Flames of Regret

When I woke up, I kept forgetting things.

After reviewing my medical records, the doctor informed me that during the three years I was in a coma, I had been given a banned drug. Its side effect would make me lose all my memories within a month.

I was stunned.

My sister, Vivian Houghton, was the doctor in charge of my treatment during those years.

Upon learning this, I rushed to find Owen Gray, desperate to tell him the truth.

I had already been awake for three weeks. That meant I had just one week left before I completely forgot about Owen.

But then, I overheard his conversation with those people. It felt like a heavy blow landed on me, tearing me apart with pain.

It turned out that Owen remembered everything—about how we had loved each other madly and how I had shielded him with my own body during the car accident. Even the people around him knew that he was only pretending to have lost his memory.

He did all of this for one reason—to marry Vivian and force me to let go.

At that realization, my heart ached, and I started gasping for air. I knew that my asthma was acting up.

Years ago, I developed asthma after saving Owen from drowning. When we were in love, he always carried my inhaler.

But now, seeing me like this, he only said, "Disgusting."

I took my medicine and gradually regained my breath.

When I returned to the villa, Luca Gray ran up to me. "Aunt Shannon, I dropped my toy in the water. Can you help me find it?"

He tugged at my hand, leading me to the swimming pool.

It was winter, and the water was freezing. The moment I stepped in, the cold pierced through me. But when I saw the pleading look in his eyes, I kept searching, diving down again and again.

However, there was nothing.

I looked up and asked him, "Luca, are you sure you dropped it here? I can't see anything. What does it look like?"

"It's a small golden car. Please, Aunt Shannon. I'm begging you."

Clenching my teeth, I dove back into the water. I didn't know how long I had been searching when I suddenly heard Vivian's voice. "Luca, what are you doing here?"

"Mom, I'm just messing with her," Luca said mischievously. "You were right. She'll do anything I ask."

As I surfaced, he pointed at me, his grin triumphant.

Vivian stood beside him, holding that small golden toy car in her hand.

When I heard those words, my heart turned ice-cold.

She took Luca's hand and praised him, "Well done."

I couldn't hold back any longer. "Luca, how could you trick your mother like this?"

He shot me a hateful glare. "You're not my mother. My mother is Vivian Houghton. You deserve to be tricked for abandoning me all those years ago."