taking a nap, she changed into a flowing linen dress and slipped out unnoticed. Her destination was clear: the marina below the cliffs where Nick awaited her. His rugged figure stood leaning against the railing, the wind tossing his salt-and-pepper hair.

“Brooke,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion as she approached. Brooke’s heart pounded, but she remained hesitant. “Nick, what are you doing here?” she asked.

“I needed to see you,” he replied, his eyes locked on hers with a familiar intensity. “I have something I’ve carried for a long time, and I can no longer carry it.”

Brooke’s chest tightened. “This isn’t the best time,” she said softly, but Nick’s bitterness cut through the air. “It never is, is it? Ridge is always your destination, even after everything.”

Brooke tried to shake the guilt, but Nick wasn’t finished. He reminded her of the love they once shared and the son they lost. “I never stopped loving you, Brooke. I never stopped seeing your face in every sunrise, each wave, every storm.”

Tears welled up in Brooke’s eyes as the wind around them seemed to still. “I’m engaged to Ridge again,” she whispered, her voice cracking.

Nick heard the words but did not falter. “I saw the proposal, the headlines. It’s all very poetic. But does he really know you? Does he know what your heart truly aches for?”

Brooke stepped back, torn. “I don’t even know what I want anymore,” she admitted, feeling the pull of her past and the loyalty she owed Ridge.

Nick’s voice softened. “Come with me. Just for a few hours. Let me show you something.”

Against her better judgment, Brooke followed him to his sailboat, a sleek vessel waiting just around the bend. As they boarded, she couldn’t help but notice the interior—a reflection of their past life together, filled with memories. One picture caught her eye—a faded ultrasound image of their child. “Have you kept this?” she whispered.

Nick nodded. “It was the only proof I had that we once created life together.”

Brooke’s heart cracked as she reached out to touch the frame. “I miss him every day.”

“So do I,” Nick replied. “But I also miss us. Before Ridge’s orbit tore us apart.” He stepped behind her, his hand resting gently on her shoulder. “I know you’ve felt it too. That pull.”

For a moment, Brooke’s breath caught in her throat as emotions from their past, long buried, resurfaced. And before she knew it, their lips met in a desperate, raw kiss—one that spoke of years lost to time and regret.

When they finally pulled apart, Brooke stepped back, breathless. “This was a mistake,” she murmured.

Nick, however, wasn’t convinced. “Then why didn’t it feel like one?”

Brooke staggered away, needing air. “Because… because I still care. I never stopped. But that doesn’t mean we can do this. Ridge will hate me. He’ll hate you.”

Nick’s response was cold and cutting. “He already does. But it’s not just Ridge you should be worried about. There’s something else—something I need to tell you that could change everything.”

Brooke’s spine went cold. “What?”

Nick hesitated before speaking, his voice dark with unease. “I don’t believe it was a spontaneous miscarriage. I think someone interfered.”

Brooke’s blood ran cold. “Who would do something like that?” she asked.

Nick’s eyes darkened. “Someone who didn’t want our family to exist. Someone who thought Ridge should always be with you.”

Brooke shook her head in disbelief. “You’re saying someone killed our baby?”

Nick stepped closer. “I think Taylor may have orchestrated it.”

The words hit Brooke like a punch to the gut. “No. No. She did everything she could to sabotage your relationship with me. She fought to reunite you with Ridge. She was fixated.”

Brooke’s mind raced as memories began to piece together. Small things she had ignored—the subtle ways Taylor had always inserted herself into their lives. Could it be true?

Nick’s gaze softened. “You need to know the truth. Not just about us, but about what was stolen from us.”

Brooke was silent, struggling to accept the possibility. Nick’s voice was low and determined. “You have to confront her, Brooke. But you can’t do this alone.”

That night, after returning to the hotel, Brooke sat in her room, the journal Nick had given her pressed to her chest. The discovery—Taylor’s involvement—was too much to bear. The next day, Ridge remained blissfully unaware of the storm Brooke was facing. But Brooke couldn’t ignore the truth.

By the time the confrontation came, Brooke had already made up her mind. Taylor could no longer hide behind her lies. In a heated exchange, Brooke confronted Taylor with the truth, accusing her of sabotaging her pregnancy. Taylor admitted to accessing her medical files, but insisted it was out of a misguided attempt to help, not harm.

Despite Taylor’s remorse, Brooke couldn’t forgive her. And as Ridge, oblivious to the chaos, tried to keep the peace, Brooke realized that everything was about to change. Ridge, torn between the two women, would have to make a decision—one that would alter the course of their future.

Brooke, determined to confront the truth, called Nick. They had to go public, and the interview with Spencer Publications was scheduled. But would it destroy everything? Only time would tell as the Forester family’s secrets unraveled.