Part 3

“The body believed to be Kael Montenegro has been found by the search team. According to the report, the body is no longer recognizable. It was severely burned, with injuries all over—especially on the face.”

I quickly turned off the television, staring at the dark screen in a daze. The public believed Kael was dead, but then… whose body had they actually found? Meanwhile, the real Kael had been lying weakly in my bed for the past few days.

He still hadn’t woken up.

The doctor treating him said the severe head injury might cause serious complications, though he didn’t explain exactly what he meant. Carrying a bowl of warm water and a towel, I walked into the bedroom and went back to the routine I had somehow started to enjoy.

Bathing Kael.

I sat on the edge of the bed, pulling back the blanket and looking at his large, solid body. His skin was lightly tanned, marked with wounds that had begun to dry and heal. Gently, I wiped his face, which had already improved a lot. The bruises that once covered his handsome features were starting to fade.

Slowly, I brushed the towel across his cheek, his jawline, then his full, firm lips. I ran a comb briefly through his thick black hair before continuing to clean the rest of him—from his arms, to his chest, and down to his firm stomach.

I still hadn’t dared to wash him all the way down.

The last time the blanket slipped off by accident, it revealed his manhood—and me? Don’t even ask. I was in complete shock. It was the first time in my life I had ever seen a man like that. Since then, I’d only cleaned the upper half of Kael’s body.

My thoughts snapped when I suddenly felt a large hand touch my arm.

I gasped, startled.

Kael slowly opened his eyes, staring at the ceiling with those hazel pupils of his.

Oh hell… his eyes are beautiful.

His head turned slightly. He winced before blinking a few times. His lips moved as if he wanted to speak, but only a soft groan escaped.

“Don’t move yet,” I said quickly, stopping him. “You’re not fully recovered.”

“What… happened to me?” His voice was deep. Cold. Calculating. His eyes didn’t look empty at all—if anything, they were sharp as they studied me carefully.

“You don’t remember?” I asked, panic creeping into my voice. “Do you remember your name?”

He went quiet.

“Name?”

“Yes, your name. Do you remember it?” I asked again, but his reaction was the same. Confused. Puzzled.

“I don’t remember,” he murmured weakly. “I don’t know what my name is.”

I rubbed my face and rushed out of the room, leaving him alone. Grabbing my phone, I called the doctor who had been treating Kael. He answered on the third ring.

“Doctor, Kael’s awake. I think… he’s lost his memory.”

“I suspected that,” he replied calmly. “I’ll head over right away.”

The call ended.

When I returned to the room, Kael was already sitting on the edge of the bed, the blanket pooled around his waist. He looked like a fallen Greek god sitting on my mattress.

I walked over and gestured for him to lie down again.

“The doctor will be here soon. You should lie back down.”

“Who are you?” he asked.

I froze.

Right… what exactly am I to him now?

Without realizing it, I scratched the back of my neck, searching for an answer. His gaze never left me, waiting.

“Do we live together?”

“You...” I started to say something, but he suddenly cupped my face with his large hands.

I looked up, startled as he leaned closer, studying my face carefully.

“Do we have some kind of relationship?”

“Huh?”

I swallowed hard when his thumb brushed over my lips in a slow, almost sensual motion.

“Yes,” I stammered. “We… we do.”

I had no idea where that answer came from. It slipped out before I could stop it.

He tilted his head slightly, clearly waiting for more.

My heart was racing.

What kind of relationship was I supposed to tell him we had?

“Why are you quiet?”

“I… I’m your wife,” I blurted out.

The words slipped out so easily, far too easily.

Damn it. What the hell did I just do?

Kael’s hazel eyes flickered. For a moment, they seemed to tremble before a faint smile appeared on his lips.

“Really?”

“Yes. I’m your wife. My name is Ivy.” I placed a hand on his chest. “And you… your name is Kael.”

The smile on his face grew wider.

He believed me without hesitation, while I had just built his trust on a lie.

I pushed him gently, trying to make him lie down again, but he kept looking at me before suddenly pulling me closer by the waist until I fell on top of him.

“Ivy.”

My cheeks burned hearing him say my name like that.

“That’s a beautiful name,” he murmured softly. “Just like you.”

“Kael, let go of me. Your injuries haven’t healed yet,” I protested, quickly pulling away.

Luckily, he released me just as the doctor walked in. Without knocking, he stepped straight into the room, glancing between the two of us with a curious look.

“Doctor, you can check him now,” I said quickly before leaving the room.

I stood by the kitchen counter, splashing water on my flushed face. My hands rested on the surface as I stared out the window toward the side yard, where small vegetable seedlings had begun to grow in the cleared soil.

Oh damn it… what’s wrong with me?

My heart was pounding.

While the doctor examined Kael, I sat on the couch in the living room. Not long after, the doctor came out and removed his glasses.

“Kael is experiencing partial amnesia.”

“Oh my God,” I muttered, covering my mouth.

“The impact to his head was quite severe,” the doctor explained quietly. “It’s affecting both his memory and his self-control.”

Whatever else he said after that barely registered.

Only one thing echoed in my mind. Kael had lost his memory.

“For how long?”

“There’s no definite answer,” he replied. “But it could affect his emotional regulation and impulse control.”

I frowned. “What does that mean? Is he going to become aggressive or something… like an overexcited puppy?”

The doctor nodded.

“Extreme mood swings. Aggression. And hypersexuality.”

My lips twitched. Did he just say… hyper what?

Is this doctor serious?

“I’ve left his medication on the bedside table,” he continued. “It should help with the recovery process, but the rest depends on time.”

He put his glasses back on and grabbed his car keys.

“I’ll inform Mitch about this.”

“Yes, that’s probably best. The sooner he finds a solution, the sooner Kael can leave here,” I said.

The doctor only let out a sharp sigh before leaving.

When I went back into the room, Kael was sitting on the bed again, watching me calmly.

I didn’t even know what he was really like. How he behaved. And somehow, I had foolishly taken this man into my home without thinking it through.

“Ivy?”

“Yes?”

“Why are you standing over there? Come here. I think I need some clothes now.”

He got off the bed easily without my help.

Completely naked.

I immediately turned around, covering my burning face.

“Your clothes are in the closet, on the right. Just take them from there,” I said.

“I want your help.”

“I… I’m busy in the kitchen.”

“It’ll only take a moment,” Kael insisted.

Oh God…

I turned around again and was greeted by the sight of his bare backside. He was grabbing clothes from the closet. When he turned back toward me, I tried my best not to look at the rest of him.

Ivy, don’t look down. Please don’t look down. Don’t.

“Your cheeks are really red, Ivy. What’s wrong?” he asked.

For someone who had just woken up from a serious injury, he looked surprisingly strong. Very strong.

I shook my head, unable to answer.

Something hard pressed against my stomach as I helped button up his shirt.

His hand slid to my waist, pulling our bodies closer together.

Oh God, I’m dead.

Kael’s gaze never left me. It was too focused. Too intense.

“Are you really my wife?” he asked quietly.

The way he said it sent a shiver down my spine. My hands trembled as I pushed the buttons through their holes, and he clearly noticed.

He leaned down, his voice rough as he whispered near my ear.

“If you really are my wife…” he murmured softly, squeezing my hip. My body froze. “Why are you so stiff when I touch you?”