In the city that never sleeps, one woman is unraveling—memory by memory, touch by touch.

Beatrix Mercer has spent years perfecting three specific things: her career as a fashion conservator, a carefully curated reputation, and her refusal to fall for a man.

But when fractured memories break through and shadows start to close in, her grip on reality starts to slip. She’s felt it for years—what it’s like to be watched, to sense eyes where they shouldn’t be, phantom touches when no one is there.

Then, he appears.

Gabriel Di Rossi. Enigmatic. Intense. Impossible to ignore.

Their connection is electric, but as lust tangles with obsession and trust erodes under the weight of secrets, Beatrix must ask herself: is Gabriel her salvation…or her ruin?

Some memories refuse to stay buried.
Some truths won’t let you forget.


Tropes: Morally gray anti-hero, he’s obsessed, touch her and die, stalker, grumpy x life of the party, curvy/plus-size FMC, body positivity, kink exploration, “talks her through it,” who did this to you, found family, Met Gala glamour, high-fashion world, organized crime, psychological tension, mental health rep, disability representation.
Setting: New York City.

Content warnings available at Anastasia Wilder’s website.