ARIA'S POV The feeling of waking up makes me light for several seconds, like I am floating in the realm between life and death until I finally feel my consciousness slip back in. My eyes flutter open after that. I blink once, twice and some more when the vision in front of me doesn’t change into a familiar one. I sit up, expecting to see the dull blue walls of my room but the room I woke up in is painted differently in a brighter and warmer color that makes me feel relaxed to be here. Before I start to question the changes I am not used to, a fast train of memories slam into my mind and it all starts to make sense. Everything that happened from Grandmother’s funeral to me standing in front of the hotel, drained and desperate. From there, I remember nothing else. I must have fainted, completely blacked out and was brought to this strange place. I find it strange because it clearly isn’t a hospital room which I assume I should have been taken to if I fainted out of nowhere. The room
ADAM’S POV Three days–that’s how long it’s been since Aria worked up the nerve to walk out of our home. As a businessman, a few hours is enough for me to get over losses, as only a fool will continuously mourn a loss when he should be moving on to the next best opportunity to make up for it. It has always been like that with people too, I don’t care who leaves because in the long run, there is always someone better who can replace them. Yet, it’s been three whole days and I can’t get over this foreign feeling that tightens my chest each time I think of her. I can’t seem to attach my usual logic of loss and replacement to the one person I shouldn’t even care about losing. Unable to accept that the tight feeling in my chest means something, I resort to the ones I can actually cope with. I let the feelings of distress, anger, humiliation and total disrespect take root in my mind because really, those are basically the things Aria has done against me in the last 72 hours. The reasons f
ARIA'S POV My shock at Regis’s claim is evident, in the way my jaw slacks and the way my eyes go beyond their normal size. I stare at him and he in turn continues to stare at the key chain like he is just seeing it for the first time. Perhaps, the realization that he is familiar with the one it belongs to is the reason he is now looking at the key chain in a new light. I also discovered that besides the color of the jewellery piece, I know nothing else because I haven’t properly looked at it since my grandmother's death. The shock and the preparation for her funeral gave me no time to do so. So I wait for Regis to clear up the air about what he knows about the piece of jewellery adorned with rubies and emeralds. “Did you say your grandmother gave this to you?” Seconds pass before Regis finally hands the key chain back to me. I take it in both hands, nodding absent-mindedly at Regis while I take a proper overdue look at the memento. I discover there isn’t much to look at anyway, d
ARIA’S POV I take a step to the back when the man wheels himself forward again, getting even closer into my personal space than he already was. Looking to Regis for help in that moment doesn’t help one bit because he also has the same look of confusion written in clear lines all over his face. “I can’t believe it’s really you. Look at you, all grown.” He’s smiling through tears. When he grabs my hand out of nowhere, I yelp at the unexpected contact, backing away from him. It is exactly what Regis needs to break out of his confusion as he steps between us. I hide behind him, rubbing the hands the man held not too long ago. “Sir,” Regis says, “Is everything okay?” At Regis’ words, the man breaks out of whatever spell he’s been put in since he saw me. “Oh, how rude of me,” He says and then meets my eyes to continue, “I apologize if I made you feel uncomfortable. I just couldn’t help myself.” He chuckles at the end of the words. However, that isn’t enough to convince me to step out
ADAM’S POVSitting in my office, I feel like a donkey. This is the twenty-third candidate I am interviewing to fill in Aria’s position and none of them seem to fit in her shoes. I sit and ponder, why am I even searching for someone who will be literally just a replacement for Aria?She is gone from this company and I should at least search for someone who is different from her, but it seems that she has become a habit of mine. I realize that I shall never be able to get over her and now I feel weak. I, Adam Miller, who has always been above everyone, including Aria, seem to be at her mercy.I have still not heard from her after a week and I have been expecting her to come begging me to take her back, but until now, nothing! This is really frustrating. I keep asking myself if she has not found another man and forgotten about me completely.Ever since she left the company, I have had a messed up life. I was the CEO of Miller Corporation and to me, all employees should have the same stat
ADAM’S POV Sophia and I are finally at the restaurant. Frankly speaking, I do not want to be here, but I am compelled to. Sophia thinks that carrying my child means that she owns me and this is something I despise- when women try to take control of my life and me. Here is Sophia, sitting in front of me, in a revealing dress that makes her look slutty. How I wish that the management could have had a dress code and not let us in, that would have been great. This so-called date could have been avoided. Unfortunately, nothing like that happened. “I’m glad that we can enjoy this moment like the old days,” Sophia says. I just nod. I am unbothered by the past I have left behind and here she is, trying to take me on the same track. She is not stupid and she somehow feels that I am not into her for a long time but she is forcing herself on me. I love kids, but that does not mean that I shall be her slave. What she does not know is that I am capable of being a single dad and chopping her of
ARIA’S POV How dare he touch me and ask me about my private matters! Why is he acting like he owns me? He has never been this way with me. Why this sudden change? “Aria is still my wife and you have no right to interfere in my private matter, Uncle Regis!” Adam exclaims in anger. “You’re so funny, Adam! I still don’t get it. Why aren’t you letting me go? You should be happy that I am out of your life and now you can enjoy your Sophia, no?!” I say sarcastically. I am not letting him control me like he used to do. “I don’t need anyone! I need you,” he tries to approach her, but all I see is his uncle getting between us. “Need?! Since when have you started needing me?! Does a marriage strife solely on needs or love or respect?” I ask. I know that Adam believes that his uncle must be my new man and that he is taking very good care of me when it should have been him instead. Why would he be jealous now? “Aria… We can sort out our marital issues together in private, rather than stan
REGIS’ POV “I regret even stepping into this company and into Adam’s life,” I hear Aria saying. I understand how she feels but if she had not stepped into that company, I would not have been introduced to such a lovely lady as Aria. How could I forget that day when for the first time, I saw Aria? Walking in her black pencil skirt, mid-heel pumps, dark grey blouse and hair done in a ponytail, I went completely head over heels for her. Those lovely large eyes, her lovely smile, her melodious voice and her slender frame turned my world upside down. “Welcome to the Miller Corporation,” Aria had said in the lobby and shook hands with me. I just could not control myself at that time and I felt so drawn to her. She was so polite to me, especially when she asked me what I would like to drink. I requested for a Cappuccino, but her beauty continued to mesmerize me. However, as she handed me the cup of coffee, it accidentally spilled on my black suit. Aria was horrified and she kept apol
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