The Forgotten Billionaire

She regained consciousness in the hospital. Feeling exhausted and weary. She remembered nothing—not even her own name.

On the soft, white bed lay a woman who slowly opened her eyes. She could not move her body. Every attempt to do so only rewarded her with unbearable pain.

For a moment, she froze when she realized where she was.

She was in a single room, alone. Gathering her courage, she pulled the blanket higher to cover herself from the piercing cold.

What was she doing in the hospital? And why was she there in the first place?

She tried hard to recall her senses, but no memory came into her mind.

Then she heard the door open and close. The sound of footsteps slowly approached where she lays. She could not bring herself to look at whoever it was. All she could do was pretend to be asleep.

She heard a deep sigh. Right before her was an unfamiliar scent and a figure she did not recognize.

“Aeliana…”

A man. The voice belonged to a man. Her chest stirred at the sound, awakening a strange and unfamiliar sensation within her.

“When will you wake up, sweetheart?”His voice was covered with sadness yet bounded with cold as ice.

Sweetheart? Who is this man calling her by such an intimate name? Again, he sighed. His footsteps retreated, accompanied by the sound of the door closing.

Aeliana opened her eyes.

She had no idea how long she had been lying in that bed—hours, days? All she wished for in that moment was to breathe fresh air and taste her favorite dishes: adobo, sinigang, and lumpia.

Slowly, she pushed herself up. She summoned every ounce of strength, determined to get out of the bed.

She sat at the edge, her feet meeting the cold floor.

She stood and shifted to the side. Her gaze fell upon the window, and she realized that this was no ordinary hospital room. It was exclusive—made for important people. But she? She did not belong there.

Her brows furrowed.

She was certain she had no money to pay for such a place. Her goal of breathing fresh air suddenly changed.

Now, her only thought was to escape. She was poor and had nothing to cover the costs of such care.

Her heart pounded in her chest.

She reached the door and quickly pulled it open—only to be met by a man in a white coat.

“Mrs. Clemonte…”

Her ears caught on the way she was addressed. Behind the doctor stood a handsome man with a serious expression, his eyes fixed on her.

Aeliana bit her lip. Two strangers had just witnessed her attempt to escape.

The man behind the doctor asked something. “Did you check on her, Doc? Is she already well enough to walk like that?”

That voice—it was the same one she had heard the first time she awoke.

She didn’t know either of them.

“Mrs. Clemonte, please calm yourself first,” the doctor urged, gently guiding her back inside.

Aeliana brushed off the doctor's hand and shook her head. “I’m going home,” she said firmly. The doctor frowned, clearly surprised. His eyes flicked toward the man standing behind him.

“What do you say about it, Mr. Clemonte?”

Mr. Clemonte?

Did that mean…?

The doctor added,“Your wife needs proper guidance and a stable foundation. She needs to undergo several CT scans and body clearings. My team is ready for any necessary operations.”

“I’m willing to pay whatever it takes, Doctor.”

What were these people talking about?

Aeliana felt the cold hand of the man land gently on her shoulder. A shock of electricity shot through her, racing all the way to her fingertips. She recoiled as if burned by fire.

Both the doctor and the man exchanged meaningful looks before turning their attention back to her.

“We’ll go home only once the doctor confirms you’re well enough,” the man said.

“Who are you?” Aeliana asked. Both of them were complete strangers to her.

The man looked at the doctor, then shook his head. The doctor nodded and quietly stepped back. The man turned back to her.

“I am Silvanus Clemonte. And you are Aeliana Clemonte. My wife.”

The world stopped spinning for Aeliana.

Wife?

How could she have a husband? The town where she grew up was built on nothing but hardship and survival—one meal at a time.

Neither the doctor before her nor the man claiming to be her husband stirred even a flicker of memory in her mind.

Aeliana shifted, sitting again at the edge of the bed. She lifted her eyes to the man who was now gazing down at her. In his eyes lingered a longing—a shattered pain she could not name.

Why?

If this man named Silvanus was truly her husband, why couldn’t she remember any resemblance of memories or even anything?

She felt like a candle snuffed out in the dark. The doctor placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder and told her everything would be fine. He advised her not to force herself to think too hard, to avoid the risk of worsening her headaches.

The doctor left the room, but Silvanus remained.

He sat across from her, watching her intently, as though she had committed some terrible crime against him.

“How are you feeling?” Silvanus asked suddenly, catching her off guard.

“My body hurts,” she answered softly.

“Then you should rest. Don’t strain yourself.”

“Am I really married to you? That is… I am your wife?” she asked uncertainly.

Silvanus nodded, clearing his throat.

“We were married last year in Sydney, Australia—your parents and mine were there.”

She remained still, staring into the void. She tried to recall the wedding he spoke of, in Australia, but her mind was blank.

“It’s okay. The doctor said you shouldn’t think too deeply yet, so you can avoid more headaches,” he said gently before standing.

Though he wasn’t avoiding her words, Aeliana noticed the subtle distance he kept—like she was a sinner in his eyes. He was distant, reluctant to come closer, to touch her any deeper than that fleeting moment.

And that made her wonder.

If he truly was her husband, why was he acting so strangely?

“Stop thinking too much. It’s not good for you.”

“Mm-hmm…” she whispered, lowering her head.

Silvanus moved toward the door. He opened it, and a beautiful woman entered, holding takeout bags from a famous fast-food chain.

The woman’s eyes flicked toward Aeliana, her expression far from pleasant. She rolled her eyes. Silvanus, however, welcomed her warmly. “Thank you for bringing the food.”

“No problem,” the woman replied, giving Aeliana another sharp glance.

“So… how’s your wonderful wife?”

The sarcasm was obvious. It was as if Aeliana wasn’t even present in the room using such words.

“I’m glad she’s fine, Yve,” Silvanus answered, inviting the woman to sit. Yet, the woman gradually refused.

“No need. I just came to drop off your food,” Yve said curtly, rolling her eyes at Aeliana once more.

Aeliana couldn’t understand why this beautiful woman was being so rude to her.

Had she done something wrong?

“Well, I’ll get going,” Yve said, patting Silvanus on the shoulder. “I hope you’ll come to your senses. Keeping her here is not the best way to deal with this. And you know what comes next, Silvanus. I hope you’re ready.”

With that, the woman named Yve, turned around, slammed the door behind her, and left her with Silvanus in silence.