Ethan Prescott

terile whi

ed behind his eyes

his head. Pain sh

e wa

t, a little husky. "

is head slo

with dark, concerned eyes and hair l

you?" he managed

curve of her lips. "It'

e meant

ce trembling a little. "Your Cassie

Blank. A terrifying, empty s

t. He knew... New York. Buildin

n? This "Cas

mber," he said, pan

er dark eyes. "Oh, Ethan. The docto

his hand. Her fi

. Deeply in love. We were

He

felt rehearsed. "Your fiancée. Or, ex-fiancée. You were trying to esc

mth, a flicker of something good, insta

flicker of confu

out a sleek, unfami

ice soft and persuasive. Sh

be free of her. You' r

y love. We' ll

ed real. His n

andra, laughing, her head on his sh

king them. He didn' t

aning closer. Her perfume was sweet, unfamiliar.

th tired eyes. He confirmed it. Severe concu

onths," the doctor said. "Or so

ft, Cassandra held

with what looked like devotion. "I' m here. I' ll t

dizziness. He wa

seemed to be his anchor

. It was easier than

mall, rural Louisiana hospital room, a

bright. Gardenias. The sc

xan

Deep, undeniable warmth. Not the con

throbbing in his

She said they were leaving soon, going somewhere quiet for

he said, his

t smile on her face

I think I remember some

er. "The mind plays tricks, Ethan. Especially after trauma

ruggled for words. "I

h tears. She rushed to his s

er everything we' ve been through?

is woman was here. She was

rdenias, lingered. It felt more real than t

said, a sudden urgency in his voic

You can' t. She' ll manipulate you. She' ll

her... if she'

corrected sharply. "You b

her tear-streaked fac

roken mind betraying this wom

eed to understa

nsistent voice, whispered

way. He wanted to tru

Alexandra, the war

go back to New York," he said,

, her face pale. Then,

want, Ethan. But you' ll regre

fueled by that persistent, warm

' d get there. He didn

that cut through the fog, th

on a Prescott private

lex – her smile, the way she tilted her head when she was thinking, t

were shocked, relieved he was a

"You' ll see! She' s a monste

gry figure on the tarmac. He felt a twinge of something –

York. They were shaken, the

mother, Eleanor, had whisp

s more reserved, but h

hing for him for days after he disappeared

embered that. Vaguely. Ne

o run away – those memories were still completely

wary when he me

nt," Ethan explained. "She sa

Arthur excha

we' ve done some checking. She' s a singer in a small club in N

me," Ethan said, the words soun

his mother said softly. "S

r East Side apartment he s

elt... unfamiliar. Yet, flashe

ng on the wall. The scent of

l

ed to s

eft, promisin

n the large, s

and Alex. At a beach. Laughing. Her arm aro

burst of clarity. The su

r. He knew

ked texts, the photos – they felt like a t

this. He had

ndra out of his hea

is real phone, which his p

s number. He' d sa

cal

voice eager. "Ethan? Did you real

"It' s over. Whatever you think we had, i

"You' ll regret this, Ethan Prescott. Yo

ing," he said. "Stay away f

hun

se of relief.

He had to

ual charity gala

eek trying to piece h

t and confused by his initial coldn

ent of what Cassandra claimed – the affair, running away together. He couldn' t bring himsel

dra had manipulated him

. Slowly, she began to soften. The lo

himself Cassandra was a bizarre, nigh

point to be by Alex' s

ndra across

Prescotts sometimes worked with. She looked stunnin

nored

his father, Ethan saw th

man said, a little n

sed himsel

" the executive said, lowering his voice. "She' s been s

knot in his stomac

our fiancée was the problem. That you'

r at Cassandra. She was watching them

her. The executi

is voice low and dangerous.

"Game, Ethan? I' m just

reading lies

ened. "Or truths you'

re starti

ou were a mistake, a product of my confusion. Stay out of my li

ed. "You' ll be sorry

r and walked back to Ale

hat about?"

forcing a smile. "Just someone

e' d handled it. Cassandra was a

lt secure. He thought they

anniversary

during his amnesia-fueled confusion e

et dinner at home. J

Prescott development deal

the scent of gardenias and somethi

en, humming. She look

of it. Maybe they could

zed. A message fro

pene

s a v

ood ra

shot on a hidden camera. It

self. And

king wine. Then they wer

hen showed them

eniable. I

s manipulation post-ac

remember, the one he' d convinc

. The week of his business trip to Ne

niversary, the one he' d forgotte

. The air le

smiling. "Ethan? You' re home

face. Her

ng? You look like yo

d at the phone in his hand, at th

was still a blur, but t

x. Before the acciden

just exploited his memory loss to make it seem l

ceit, his own weakness,

nd Will Davis, found him

eaving a devastated Alex be

unk. Slop

ppened?" Ben asked, his

his head, slosh

rical. Said you showed her... s

broken sound. "Another

thought you said she manipulated you whe

re was more. Before. I... I had an af

stared at h

his voice low. "With

mbled. "The accident wiped it.

have feelings for her?" Wil

rough his hair. His

think she was everything. And Alex... Alex is... Alex." He looked misera

ends, his eyes plead

confessed, the words tasting like ash in his mouth. "I need time.

than? You can' t do that to Alex. Or to Cassandra

" Will said, his face gri

ead. "I can' t. Not y

t him with a mixture

ed like a monste

cold, untouched d

piece, her favorite

e, the video Ethan had shown

and Ca

. Kissin

e' d claimed to have forgotten because

d to weave her false narr

aw, gaping wou

fingers trembling. She play

as a fresh s

r, twisted into a mask of

s triumph

t be real.

ion. It all matched

d acting distant. The trip

ory of this betrayal, only for Cassa

ated during his amnesia. He

d to love her, who had

he had pitied, whose confus

ie. Layer upon

. A new message.

really wants. He was mine long before the accident, sweet

vision

city. Th

oom. It hit the wall with a sick

idn'

ped her, t

the beautiful anniver

. Ethan, years ago,

so attentive. He' d pu

el like the only

when a sleazy business associate of his father' s

d seen the man' s hand linger too

room in seconds,

self between her and the man, taken her hand,

oice deadly calm, "No one d

her protecto

ed to having feelings for two women, who want

stranger wearin

ife she had envisioned with him, it

dinner grew co

denias

surrounded by the ruins

he used to be, or the

y had shared, now tainted b

he future that

ts twinkled outside the win

subsided, leaving h

an to form in the

up, her

rtment, their apartment, a

miling, loving. She tore them into pieces,

for her birthday. A first edition of her fa

ght her in Italy. She took a pair

ed it, looked at the sparkling diamond, then closed it and th

rn photos down the toilet, watching the pie

estruction. A painfu

e apartment felt diff

phone. The screen was cr

number she

ents. I

and familiar. "Alex, darling? Is ev

oarse. "I... I need to come ho

e, instantly concerned. "Alex, w

ng herself to say

ave New York, Mom. I can

ng. Of course. We'

jor indiscretion – a near-scandalous affair that had almos

yes, had sat down with Ethan and his

lationship and protect their son from hims

it the "Par

g addendum to Et

hand shaking. Ethan had signed i

ms were

tional distress or betrayal directly caused by Ethan, that their relationshi

eit 75% of his voting shares

fund would be fro

ining order would prevent him from enteri

an extreme measure. A safety net

would never hurt

ad l

iven her all the

aris

as t