Chapter 2

"I just wanted her to stay with me for a few more days. Just a few days, that's all!"

By the end, Philip's voice was cracking, and he was close to tears.

I stood there quietly, listening. My eyes, however, drifted past him and landed on Anastasia.

She was staring straight at me; her whole body was tense, and her eyes were dark and stormy. It looked as if something was about to break loose inside her.

The woman who once followed me everywhere had become Philip's "guard dog" now, ready to attack the moment I so much as looked at him the wrong way.

I didn't know exactly what I felt. I just knew that this time around, I couldn't be selfish and keep her chained to me again.

I forced a faint smile and said to Philip, "You don't have to be scared. I'm not here to break you two up. I came to take both of you back to the Kains'."

Philip froze, wide-eyed. "Both of us?"

"That's right." I nodded. "You're the man she loves. If I tried to leave you behind, she wouldn't come with us anyway.

"Go pack up your things. Both of you are coming with me."

My voice stayed calm and even. "Her parents already know about you. They're okay with you being together."

Philip let out a huge sigh of relief, and his face lit up with joy. He grabbed Anastasia's hand, grinning from ear to ear, then he hurried off to get their stuff ready.

Only then did Anastasia realize I had no intention of hurting Philip. Her shoulders relaxed a little, and she pursed her lips.

"Sorry," she said quietly. "I thought you were going to do something to him."

Her moods rose and fell with Philip's, as if she were tethered to him now.

Back then, when Philip wouldn't stop pestering her, she would run straight into my arms, acting all pitiful. She would insist that I claim her as mine in public.

"Tell them I'm yours, and say it like you mean it."

She would even scrunch her face into a fierce little scowl and make me mimic her.

In the end, we would always end up in fits of laughter and roll across the couch, making a ruckus.

But that was all gone now. Anastasia didn't belong to me anymore.

With a forced smile, I brought them back to the Kains' villa.

When it came time to introduce myself, everyone hesitated, unsure what to call me.

So, I stepped in. "Hi, Anastasia. I'm Mason Beck. We grew up together, and I've always treated you like a little sister. You even promised to set me up with someone, but then you lost your memory, so I'm still single now."

The people who knew the truth exchanged awkward looks, but Anastasia only laughed. "Alright, Mason. Once everything settles down, I'll play matchmaker and find you a girlfriend."

That night, I woke up to the smell of smoke.

When I walked out, I saw a pile of flames in the backyard. The fire was devouring every trace of the life I had shared with Anastasia.

Childhood photos, certificates we'd won together, even the little wooden puppet she had given me when she first told me she had feelings for me… Everything was burning, crackling as it turned to ash.

A sharp pain seized my chest. It felt as if something inside me had been ripped apart.

Right then, Anastasia turned and looked at me. "Back then, neither of us had anyone else, so being close didn't seem wrong.

"But now, Philip lives with me, and it bothers him to see these things, so I burned them. I hope you don't mind."

I clenched my fists hard, trying to keep my composure so that she wouldn't see how much it hurt.

"It's fine," I said softly. "You might as well burn the stuff in my room, too."