Chapter 1: You really don't remember me?

"Baby, I'm so glad you're awake", his voice was deep and masculine, emanating a stern dominance but at the same time it made me feel safe , comforting me like a warm blanket.

My vision was blurry but with the sound of the monitors beeping beside me as well as the drip connected to my arm, I could tell I was in an hospital.

I looked up out of curiosity to see who's voice I had heard. I still couldn't see clearly so I squinted my eyes in an attempt to focus my eyes and then my vision started getting clearer.

He was sitting at the side of the bed , starring down at me with the softest eyes, filled with happiness and relief. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to his elbow, unbuttoned halfway down his abs.

As he leaned down, his shirt tightened around his arms accentuating his finely toned biceps, he raised his arms up and ran his fingers through his hair in an attempt to brush back the strands falling on his face.

He had the most breathtaking features any body could think of, he had jet black hair, thick and neatly styled, falling just enough over his forehead. His eyes, a cool shade of gray and his pointed nose added a regal touch to his face, balanced by his moisturized lips that hinted at an effortless charm. But it was his jawline, strong, sharply defined, and impossibly attractive, that truly commanded attention, catching the light in a way that made him look sculpted by the world's finest artist.

"Baby how are you feeling", he asked as he touched my cheeks slightly with the back of his hands. His face was a couple of inches away from mine and I could feel his warm breath brushing against my face.

There was something about him, I feel connected to him in ways I can't explain, for some reason, every atom in my body wants to hug him and collapse in his arms but how could I possibly feel like this. This man was a stranger and I have never seen him before in my life.

"Who are you?" I managed to blurt the question out but my voice came out as a whisper.

His facial expression changed slowly, he tilted his head to the left and gave me a puzzled look, I could tell he was confused.

"What do you mean?" he asked, with a dry chuckle.

"I don't know who you are" I replied.

He stood up from the bed and now he was looking even more worried.

"Hang in there okay, I'm gonna get the doctor", he said, and then walked out of the room.

Few minutes later, a doctor alongside two nurses came into the room but he didn't come in with them, they asked me a couple of questions, where I was from, my name , my parents name, and few questions about my background. They also put some images in front of me to see how good my vision was.

The doctor nodded his head and took down some notes, still without telling me why I was there.

The two nurses left the room and it was just me and the doctor now so I asked him, "what's wrong with me? Why am I here? Who was the man in the room?" I needed answers, and I needed them as soon as possible.

He sighed and then said, "You were involved in a really fatal accident, it's a miracle you made it out alive, but unfortunately, it affected the temporal lobe of your brain which is crucial for memory function. You could have had a comlete memory loss but luckily for you, the ambulance got to you on time and we were able to carry out an emergency brain surgery. Now the last three years is going to be like a blur and we're not certain you'll be getting your memories back."

"Your name's Amelia Carter and the man outside, Zane blackwood, is your husband. He is the heir of the Blackwood Group, a multi triillion dollar corporation with subsidiaries scattered across Europe, this hospital being one of them, he flew me in from Japan to ensure you're treated by the most qualified doctor, so you need not worry, you're in safe hands", he added.

The doctors words hit me like a truck driving at full speed.

A seizure? Memory loss? An husband?????

The doctor noticed the shock on my face and reassured me that I had nothing to worry about that I was doing okay and my recovery was going smoothly and then he left the room.

I layed down, starring upwards at the pure white ceiling trying to process everything the doctor just said, and after a couple of minutes, he came into the room again, the man the doctor called my husband. He had a soft expression on his face as he walked slowly towards the bed.

"you really don't remember me?", he asked with a shaky voice.

"I wish I did", I replied softly.

"And you don't remember our marriage either?", he asked again.

"No", I said, shaking my head.

I could tell my words struck his heart like shards of glass.

He looked so heartbroken like someone just told him he had a couple months to live, I felt sorry for him.

All of a sudden his expression started changing, like something just clicked in his head, then he looked at me and sat down on the bed and took my hand, holding it with both his hands, then he started brushing my fingers.

"It's okay," he said, giving me a reassuring smile.

"This doesn't affect how I feel about you and I know it won't affect how you feel about me either, I love you so much and you being alive is my greatest joy, you might have forgotten all the memories we made together but thank God you're still here, we have all the time in the world to make more memories," he added.

I could tell he cared about me, the way he talked to me was filled with love and the way he touched me so softly made me feel safe. Even though I couldn't remember him, with the way my heart reacted to him I could tell I love this man.

I smiled back at him and he let out a soft chuckle. Then his phone rang and he picked it from his pocket, his expression suddenly turned serious as he stared at his phone.

"I need to take this call okay," he said, and walked towards the bathroom.

I was curious, who was calling him and why did his expression suddenly change. I stood up from the bed and tiptoed towards the bathroom placing my ears on the door, eavesdropping on his conversation, I could barely make out what he was saying so I tried to focus more and I was able to hear him a little clearly.

"If they're not going to confess or provide relevant information then they're as good as useless, kill them all and clean up after".

I immediately froze as I heard the words leave his mouth. The tap started running and I knew he was going to come out soon so I ran back to the bed, and lay down with my heart pounding like it was going to escape out of my chest.

I kept hearing the word "kill them all" in my head over and over again. Is that what he was, a murderer?

The alarm bells in my head were going off, the feeling of safety and comfort I felt the first time I saw this person they called my husband was no longer there, it had been replaced with extreme fear and uneasynes, my whole body was shaking.

He stepped out of the bathroom and immediately noticed the change in my demeanor.

"Baby is everything okay?" He asked in a calm tone.

"I don't feel too good, it might be the drugs," I replied, not knowing what else to say.

He took a couple of steps towards me and leaned down.

"It's okay baby, you were heavily medicated because of your surgery and you're probably just experiencing the side effects of the drugs, you're okay," he said.

Then he placed his hand on my head and the moment his fingers threaded through my hair, a quiet sigh escaped my lips, my body instinctively melting into his touch, Just like that, the fear that had gripped me loosened its hold, dissolving into something sweeter. My eyes fluttered shut, savoring the warmth of his presence, the steady reassurance in every slow stroke. Then, his lips, soft and delicate, pressed against my forehead, a lingering kiss that sent a ripple of warmth through my chest. A flutter, light and intoxicating, stirred deep in my stomach, replacing fear with a sensation far more dangerous,desire.

"I'm going to get the doctor just incase," he said and then left the room.

I heard the door opening just few seconds after he left, I guess he changed his mind about getting the doctor.

"You're back alre---", the smile on my face slowly faded away as I noticed it wasn't him, it was a nurse.

"I was asked to give you this," the nurse said with a straight face , and then stretched her hand, holding a note at her finger tips.

"Who's the note from?" I asked while taking it from her, but she didn't reply , she just left the room as quickly as she came in.

Weird.

I unfolded the note, my curiosity slowly turning into dread as I read the words in the note. The hospital room felt colder and the silence heavier, I could feel chills running down my spine.

"Don't believe a word he says. He is not who you think he is. Get out while you still can."