It was unbearably hot, even by Port Elizabeth standards in the late springtime. November had brought with it a heatwave that, no matter how long Titus had lived south of the equator, he could not seem to counter. All this was made worse by the fact that the courthouse was jammed, and the air conditioning seemed to be overworked.

It reeks of human suffering in here, Titus thought idly, glancing around for a sight of his brother or Isabella. Arabella, he reminded himself. Her name is Arabella now.

For two days, he had been trying to come to terms with the fact that Isabella had somehow returned to him. He endured the seven stages of grief before experiencing an elation which inevitably turned to deep anguish when he realized that she could not be Isabella.

And yet she was. Titus couldn’t explain it, but it was her. It was not just the way she moved or looked. He could see Bella—his Bella—inside that woman.

“You need to keep your wits about you,” Anders warned. “I don’t know what you said or did in the police station, but you’re going to get yourself caught up in an investigation of your own if you keep telling people you know her.”

“I was… shocked,” Titus replied. “I wasn’t thinking clearly.”

“It is shocking,” Anders agreed. “The resemblance is uncanny…”

Titus stared at his brother. “What?”

“It’s like she recognized me, but she couldn’t have, could she?”

The question rolled over and over in Titus’ mind. We never saw her body, she recalled. We only saw the ashes. If she was alive, surely, sometime in the following years, she would have resurfaced. God knows I looked for her a thousand times. No one is that good at hiding.

The courtroom was called to order, and Titus watched as Arabella was led from a door near the front to stand beside Anders.

The judge turned his inquisitive but myopic eyes toward Anders. “Mr. Williams?”

“Your Worship, this is a bail application,” Anders said. “We wish to request bail for the accused, Arabella Pinot. I hereby call the defendant to answer.”

Arabella nodded and was brought to the front, sworn in, and asked to state her name for the record. “Arabella Grace Pinot.”

“Ms. Pinot, when were you arrested?”

“Two days ago.”

“And what charges were brought against you?”

Titus found himself toying with his cuticles as he listened to the questions.

“Initially, I was charged with computer crimes, but then it became hijacking and kidnapping.”

Anders’ eyebrows raised. “Did you commit those crimes inside the stationhouse?”

The prosecutor scowled. “Your Worship, would you kindly remind Mr. Williams that this is not an American episode of Law and Order? He can keep the sarcasm from the courtroom.”

“My apologies, Your Worship. I just fail to understand how my client was suddenly bombarded with several other charges which were not present at the time of her arrest,” Anders answered smoothly, glancing the prosecutor nonchalantly.

“You may respond, Ms. Pinot,” the judge sighed. “Please mind your tone, Mr. Williams.”

“Yes, Your Worship.”

“No, sir,” Arabella said. “Captain Jansen explained that I needed to cooperate with her in order to make a case against some other people, and when I refused, she added the other charges and dropped the original ones.”

“I see,” Anders said. “Is it that you did not wish to cooperate with Captain Jansen, or—?”

“Your Worship!” the other lawyer grunted, throwing her hands up in exasperation. “I am willing to account for my counterpart’s lack of experience in a South African court, but this is hardly the place to be trying the facts of the case. May we stick to the matter of bail, please? It’s stifling, and I have another dozen cases to get through today!”

Titus swallowed a smile, knowing the long-winded questioning was his brother’s way of bringing the prosecutor to break.

“My apologies again,” Anders replied. “Ms. Pinot, you are a citizen of what country?”

“The United States.”

“And why are you in South Africa?”

“It was a dream to come see this country,” Arabella answered, “to go backpacking, but I ran out of money, and I…” She inhaled shakily.

“And now you’re in jail?” Anders finished. “You’re broke, alone, and rotting alone in a jail cell?”

“Yeah,” Arabella sighed. “I suppose that’s about it.”

“Your Worship, I would say the matter of bail is settled. She has no ties to the community, no family, no job, and absolutely no reason to stay. Please don’t grant bail in this matter!” the prosecuting attorney scoffed, rolling her eyes as if Anders was the worst lawyer she’d ever seen.

“On the contrary, Your Worship!” Anders cried. “My brother is here as her guarantor, ready to post any amount of bail you deem appropriate while assuring her court appearances.”

“Your brother?” the opposing counsel snorted. “Another American with no ties?”

“You will address me, Ms. Botha,” the judge snapped before turning his attention back to Anders. “As entertaining as I may find you, Mr. Williams, I have to say I agree with the prosecutor in this matter. What could your brother possibly offer us in the way of peace of mind?”

“I’m glad you asked, sir. May I present my brother?” Anders turned and waved for Titus to stand.

This is going to be really bad for publicity when it gets out, Titus thought wryly as he rose.

“Your Worship,” Anders continued, “this is my brother and fixture of the community, Titus Williams. You may be familiar with his world-renowned company, Williams Technology?”

There was a murmur of shock through the room as all eyes fell on Titus.

I don’t think I’ve ever been stared at so blatantly more than I have in the past three days, he thought, suddenly feeling self-conscious. First Trina and Kamil, now the rest of Port Elizabeth. Just wait until the press hears about this. Then the board is really going to be pissed.

“Of course,” the judge choked. “Welcome, Mr. Williams. I didn’t immediately make the connection.” Titus offered him a tight smile. “Titus Williams, is this true? Do you intend to ensure Ms. Pinot appears for her court dates and post her bail?”

“Yes, Your Worship. She will stay at my compound in St. Francis Bay, and she will remain supervised,” Titus replied. “It is a very secure location.”

The chief of justice glanced at the prosecutor, who stared at Titus with awe.

“Ms. Botha,” he said, “have you any further concerns?” She seemed unable to catch her breath and shook her dark head, biting on her lower lip. “I am setting bail at one million rand. Cash. Next case.”

Titus remained standing as Arabella’s eyes widened in shock. Anders waved her down, and she rose slowly, as if she didn’t know where she was. Titus moved to join them, his steely gray eyes locking on hers.

“What just happened?” she gasped. “I’m getting out?”

Anders nodded, snapping his briefcase shut. “You’re going to stay with Titus until they set your court date,” he explained, glancing warily at his brother. “Is that all right with you?”

Arabella didn’t seem to know what to say, her gaze still fixed on Titus.

She does feel the connection, Titus thought. She does!

“Well put it this way,” Anders continued as the bailiff came to collect her. “You better be okay with it, or you’re going back to prison. It could be months before a trial—”

“I’m okay! I’m okay!” Arabella cried as she was being led away, but her stare never wavered away from Titus. “How long will it be?”

“We’re taking care of it right now,” Anders assured her, grabbing Titus by the arm and leading him out of the stifling courtroom. When they were finally forced to break their eyes away from each other, Titus felt a deep stabbing loss in his gut.

“Will she be out today?” he asked. “She’s not staying in there another night, is she?”

Anders snickered. “She’ll be out of there in the next ten minutes. They don’t want to piss you off, Tito. You’re half the economy of the city.”

Titus had never considered what kind of influence he might have on the legal system. In seven decades, he had evaded all problems with the law somehow, keeping his books on the up and up, paying his taxes and treating his employees well. He was one of the only honest businessmen he knew.

And now I’m harboring a kidnapper and embezzler, he thought.

As he followed Anders toward the purser’s office, he felt a pang of shame. After all, he didn’t know Arabella’s story, and she reminded him so much of Isabella. It was difficult to reconcile that the woman he had once loved so deeply, the woman he had planned to marry and start a family with, could be capable of such crimes.

“What did I tell you?” Anders chuckled, pointing straight ahead, where Arabella stood a few feet away from them. “There she is, all ready to go! I think they bypassed the cells altogether and brought her right out here.”

“Go take care of the paperwork,” Titus instructed. “Here’s a check for one million rand.”

His brother did as he was told, but Titus barely noticed, his irises locking on Arabella’s iridescent eyes. He didn’t feel his feet touching the floor as they moved closer, the spark of electricity between them intensifying.

“Hi,” she breathed shakily once he was standing in front of her. “I—I don’t know how to thank you for what you guys did. I don’t have any money, but if I ever get home, I can send you some monthly until it’s all paid back.”

Titus smiled, his heart swelling.

That’s something my Bella would say, he thought wistfully, searching her smooth cheeks for any noticeable differences, but from where he stood, she was his lover in modern clothes, scared and in need of his help.

“Let’s get you out of here,” Titus said gruffly. “Anders will meet us outside.”

“Wait!” Her palm reached for his arm, and he turned. “How do I know you?” she asked softly. “Why are you doing this?”

Titus swallowed the rise of emotion in his throat, and he wanted to seize her, to crush his mouth to hers, to envelope her body to his. He longed to tell her how. once upon a time, they had loved one another with such unadulterated passion that being in the same room and being unable to touch was physically painful. He wanted her to know that he dreamt about her every night for the hundreds of years they were apart, often waking in cold sweats when he remembered it was his fault she was no longer at his side.

“Titus, I don’t understand,” Arabella whispered, and Titus shook his head.

“There is nothing to understand,” he told her softly. “It is just meant to be. Don’t you feel it?”

Her rosebud mouth parted, and he was instantly back in the turret, watching her as she comforted the scared children before the fiery battle that had claimed her.

Arabella nodded slowly, a small smile forming on her lips.

“Yeah,” she answered quietly. “I… I do feel something. What do you think it is?”

Titus smiled through his conflicting grief and elation.

“It’s fate.”