The first thing she felt was the weight of the ring on her finger.
Heavy. Cold. Unfamiliar.
The second was the silence, so thick it buzzed in her ears. Then came the faint scent of lilies and sterilized air. Her body ached, her skin was damp with sweat, and her mouth felt like sandpaper.
A soft click.
Her eyes fluttered open.
The room was dim, awash in golden light from a chandelier hanging above a ceiling so high it could've belonged to a palace. The bed beneath her was too soft, the sheets smooth against her skin. Everything felt luxurious… foreign.
And then she saw him.
A man. Sitting in a leather chair beside the bed. Silent. Watching her like a hawk.
Tall. Sharp. His dark suit tailored within an inch of perfection. His face looked carved from stone , handsome but severe, like danger dressed in Armani. His eyes were unreadable. Cold. Intense.
She opened her mouth, but her voice came out like a croak. "Who... who are you?"
The man didn't move. Didn't blink.
"You don't remember me."
It wasn't a question. It was an observation. A fact.
Her pulse quickened. "Should I?"
He stood, slowly. Towering over her bed, he adjusted his cuffs with deliberate calm.
"I'm your husband."
Her stomach flipped. My...what?
"You fell down the stairs three nights ago," he said. "The impact caused memory loss. Temporary, the doctors said. But we're not waiting for you to remember on your own."
"No," she said quickly, panic rising. That can't be right. I don't even know my own name.
He leaned forward. Leona Wolfe. You've been my wife for seven months.
She blinked. "No. No, that's not possible."
You married me willingly,he continued, eyes darkening. Begged me for it, in fact. Said you needed protection. That you loved me.
I wouldn't, she shook her head. I wouldn't beg anyone to marry me.
A slow smile curled at the corner of his lips. "You did. On your knees."
Her jaw dropped. You're disgusting.
And yet, he murmured, you wore my ring. You moved into my home. Into my bed.
I don't know who you are, she said, her voice rising. And I want to leave.
You don't have anywhere to go, he said coldly.
She tried to stand, but her legs wobbled and buckled beneath her. Before she could fall, he caught her effortlessly, his arms encircling her waist. His grip was firm, but not cruel. His scent was overpowering clean, masculine, intoxicating.
Let me go,she hissed.
He didn't move. Just stared down at her.
I should've known,he said quietly. Even without your memories, you're still a fighter.
She shoved him hard. Get. Out.
He stepped back, adjusting his cuffs again. This room is yours. But everything else in this house? It belongs to me. Don't forget that again.
Then he turned and walked out, the door clicking behind him with ominous finality.
She stood there, breath ragged, heart pounding.
The silence closed in around her again.
She stumbled back onto the bed and buried her face in her hands. Her head ached, her chest felt like it had a hole punched through it, and her body trembled with a mix of fear and fury.
What kind of life had she been living?
She needed answers.
She crawled toward the nightstand, pulling open the drawers. A silk blindfold. A silver key. A locked phone with no fingerprint access. And then, a framed photo.
She sucked in a breath.
It was her. In a wedding dress.
Standing next to him.
His arm was tight around her waist, and they both faced the camera.
She didn't recognize herself.
Her smile looked… forced. Her eyes? Not joyful. Not glowing. But wary. Guarded. Almost afraid.
She stared at that picture for a long time.
Then she turned it face down.
Outside the room, Cassian stood in the hallway, watching the closed door with unreadable eyes. Behind him, his assistant approached.
She doesn't remember anything? the assistant asked.
Cassian didn't turn. Not yet.
And when she does?
Cassian's voice was calm. Too calm.
"Then we'll remind her who she belongs to."
He walked away without another word.
But inside, he already knew the truth
Leona hadn't just fallen. She had seen something. And if that memory returned, if she ever put the pieces together, this time, she wouldn't just leave.
She'd take everything down with her.
Including him.