ARIA’S POVI gather my dad, brothers, and Adam for a meeting, knowing that we need to unite now more than ever. Dad's expression is stern, his frustration barely concealed. Neal and Nathan sit with arms crossed, eyes flashing with anger, but I can tell there’s also fear and confusion mixed in.They’ve been hit hard by the crash, by the chaos that’s followed, and now, by the constant attacks from the Mitchells. It’s not just the business they’re worried about—it’s everything we’ve worked for, everything we’ve built. But more than that, it’s the personal toll the Mitchells' accusations have taken on us all.Adam sits beside me, his face calm but weary. I can feel the weight of the last few days pressing on him as much as it has on me. My family still hates him.“We all are. But the past is the past, and we need to put it aside.I glance at Adam, acknowledging his efforts.“Adam has been working from his side to help us, and I think we all know how crucial it is that we stay united.”He’
ARIA’S POVStaying at my dad’s place feels like the right decision, even though part of me longs to return to Adam. The complications between us, though smoothed over for the moment, seem to demand some space. Adam understands why I’ve decided to stay here, and while he’s been incredibly supportive, it still feels strange not being with him. Maybe it’s for the best—being back at the family home brings a kind of comfort I didn’t realize I needed.Nathan and Neal are hard at work trying to find out more about Connor, my missing bodyguard. The whole situation with him baffles me. He was with me during the crash, and now he’s disappeared without a trace.“I can’t believe Connor was this much low-key.”“Yeah, Neal and we also never tried to find out more about him.”“No family members have even approached us.”It’s like he vanished into thin air. Still, I can’t shake the feeling that we owe something to Connor’s family, if they exist. But, if I ever find them, we will compensate them for t
ADAM’S POVJust when I thought we could finally breathe and get some distance from the chaos, everything takes a turn for the worse. This morning, I wake up to headlines that completely blow my mind: "Aria Wilson and Adam Miller Responsible for Bodyguard and Ethan Mitchell's Death in Hawaii Crash."My stomach twists as I scroll through the news article, each line more ridiculous and infuriating than the last. They’ve spun a story so convoluted and vile that it reads like some sort of twisted fiction, a desperate attempt to bring us down.The article goes into detail about an alleged affair between Aria and Ethan. There are photographs—photos of them rock climbing, sitting in a car together, eating at restaurants, and laughing at bars. To anyone who doesn’t know the truth, it would look like a romantic relationship. The way they’ve framed these moments is sickening, twisting innocent interactions into something malicious.It doesn’t stop there. My name is dragged into the mess, labeled
ARIA’S POVAs I scroll through the article, my eyes take in every word, but I don’t feel shocked. I had expected something like this—a vicious attack aimed at discrediting me and dragging Adam through the mud. The Mitchells are determined to make us the scapegoats for Ethan’s death, and they’ve done everything in their power to ensure the media runs with that narrative. But I know the truth, and more importantly, I know that there’s no actual evidence linking us to the crash. That knowledge alone gives me a sense of calm, a certainty that we can weather this storm.Still, the situation is messy. Adam and my family are probably in a state of panic right now, and I can already imagine the whirlwind of calls and meetings that are about to take place. I know they’ll be worried about me, about the fallout from this article, but I’m not going to lose my head over it. If anything, this strengthens my resolve to push back against the Mitchells and whoever else might be behind this smear campa
ARIA’S POVI’m overwhelmed by guilt as I sit here, thinking about Ethan. Ever since I regained my memory, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about him, the way he tried to comfort me during the crash, his calm words, his strength. He didn’t deserve this—none of them did. I miss him so much, and the thought that he might still be out there, somewhere, torments me. I can’t give up on the search, not now, not ever. Ethan was more than a friend; he was there when I needed him most, and now it’s my turn to be there for him.“Ethan… Where are you, buddy?”And Connor… he was more than just a bodyguard to me. He was reliable, protective, always looking out for me. I trusted him with my life, and now he’s gone, too. I keep replaying those final moments on the jet, wishing I had made a different choice. Maybe if I hadn’t gone with them to Hawaii, none of this would have happened. Maybe they would still be alive. The guilt weighs heavily on me, crushing my chest with every breath.“It’s my fau
ARIA’S POVWhen I arrive at Adam’s house, I’m greeted by the soft glow of candles and the warm, intimate ambiance of a perfectly set dinner table. I pause, staring at the scene, my mind racing. A candlelit dinner? Adam called me for a date? I had been under the impression this was a crisis meeting—a chance for us to get on the same page after everything that has happened.The articles, the accusations, the chaos swirling around us—this is not the time for romance. I had reassured Adam and my family earlier, telling them not to worry about our image or the baseless claims linking us to the crash. With no real proof, I wanted everyone to relax, to let the noise pass without feeding into it. But this—Adam’s too-relaxed demeanor, despite the storm we’re still in—feels like too much.I’m caught between frustration and disbelief as I walk further into the room. Adam’s there, looking calm and collected, ready for what seems to be a romantic evening. I’m not sure how he thinks this is the rig
ADAM’S POV“I’m not here to get fucked, Adam!”I can’t believe I misread the situation so badly. The sour look on Aria's face, the frustration in her voice—it’s all my fault. I thought that in the middle of this storm we’re caught in, maybe we could steal a moment for ourselves, reconnect over a candlelit dinner.But she took it completely differently. She thought I wanted to have sex tonight, as if that was the reason I called her urgently to my place. It wasn’t about that at all. I just wanted to find a way to make her feel a little lighter, to give us both a break from the madness swirling around us. However now, seeing her reaction, I realize I’ve made things worse.To make matters worse, she thought I called her here to discuss Ethan Mitchell and Connor. She has been so focused on finding closure about Ethan, desperate to know what happened to him. I get that. I really do. I want answers too—I'm tired of being painted as the villain in this twisted narrative.We’re battling so ma
ARIA’S POVI came here expecting a discussion, nothing more.“Adam, I’m leaving now.”“Let’s have a quick bite and then you leave, please.”His voice is hesitant at first, then determined, as if he’s been holding back all these thoughts for too long. He blurts out what has been weighing on his heart, and it catches me off guard. He reminds me of the island, of what we shared before the pirates showed up, and the way things felt between us back then. It was just the two of us in that moment—no chaos, no external pressure, no past to haunt us. It was raw, it was real, and we were so close to something... different. Adam asks, his voice low but steady.“If you hadn’t lost your memory... if none of that had happened, do you think things would have turned out differently?”His question hangs in the air, and I don’t answer right away. Of course, I’ve thought about it before. Those moments on the island felt like a new beginning, a chance for us to reconnect, maybe even rekindle something th
ARIA’S POVLydia’s tears dry up as she slowly turns away, ready to leave the hospital room. Her steps are hesitant, burdened by the weight of everything she’s confessed, and by the knowledge that she might be walking out of Ethan’s life forever. There’s a palpable sense of finality in the way she carries herself, like someone resigned to their fate.But just as her hand reaches the door, Ethan calls out her name.“Lydia.”Everyone freezes for a moment. Lydia stops in her tracks, her back still turned, and I can see the subtle rise and fall of her shoulders as she takes in what just happened. The room is tense, filled with emotions that swirl and collide like waves in a storm, but the sound of Ethan’s voice cuts through it all.“Who told you to leave?”He tells Lydia that he wants to give their relationship another chance.The words hang in the air, a shockwave that ripples through the room. I glance at Ethan’s parents, who stiffen at the unexpected declaration, but they remain silent,
ARIA’S POVAs soon as Ethan gazes at Lydia, her face crumples, tears welling up in her eyes, most likely because she knows she is about to lose him. The weight of everything she has done, both in the past and more recently, seems to crash down on her. Her vulnerability is unmistakable, and it’s clear that she fears this might be the end of whatever she and Ethan had built together in this strange in-between space where his memory had been absent.Ethan’s expression hardens as he processes the reality of the situation. He’s upset, and it's easy to see why. For weeks, months even, his parents had believed him to be lost, possibly dead, while Lydia kept him hidden from the people who loved him most. His emotions are a swirl of confusion, betrayal, and anger as he turns to Lydia, waiting for an explanation. The air between them grows thick with unspoken accusations, the kind that don’t need words to make their impact.Lydia’s sobs grow more frantic as she tries to defend herself, her voic
ARIA’S POV“I’m not here to take Ethan from you… We’re just best friends. Nothing more.”“What?”“It was just a charade at your engagement.”All of a sudden, the nurse informs us that Ethan has woken up. My heart races as I see the reaction from everyone around me. Without wasting a second, we all rush into his room. Ethan’s eyes are open, and the first thing he does is call out to his parents.There’s a moment of palpable relief as his mother and father rush to his side, elation lighting up their faces. They hold him close, their hands trembling with emotion, and for the first time in a long while, they seem to have a piece of peace back in their lives.But what stands out most is that Ethan doesn’t even look at Lydia. Not once. Her presence, once central to his confusion, seems to fade into the background. She stands near the door, frozen, her eyes glassy with unshed tears as she watches the reunion. I don’t know whether it’s fear, regret, or sadness that’s written on her face, but
ARIA’S POV“I’m not letting you take Ethan from me.”Lydia sits next to me, vulnerable in a way I’ve never seen before. She begins speaking softly, revealing her regrets and the reasons behind her actions. She admits that her past choices were driven by greed and a hunger for wealth, and that those choices led her to hurt Ethan and her ex-fiancé. She speaks of how, after fleeing to Arizona to escape the wreckage of her old life, she found Ethan on the shore, lost and helpless. In that moment, she says, she saw not the man she had wronged but someone she could help. Someone who needed her.It’s difficult to fully believe her, but something about her story rings true. The way she talks about Ethan and her past mistakes feels raw and genuine, not the calculated coldness I once associated with her. She explains that when Ethan didn’t remember anything—not his name, not his family, not even his old life—he still remembered her.“We’re meant to be together. Else, he wouldn’t have landed her
ARIA’S POVWe’re all seated in the waiting area of the hospital, the sterile smell and bright lights only adding to the tension. Ethan’s parents, sitting across from me, glance in my direction every so often, their frowns deepening as if my mere presence is an offense.It’s not the first time I’ve seen that look on their faces, and it probably won’t be the last. But what baffles me is how they’ve chosen to forget about Lydia entirely. She’s sitting in the corner of the room, arms folded, her face pale and tight with worry. I can’t tell if she’s genuinely concerned for Ethan or if this is all just another one of her well-rehearsed acts.I lean back in my chair, trying to process it all. At least the Mitchells had realized that their son had lost his memory before I even had the chance to explain. It was painfully obvious—his reaction when he saw them, the way his body gave out from the shock.He fainted because it was too much for him. Yet, here they are, acting like I’m the villain in
ARIA’S POVLydia seems to sense that she’s outnumbered. She glares at us for a moment, then steps aside, opening the door fully. We enter the house, the air thick with tension. I glance around, spotting the packed boxes in the corner. They were planning to leave, just as I suspected.I spot Ethan standing in the living room. He’s casually scrolling through his phone, but the second he looks up and sees me, there’s a flicker of recognition in his eyes. I hold my breath, waiting for some kind of reaction. But then, his parents step in behind me, and that’s when everything changes.Ethan freezes. His phone slips out of his hand and clatters onto the floor, but his gaze is locked on his parents. I can practically see the gears turning in his mind, as if something deep inside him is suddenly being unlocked. His face goes pale, and his eyes widen in shock.And then, just as quickly as it all hits him, Ethan stumbles back, clutching his head. He takes a few shaky steps before collapsing to t
ARIA’S POVI sit in my car, my eyes on the house as the night falls deeper. All the windows are dark, the curtains drawn, and not a single sign of movement inside. It’s almost midnight, and it doesn’t look like Lydia and Ethan are going anywhere tonight.Still, I can’t afford to take any risks. If I leave or let my guard down for even a second, who knows what they might do. Maybe they’ll sneak out in the early hours, slip away when no one is watching.But exhaustion is catching up to me. The rented car is spacious enough, well-equipped for a long night of waiting. I’ve pinned my location for the people I’ve summoned here—they’ll call when they’re close. I settle into the seat, finally allowing myself a moment to rest. There’s no harm in taking a quick nap while I wait.I drift off, my mind a swirl of thoughts and plans. Every scenario plays out in my head; confronting Lydia, pulling Ethan out of there, making sure he’s safe. It’s not peaceful sleep by any means, but it’s something.Ho
ARIA’S POVMy stomach churns with hunger, but the idea of stepping away from my spot, even for a moment, feels out of the question. I’ve been sitting here, fixated on the house, watching every movement behind those walls. It’s like Lydia and Ethan are carrying on with their perfect little life, while I’m stuck out here, trying to figure out what to do next.I have moved too far now to catch their conversation clearly, and their voices aren’t as loud as they were before. On top of that, before they notice me, I have to make sure I keep my distance.The sight of them earlier, packing boxes, moving around like they’re planning to skip town, is enough to make my blood boil. I can’t let that happen.I need to eat, I need to think, but there’s no way I can leave the area, not even for a second. They could take off, and I’d have no idea where they would go. If I lose track of them, it could be the last time I ever see Ethan. The thought alone makes my heart race.Then, I spot a kid in the di
ARIA’S POVI got the address and I head directly to the place to spy on Ethan and Lydia. My first step is to observe the surrounding and checking on their movements.“Aiden, love. Shall I keep this in the bag?”“Yes, baby.”She is addressing him as Aiden, and I roll my eyes in exasperation.As I watch from my hidden spot, I can barely contain the rage boiling inside me. Ethan, living a normal life with that deceitful witch, Lydia, like they’re some kind of perfect couple. How can he not see through her lies?My heart races, each second feeling like an eternity. She’s manipulating him, keeping him trapped in this farce, and it’s beyond infuriating. Ethan’s family has no idea he’s even alive, and meanwhile, he’s here, with her, under this disgusting illusion of love.But then something changes. I notice a flurry of activity at their house. Boxes. Bags. They’re packing up. My eyes narrow, and I feel a sudden rush of panic. This isn’t just spring cleaning or a casual weekend trip—they’re