Welcome to

The Collection of Hearts

Andrew settled into the worn leather armchair across from his sister Madison, the familiar creak of the furniture mingling with the soft patter of rain against the window. She cradled her mug of tea with both hands, watching him with undisguised curiosity.

"So you just... what, collect them?" Madison asked, a hint of amusement in her voice.

Andrew shook his head. "It's not collecting. It's saving. There's a difference."

"Okay, okay." She leaned forward. "So tell me. How did this even start? How did you meet each of them?"

He exhaled slowly, his gaze drifting toward the window. "Kelly was first. About three years after... after my own wedding didn't happen." He swallowed, but the old bitterness had faded to a dull ache. "She was this professional runner, training for the Olympics. Her fiancé was her coach. Turns out he was sleeping with one of her teammates. I possessed her the night before the wedding, and when I felt how broken she was inside..." He paused. "I couldn't just leave her like that. The bond formed before I even understood what it was."

Madison's expression softened. "And she didn't freak out when she realized what happened?"

"Kelly said she'd never felt so cared for in her life. She said whatever magic happened between us, it felt like coming home." He shrugged. "She's the one who started the groupchat, actually."

"Wait, really?"

Andrew smiled slightly. "She said she wanted to make sure I remembered to eat between saving other women. She's practical like that."

Madison laughed. "Okay, I kind of love her already. Who was next?"

"Erica. She was a bartender in the city. Her fiancé was a regular who'd been leading a double life for two years. Had a whole other apartment, another woman, the works." Andrew shook his head. "Erica found out when the other woman showed up at the bar claiming to be his wife. She was devastated. I happened to be there that night, saw the whole thing fall apart." He paused. "When I possessed her, I felt this... fire in her. She was angry, not broken. The bond locked that passion onto me instead of wasting it on revenge."

"Sounds like her."

"She's the one who taught me that saving someone doesn't always mean fixing what's broken. Sometimes it means giving them somewhere to put all that energy."

Madison nodded slowly. "What …