LOGINChandria’s POVI sat on the edge of the mattress, my chest tightening as I looked down at Chandria. She was completely still, her face pale against the white pillows. Slowly, I reached out, my fingers trembling slightly as I caressed her head, smoothing her hair away from her forehead.‘Please be okay,’ I thought, a desperate, frantic rhythm pounding in my veins. Just be okay.I couldn’t lose her now. Not when we were this close. I needed to be the very first thing she saw the exact moment she opened her eyes. I needed to anchor her to the life we were building, to the ring currently resting on her finger, before the ghosts of her past could drag her back into the dark.The heavy quiet of the room was shattered instantly as the bedroom door burst open, slamming hard against the wall.I jumped, swinging around in my seat. Chandria’s entire family filed into the room, their faces masks of sheer panic. Her brothers, Victor and Carlos, led the way, followed closely by her parents, Don Aur
Chandria’s POV“So, how was the date?”My mother’s voice was soft when we came back, laced with a hopeful eagerness that always made guilt twinge in my chest.Even now, looking at her, the word mother felt heavy and unnatural on my tongue. I couldn’t remember her. I couldn’t remember the kitchen we were standing in, the childhood photos I’d been shown, or a single moment we had ever shared before the accident. Yet, looking into her eyes, the sheer sincerity there was undeniable. She genuinely loved me. She respected the massive, invisible wall the amnesia had built between us, even if it was breaking her heart.“It was fine, actually,” I replied, forcing a small, reassuring smile.I shifted my gaze to Daniel, who was standing right beside me. He squeezed my hand, his palm warm and grounding against mine. I leaned into him just a little, letting out a quiet breath. “I’m just a little tired now. I hope it’s okay if we head upstairs to take a rest?”I didn’t want to elaborate or explain
Aiden’s POVMy boots slammed against the concrete floor, the sound echoing like rapid gunfire down the narrow, dimly lit hallway.Beside me, Jason was practically sprinting, his breath coming in ragged, desperate gasps.We needed to get out of this fucking place.Any second, the walls around us were going to erupt into a fireball. If the charges blew while we were still trapped inside, we’d be vaporized. My mind fractured, spinning violently toward the one person who mattered.Chandria.I couldn’t die here. I still needed to see her, to hold her, to tell her I made it back. I couldn’t fathom a world where I never saw her face again, and that fear tasted like acid in the back of my throat.I glanced sideways at Jason, my chest heaving as we rounded a sharp corner. “Jason!” I yelled over the roaring adrenaline in my ears. “Is this the bomb we were planning to plant? Did something go wrong with the timer?”“It was supposed to be our play!” Jason shouted back, his face pale and slick with
Chandria’s POV“Delicious,” I said, setting my fork down.I could feel a goofy, uncontrollable smile stretching across my face.“I’m glad you like it,” Daniel said.He smiled at me, and my heart did a strange, familiar flutter. I couldn’t help but notice just how handsome he was when he smiled like that. The soft lighting of the room caught the sharp line of his jaw and softened the corners of his eyes. I found myself staring, completely captivated. I didn’t want to look away. I just wanted to live in this moment, to freeze it and memorize the exact way the light hit his face, keeping the reality of us alive between us.Then, he blinked. The sudden movement broke the spell, and a slight flush crept up my neck as he realized I had been openly gaping at him.“Hey, are you all right?” he asked, tilting his head slightly, a faint, amused smirk playing on his lips.I swallowed hard, trying to play it cool, but honesty slipped out before I could stop it. “I was just noticing how handsome yo
Chandria’s POVAfter I had broken down in front of Daniel, sobbing until my throat felt raw and my chest felt empty, something shifted.The wall he had kept between us, that skeptical, distant look in his eyes like he was constantly trying to solve a puzzle he didn’t want to be holding, had finally crumbled.Daniel was patient.It was a quiet, heavy kind of patience that made my heart ache. He didn’t rush me. He held my hand firmly, his thumb occasionally grazing my knuckles in a way that felt grounded and real. When I struggled with the buttons of my dress, his hands were there, steady and sure, helping me get ready.“Where are we going?” I asked, my voice still a little raspy from crying.He looked down at me, and for the first time, his smile didn’t feel like a mask. It was soft, almost relieved. “Here,” he said simply.As we stepped out of the room, he didn’t let go of my hand.He led the way, our footsteps echoing against the polished floors.I tried to focus on the warmth of his
Chandria’s POVThe heaviness in my eyelids felt like lead. I was drifting in that thick, mindless space of deep sleep when a touch pulled me toward the surface. It was a hand, light and steady, caressing the line of my cheek.I groaned, my head throbbing with a dull, rhythmic ache as I forced my eyes to open. The first thing I saw was Daniel. He was leaning over me, his face inches from mine. He was handsome—strikingly so—but as I blinked the sleep away, something felt different.“Daniel?” My voice came out like sandpaper, dry and cracking.“I’m here,” he whispered. His voice was soothing, but his eyes were searching mine with an intensity that made my stomach flip. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to leave you.”I tried to nod, but as I looked past his shoulder, the confusion hit me like a physical blow.We weren’t in the room I remembered. This place was massive—grandiose, with high ceilings and furniture that looked like it belonged in a magazine. It smelled of expensive wax and somethi
Chandria’s POV“It’s not a lie, Chandria. It’s just that you didn’t know.”Daniel’s voice was too calm. He stepped closer, closing the distance between us until I could smell the faint scent of his cologne.He reached out and placed his hands on my shoulders. His touch was heavy, possessive.“But d
Chandria’s POVHis lips moved down my neck, and I immediately looked away.I stared at the blank wall just to keep my mind off what was happening.I tried so hard to force myself to enjoy it, or at least pretend to.But deep down, I felt sick. My stomach twisted in a way that had nothing to do with
Aiden’s POVMy phone kept ringing, but I did not answer it.I already knew who it was. One of my people. They were probably calling to ask for my status, my orders, what they needed to do next.They always did.But I was not in the mood to talk to anyone. I did not want to hear their voices, their
Chandria’s POV“Daniel!”I tried to push him away with all my strength, but he would not stop.Instead, he grabbed both of my wrists and forced them down, pinning me.I felt trapped, unable to move. He stared straight into my eyes.“Chandria,” his voice low, “Please…let me do this.”Before I could







