Aimee sits at the piano in the empty restaurant and stares at a notebook in front of her. The book shows visible signs of wear and tear. Aimee carefully turns each page trying to make out the musical thoughts scattered across the pages left by the original author. Some of the compositions seem complete whilst others appear to be unfinished musical pieces.  Aimee reads carefully and hums each note. 

Carefully, she starts transporting each note to the piano with her slender fingers. Aimee fixates on a particular composition that lays incomplete. The repetitive stroke of the keys gives way to her musical genius. She takes a pencil and makes notations on a separate music sheet to avoid polluting the melodious treasure she is the recipient of.  

"That's beautiful. Is it a new composition?" Callum stands at the doorway.

"Don't really know if it's new." she points to the notebook. "I don't know who is the composer but this one is unfinished. Just trying to complete it I guess." 

"Where did you get it?" 

"I thought you had given this to me." The notebook mysteriously appeared on her bed the night she arrived from New Zealand. 

"It must have been Jack. I never saw it before." He enters the room. "Welcome back."

He sits next to her at the piano and instinctively Aimee wraps her arms around her twin brother. "Missed you."

Callum tightens the grip. "Missed you too. How was New Zealand?"

Aimee smiles and thinks back to the short time she spent with Scott. "Pretty amazing. How is the new girlfriend's situation?"

Callum blushes, "She's fine. Can't wait for you to meet for real. We'll set up dinner soon, hey?"

Aimee nods, "How are things around here?"

Callum sighs and playfully plays a C repeatedly on the old piano. "Ok, I guess. Jack talked to me once I came back from the coast. He gave me a box with stuff dad left here. I guess that must have been there too" he stares at the notebook. "He did say he had taken some stuff for you."

Aimee tucks her hair behind her ear. "Anything interesting?"

"There's a couple of journals that were his. I'm going over it to find anything that can help. I'll keep them for you."

Aimee hums and stares at the piano, trying to muster the courage to tell Callum of her plans. "I need to tell you something. I've decided to go to India, in three weeks."

Callum stops pushing the note on the keyboard. "What? Where is this coming from?"

"It's just something I need to do..."

"You extended your trip in New Zealand and now you're telling me you're leaving again? I mean... Why?"

Aimee grazes the keyboard with her slender fingers. "I thought about everything that happened before I left. I'm not going to stop you from what you came here to do. I've accepted this is something you need to do." Aimee plays a few notes from the composition she's tinkering with. "But, that is not my goal. I need to find what is missing..."

Callum gets up and runs his hands through his wavy hair frustrated. "What does that even mean?"

"It means I need to find a way to get back to my music, without hiding from people, without feeling that I'm trapped by what happened..."

Callum paces around the room. "You can do that here. I can help."

Aimee sighs and shakes her head, "You need to pursue your choices, and it's time I pursue mine." she echoes Scott's words. "Please understand. I need to find my own path."

"And, that is in India?"

She shrugs, "Maybe, I don't know but I want to find out." Callum looks disappointed. Aimee hugs him. "I hope you find what you're looking for."

"And, when I do?" Aimee releases from the embrace and stares at the ground. "Keep it to yourself. This is your wish, not mine."

Callum closes his fists. "So it doesn't bother you that they lied to us?"

Aimee walks back to the piano and closes the notebook. "Of course it does. But, to me, she's not the answer. I want to hear an explanation. From pai."

Callum puts his hand in the pockets. "What if I want to hear from her?"

"It's your right."

Callum looks down at his feet. "I need to go. I have a rugby game." Aimee stares at her brother in disbelief. "Yeah, I know... I play rugby now."

"Have fun," she smirks and thinks of how much her brother has changed in the few months since their arrival. 

He nods still looking down clearly biting his own tongue in pursuing the conversation any further. "What are you going to do now?"

"I have to meet Eva. Tell her I won't be tutoring Izzie again." Callum frowns but remains silent. "And, I promised uncle Jack I would help out tonight in here."

"Dinner tomorrow with me and Ana?"

"Absolutely." she places a kiss on his cheek before leaving the restaurant carrying the music sheet. 

*

"You can't keep dodging your responsibilities." Charlie sternly advises Liam that sits beside him in his Mercedes. "The company is counting on you."

Liam snickers, "You mean Matt is counting on me. Dad is counting on me. You're counting on me."

Charlie parks the car in the company's parking lot. "Is that so bad? This is the family business."

Both men exit the vehicle. "It's dad's business and used to be Matt's, and it's now yours. It's not my passion."

Charlie takes his briefcase and places it on top of the car. "And, what is your passion, Liam? Apart from boozy nights, long legs between your cock, and endless parties? Until you figure it out, this is your responsibility." Charlie locks the car and walks inside the tall building that houses Forsyth's company. 

Liam takes his phone out and reads a message. His brow sullens at the message. He departed from a safe harbour with Grace for Aimee but the pommie has raised an impenetrable wall that he is desperate to crush. Moreover, the recent flurry of text messages, phone calls, and late-night video chats that he has been receiving of late has crushed his will to do better and be better. Liam looks at the new text message from his dark angel and sighs. He can't be better. It's not in his nature. 

"Are you coming?" Charlie shouts at the entrance of the building. 

Liam places the phone back inside his front pocket and walks inside.

MCL Enterprises is located in the prestigious Habitat workspace down in Porter Street. The company is named after the Forsyth heirs and delivers cutting-edge products in biotech. 

"Liam, your eleven o'clock is here." Joanna, Liam's assistant, announces. 

"Give me 5 minutes and then let them in." Liam stands up and clears his throat. 

The prospective client is the largest cosmetic manufacturer in Australia, and Liam is eager to land it. He is the head of marketing at MCL and excels in his role when he puts his mind to it. Even though his careless attitude often can endanger client relationships, when he's at his best, Liam is a ruthless predator that doesn't let go of this prey, until he has them right where he wants them. Today he is feeling like a predator. 

Joanna opens the door and Liam smooths his cufflinks, awaiting the representative to enter. 

"Miss Taylor Anderson, from ExfoLife," Joanna announces. 

A platinum bombshell, with a tight pencil skirt, tiny waist, and an enlarged bosom, enters the room, swaying her hips. Her red lips part, "Mr Forsyth?"

Liam smiles and his eyes darken. "Liam, please" he walks over to Taylor and shakes her hand, his eyes lingering on her body, unapologetically.

Joanna coughs awkwardly, "May I get you anything to drink?"

"A glass of water would be marvellous."

Liam points Taylor to sit down on the sofa that was a few feet away from his desk and sits on the lounge chair next to her while Joanna disappears outside. "I thought I was going to be meeting with Mr Anderson himself."

Taylor places her folder down. "Daddy thought it would be good if I would take the lead on this one. I recently finished school and need the experience."

"Where did you attend university?"

Joanna walks back inside and places the bottle of water on the table. "Should I stay to take notes?" she pointedly asks Liam.

"No need." he dismisses with a hand, his gaze fixed on Taylor.

Joanna frowns and stays still for a moment until she decides to obey and leaves the room. "Feisty assistant there, are you two...?" Taylor couples her index and middle finger together and rubs them against one another.

Liam chuckles, "No, she's just my assistant. A very good assistant, but meddles a bit too much."

Taylor pours water in a glass. "Paris. That's where I went to school."

Liam hums, "So if I were to take you for dinner in this little bistro I know downtown..."

Taylor takes a sip of water. "Would not compare to the delicacies of Paris." she enunciates the name of the city in a French accent.

"Italian it is, then." Liam leans back on the lounge chair and crosses his leg.

"What makes you think I would have dinner with you?"

Liam's eyes darken. "What makes you think you won't?" 

*

Aimee sits at the coffee shop, impatiently staring at her watch. Eva walks in with a white dress, and high heels, and a beaming smile. "Welcome back!" she embraces Aimee warmly. "New Zealand did you some good, you look radiant!"

Aimee's cheeks flush red at the compliment, and she thinks back to the nights in Scott's arms. "New Zealand was great. I had fun."

The waiter comes to take Eva's order. "Well, I have to say we have missed you. Izzie cannot wait to see you, and I missed you dearly too. It's good to have you back." Aimee stares at her latte and stirs it slowly trying to gather the courage to deliver the blow. "Tell me all about your trip. What did you do?"

Aimee stops the circular movement with the teaspoon. "I'm leaving in three weeks."

Eva smile falters, "Why?" Aimee lowers her eyes back to the mug, "Is it because of Liam?"

It was the first time she heard his name since she returned. "It's because of me." Aimee takes a deep breath and stares at Eva. "Callum wanted to come to Australia. I just tagged along. I guess I wanted to keep an eye on him or stop him from finding her."

The waiter approaches and leaves a cappuccino on the table. "Find who?"

Aimee sighs and takes a sip of the latte. "Our birth mother."

Eva's eyes widen in shock. "Your birth mother?" she clears her throat, "I never realised... She's from here?"

Aimee shrugs, "We were born here, so I guess she's Australian or at least lived here at the time. I don't know really. That's his dream, not mine. I need to find the missing piece. Since my father died that I've been looking for what is missing, but it's clearly not in this land."

Eva takes a sip of the cappuccino. "So, you're on your way back to England." 

Aimee stares at her, unsure if she should say her real plans, and decides to only nod. 

"Isabella will miss you terribly. She grew very fond of you, and I will miss you terribly too" Eva smiles weakly, with a sad tone in her voice.

Aimee takes another deep breath. "I also cannot continue tutoring Isabella." Eva's spirit dampens. "That is because of Liam. I can't see him."

Eva takes a deep breath and looks outside the window. "I see."

Aimee takes another sip of the latte. "I want to explain to Isabella myself if you allow me, but I hope you understand that I cannot..."

Eva turns back to Aimee with teary eyes. "Absolutely. Perhaps you can hang out with her tomorrow." Eva contorts her clutch in her hands. "I can't believe you are leaving us" her voice is full of emotion. "I'm so sorry you haven't found yourself here. I'm sorry I couldn't help you more."

Aimee shakes her head, "You've been wonderful, I will always treasure your friendship and I adore Izzie."

Eva smiles weakly and takes Aimee's hands. "Please keep in touch, and I hope you allow us to have a girlie lunch before you leave." 

Aimee squeezes her hands back and smiles gratefully. 

"And, I'm so sorry for Liam. He is a good man. He's just lost." 

Aimee's breath catches at his name. 

"So, three weeks." 

Aimee nods, "Yes, three weeks."