Chapter 1 When He Opened His Eyes

Celine

Three years.

That was how long Celine Carter had been waiting for her husband to open his eyes.

Three years of hospital corridors.

Three years of sleepless nights.

Three years of whispered prayers beside a bed that had never answered her.

And tonight, like every other night, she sat beside Adam.

The room was dim except for the soft glow of the machines surrounding him.

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

Celine had grown so accustomed to that sound that she could recognize when the rhythm changed.

She held Adam’s hand between both of hers and gently rubbed his fingers.

His skin was warm.

That was enough to keep her hopeful.

“You know,” she whispered, forcing a smile, “the doctors say you’re stubborn.”

She glanced at his still face.

“I think they’re right.”

Nothing.

Celine sighed.

“You’ve been sleeping for three years. Don’t you think that’s enough?”

Her voice cracked slightly.

She looked down at their hands.

The wedding ring on her finger caught the faint light.

Three years ago, Adam had slipped that ring onto her finger.

Three years ago, he had promised to love her for the rest of their lives.

Three years ago, she had believed she knew exactly what her future looked like.

Then the accident happened.

Everything changed overnight.

Adam had been driving home when another vehicle crashed into his car.

The doctors had prepared her for the worst.

They told her he might never wake up.

They told her she should prepare herself emotionally.

But Celine refused.

She couldn’t accept it.

She had stayed.

Every single day.

She read to him.

She talked to him.

She told him about everything that happened outside the hospital.

She even brought his favorite food sometimes, knowing perfectly well that he couldn’t eat it.

She had abandoned her own plans, postponed her medical career and watched her youth disappear between four white hospital walls.

All because she believed one day Adam would wake up.

Celine reached up and gently touched his cheek.

“Adam…”

Her voice became a whisper.

“I kept my promise.”

A tear slipped down her cheek.

“So please…”

She took a shaky breath.

“Keep yours.”

For a moment, there was nothing but silence.

Then—

Beep.

Celine’s head lifted.

Her eyebrows pulled together.

The sound had changed.

She looked at the monitor.

The numbers were moving.

Her heart began pounding.

“Adam?”

His fingers twitched.

Celine stopped breathing.

She stared at his hand.

It moved again.

Just slightly.

But it moved.

“Adam?”

Her chair scraped loudly against the floor as she stood.

She leaned closer.

“Adam, can you hear me?”

His fingers curled weakly around hers.

Celine’s eyes widened.

“No…”

Her lips began trembling.

“Adam?”

His eyelids fluttered.

Once.

Twice.

Then slowly—

they opened.

Celine covered her mouth.

A broken sob escaped her.

“Oh my God.”

She pressed the emergency button.

“Doctor!”

The door flew open.

Nurses rushed into the room, followed by two doctors.

“What happened?”

“He moved,” Celine said breathlessly. “His eyes—he opened his eyes.”

“Everyone, step back.”

The medical team surrounded Adam.

Celine was pushed toward the corner of the room, but she didn’t care.

Her entire body was shaking.

He was awake.

After three years…

Adam was awake.

She clasped her hands together.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

She wasn’t sure whether she was speaking to God, fate, or the universe.

She simply knew that her prayers had finally been answered.

⸻

Hours later, the room was quiet again.

Adam was awake.

Weak, confused and exhausted, but awake.

Celine stood outside the room while the doctors examined him.

She couldn’t stop smiling.

For the first time in years, she allowed herself to imagine the future again.

Maybe everything would finally be okay.

Maybe Adam would remember her.

Maybe he would look at her the way he had before the accident.

Maybe they could finally go home.

Maybe she could finally be his wife instead of his nurse.

The thought made her heart flutter.

The doctor eventually stepped outside.

“You can see him now.”

Celine nodded quickly.

“Thank you, Doctor.”

She pushed the door open.

Adam was lying against the raised hospital bed.

His eyes moved toward her.

Celine froze.

For a second, neither of them spoke.

She smiled.

A genuine, emotional smile.

“Hi.”

Adam stared at her.

Celine walked closer.

“You’re finally awake.”

His brows furrowed.

There was something strange in his eyes.

Confusion.

She stopped beside his bed.

“Adam?”

His lips parted.

“Who are you?”

The smile disappeared from Celine’s face.

She blinked.

“What?”

“I asked…”

He swallowed painfully.

“Who are you?”

Celine stared at him as though she had been slapped.

“It’s me.”

She pointed at herself.

“Celine.”

Nothing.

His eyes remained blank.

“You’re my husband,” she whispered.

Adam’s expression tightened.

“My husband?”

“No.”

Celine shook her head quickly.

“Sorry. I mean…”

She laughed nervously.

“You’re my husband.”

Adam stared at her.

“I don’t remember you.”

Those five words destroyed three years of hope.

Celine felt her chest tighten.

But she forced herself to smile.

The doctor had warned her that memory loss could happen.

This didn’t mean he would never remember.

It was okay.

She could wait.

She had waited three years.

She could wait a little longer.

“It’s okay,” she whispered.

“You’ll remember.”

Adam said nothing.

Then the door suddenly opened.

A woman’s voice filled the room.

“Adam!”

Celine turned.

Her smile disappeared.

Victoria Lane stood at the entrance.

Beautiful.

Elegant.

Perfect.

Celine knew her.

Everyone knew Victoria.

She had been Adam’s first love.

The woman his family had always believed belonged beside him.

The woman who had disappeared after Adam’s accident.

At least, that’s what Celine had thought.

Victoria rushed toward the bed.

Tears streamed down her face.

“I knew you’d wake up.”

Adam stared at her.

Then something happened.

His eyes softened.

“Victoria…”

Celine’s heart stopped.

He remembered her.

He remembered Victoria.

But he couldn’t remember his wife.

Victoria grabbed his hand.

“I’ve been waiting for you.”

Celine stood silently beside the bed.

She suddenly felt like an outsider in her own marriage.

Then Adam’s phone lit up on the bedside table.

Celine’s eyes fell on the screen.

A message appeared.

Victoria: Three years ago, you promised me that when you woke up, we’d finish what we started. I never stopped waiting for you.

Celine stared at the words.

Her fingers went cold.

She looked at Adam.

He was still holding Victoria’s hand.

Something inside her cracked.

Three years.

Three years of sitting beside him.

Three years of talking to him when he couldn’t answer.

Three years of holding his hand.

Three years of believing she was fighting for their marriage.

But perhaps she had been the only person fighting.

The door opened again.

Three men walked into the room.

They were Adam’s closest friends.

One of them looked at Celine and smirked.

“Well, this is awkward.”

Another laughed.

“Not really. We all knew this day would come.”

Celine looked at them.

“What do you mean?”

The tallest one glanced at Victoria.

Then back at Celine.

“You’ve done your job.”

Celine’s face tightened.

“My job?”

“You stayed with him while he was unconscious. Everyone appreciates that.”

He smiled coldly.

“But now Adam is awake.”

Another man chuckled.

“And Victoria is back.”

Celine felt humiliation burning through her veins.

She looked at Adam.

Surely he would stop them.

Surely he would defend her.

Surely he would remember that she was his wife.

But Adam said nothing.

He simply looked between Celine and Victoria.

Then one of his friends said the words that finally broke her.

“Celine, be honest with yourself.”

He laughed.

“You were never the woman Adam chose.”

Silence.

Celine’s eyes filled with tears.

She refused to let them fall.

Not here.

Not in front of them.

She slowly looked at the wedding ring on her finger.

Then she removed it.

Adam’s eyes followed the movement.

Celine placed the ring on the bedside table.

“I think you’re right.”

Everyone went silent.

She picked up her handbag.

Victoria looked surprised.

Celine walked toward the door.

Adam suddenly spoke.

“Wait.”

Celine stopped.

She turned around.

Their eyes met.

For the first time that night, Adam looked directly at her.

“Where are you going?”

Celine smiled sadly.

“Home.”

Adam frowned.

“Your home?”

She shook her head.

“No.”

Her fingers touched the empty place on her finger where the wedding ring had been.

“I’m going somewhere I should have gone three years ago.”

She turned toward the door.

“Celine.”

She stopped again.

Adam’s voice was weak.

“Are you really my wife?”

Celine closed her eyes.

One tear finally escaped.

“Yes.”

She looked back at him.

“I was.”

Then she walked out.

She didn’t see the confusion on Adam’s face.

She didn’t see the way his eyes remained fixed on the doorway after she left.

And she certainly didn’t know that the moment she walked away from that hospital room…

Adam’s life was about to change.

Because three years earlier, everyone had believed Celine was nothing more than the ordinary wife of a wealthy man.

But they were wrong.

And soon, Adam would discover that the woman he had just allowed to walk away…

was the one person he could never afford to lose.