LOGIN128Andrea and Isabella stood quietly in front of a grave, sadness written on their faces.The gentle evening breeze moved softly through the cemetery, carrying the scent of fresh flowers through the air. A peaceful silence surrounded them as they carefully placed the bouquet down beside the headstone.“Rest well,” Issabella said, wiping a tear from her eyes.For a moment, neither of them spoke.Andrea slipped his hand into Isabella’s gently, his thumb brushing against hers as they stood side by side.Then suddenly, a voice was heard from a distance.“Mommy! Daddy!”Both of them turned immediately at the familiar excited voice.Lucas came running toward them happily across the grass.Behind him, Andrea’s father walked much more slowly with his hands behind his back.A smile instantly spread across Isabella’s face.“Lucas!” she laughed softly as the little boy threw himself into her arms.Andrea pulled both of them into a hug, relief and happiness warming his chest.“What took you so
127The man's hand tightened around the gun as she pointed it directly at Lucas.Lucas immediately froze.Fear crashed through his small body, stealing the breath from his lungs. His eyes widened as he stared at the dark barrel aimed straight at him.“Please!” Isabella cried out desperately, tears streaming down her face. “Don’t hurt him! Lucas is just a child!”She struggled violently against the ropes.“Please… I’ll do anything you want. Anything!”A slow smile spread across Ethan’s face.“Now you’re talking.”He released Isabella’s neck and straightened calmly, adjusting his sleeves like this was nothing more than business.“A flight has already been booked,” he said smoothly. “You’re going to behave like a good little girl and come abroad with me.”He stepped closer, lowering his voice.“We’ll disappear together… and live happily ever after.”Isabella stared at him in horror.“What?” she whispered. “Are you crazy?”The smile on Ethan’s face disappeared instantly.Without warni
126The name alone made Andrea's grip tighten on the phone.“…she is responsible for your parents’ plane crash… and Isabella’s fire accident.”For a second, Andrea didn’t speak.The world around him seemed to go quiet.Then his voice dropped dangerously low.“Why are you telling me this now?”The maid hesitated. “Because she is back. She escaped again.”Andrea’s expression changed instantly.“And her next target… is Lucas… and your father.”“What?” Andrea slowly turned his head.Toward where Lucas had been standing.Toward the wheelchair.His eyes narrowed but the space was empty.Lucas.His father.Both gone.Andrea’s breathing stopped for a split second.“No…”“Sir is there a problem?” The maid asked over the phone.“I'll talk to you later,” he said and ended the call immediately without another word.His head snapped around the compound.“Lucas!”No response.“Father!”Only the wind answered him.Panic finally cracked through his control. Andrea moved fast now, scanning every cor
125The glass doors of Isabella’s company building slid open as she walked out, her heels clicking sharply against the pavement.Employees nearby lowered their voices immediately, sensing the tension the moment they saw Ethan standing beside her car.He looked exhausted.Like someone who hadn’t slept properly in weeks.“Bella, please…” Ethan stepped closer before she could unlock the car. “Just listen to me for five minutes.”Isabella didn’t even look at him as she searched for her keys inside her handbag.“There’s nothing left to say.”“Isabella—”She turned sharply this time, and the coldness in her eyes made Ethan stop mid-sentence.“I told you already,” she said quietly, each word cutting deep. “stay away from me.”Pain flashed across Ethan’s face. “I was trying to help you.”“By lying to me?” Isabella snapped. “By hiding the truth from me? By claiming to be my fiancee and the father of my child? What if I didn't get my memory back. Is this how the truth would have been hidden
124Night covered the city in restless darkness.Rainwater still clung to the roads from earlier showers, reflecting the glowing lights of traffic and towering buildings.Inside a black luxury car speeding through the crowded streets, Andrea sat in the backseat with one hand pressed tightly against his temple.His jaw was locked and his expression dark.The call had lasted less than three minutes.But it was enough to destroy what little patience he had left.The voice of the police officer still echoed inside his head. “We lost her trail.”Andrea’s fingers tightened around the phone.Lost her?After three whole months?The car suddenly became suffocating.“What do you mean you lost her?” Andrea’s voice exploded through the speaker again.The police officer on the other end sounded nervous now.> “Mr. Andrea, after the accident, there were reports that she was taken to a nearby hospital, but there’s no official registration under her name.”Andrea’s eyes darkened.“Because she used a
123Three months later, winter slowly began disappearing from the city.The heavy rains stopped, and the cold nights softened.Vanessa has been discharged, but she was living with Pedro.Pedro's apartment was hidden above an old repair shop, Vanessa sat silently beside the window with a blanket wrapped around her legs.Her expression remained unreadable as she stared outside.Seems like the world had continued moving without her. And she hated that.A soft knock interrupted the silence.“You’re awake already?”Pedro stepped into the room carrying two bowls of hot soup. His dark hair was slightly messy from the morning wind while exhaustion lingered beneath his eyes like always.Vanessa glanced at him briefly before looking away again.“You came back early.”Pedro placed the food carefully on the table.“The restaurant owner closed early today.”He paused.“You should eat while it’s hot.”Vanessa didn’t move.For the past three months, this had become routine.Pedro worked during the d
034Isabella’s fingers twitched first, It was faint, so faint it could have been mistaken for nothing. But then it happened again.Beside her, Ethan slept in an awkward position, his head resting on the edge of the bed, one arm folded beneath him. Isabella’s eyelids fluttered open, and the lights
032Isabella lay on a hospital bed. She looked pale yet peaceful. Machines beeped steadily around her. She had just gone through her surgical operation and had gone into a coma, as pronounced by the doctor.At the far end of the ward was an incubator, with Isabella’s premature baby lying inside. Et
027Andrea slammed the door open so hard it crashed against the wall.He stormed into the living room, brushing past his guards without even sparing them a glance as they greeted him.He dropped heavily onto a chair, dragging a shaky hand through his neatly styled hair. His fingers clawed through i
024“The number you dialed is not available at the moment.”Andrea angrily dropped the phone on the table. He had been trying to reach issabella again and again, but her number was not connecting. Did she block him?He picked up the phone again and stared at the screen. “Isabella,” he muttered.







