I think I need you

Axel continued to stand by Gwyneth's side, looking at her sadly as if in sympathy for her current situation.

'Now you treat me like a stranger, and you don't even act affectionate as before. Is this the result of memory loss?' he wondered silently, keeping a watchful eye on Gwyneth.

Gwyneth glanced at Axel, occasionally biting her lower lip as if nervous.

'What should I do? Can he help me find Dominic? But... he still thinks I'm his fiancée,' she thought.

"Baby," Axel called, smiling with a furrowed brow. "Why are you looking at me like that? Do you remember something?" he asked.

Gwyneth shook her head, but suddenly her head throbbed, causing her to wince and hold it.

"Ouch..."

"Don't move too much... Your head still hurts," Axel said.

"Don't you believe me?" Gwyneth asked.

"What?"

"I'm not Gwyneth."

Axel chuckled, then shook his head while caressing Gwyneth's cheek. "Baby, I know you're still confused... I know you're in pain. Please, listen to me... Let me guide you to remember your life, our life... Everything I know about you... you'll understand and remember again," he said with a convincing gaze.

Gwyneth took a deep breath, her eyes showing distress.

"Trust me..."

"But I..."

"You are Gwyneth Stacy," Axel said before Gwyneth could finish. "Trust me... I'll bring you happiness. Don't be afraid," he continued, kissing her hand.

The door opened.

Axel and Gwyneth immediately turned to see Brenda entering the room with a middle-aged woman, her glamorous appearance contrasting with striking red lipstick, a black suit, and a sparkling gray branded bag.

"What happened? How did she end up like this?" the woman asked with a disdainful look.

Axel stood up, facing the woman. "Mrs. Stacy, you shouldn't be asking that, but ask about her current condition. Or perhaps you're asking because you're afraid her father will be furious?" he retorted curtly.

The woman turned her attention to Gwyneth.

Gwyneth swallowed as if the woman's gaze made her somewhat fearful and nervous.

"Are you okay... I hope you've left the hospital before your father comes," the woman said.

"She will only leave the hospital when she's fully recovered," Axel exclaimed with an angry look.

"Her father will be furious if he finds out she's in this condition. He'll think I couldn't take care of her until she had an accident... I don't want our relationship to fall apart just because of her!" Margareth insisted.

"You two should divorce. he should see how cunning you are!"

"How dare you say that to me?"

"Then what do I have to fear?"

Margareth stared at Axel. "You don't know what I can do. I can even prevent you from marrying her!"

"I will marry her!" Axel declared firmly. "I will marry her and take her away from here, so you don't have to bear the responsibility from her father to take care of her... let me take care of her, let me make her happy."

Brenda approached. "Axel, marriage is something sacred. You can't do it now, especially when she's still sick and doesn't even remember you."

"I don't care!" Axel turned his face and looked back at Gwyneth, who seemed unconcerned about the argument with Margareth.

Margareth changed her position to stand on the right side of the bed, focusing on Gwyneth.

"So, she doesn't remember anyone?" she confirmed.

Axel remained silent.

"She lost her memory," Brenda explained.

"In that case, you can't marry her," Margareth replied, glancing at Axel. "How can you marry a girl who doesn't even remember you? Her father hasn't come yet...Why can't you be patient? She needs time to recover... I can't hide this from her father now. Whether I like it or not, I have to tell him that she had an accident and lost her memory..."

Axel sighed, biting his lower lip.

"You can't marry her before her father comes," Margareth insisted.

Axel stood up. "You don't want me to marry her, but you act as if you don't like taking care of her and loving her like a mother to her child. Then why don't you make it easier for me to marry her? What do you want?"

Margareth sighed, then turned her gaze as if in deep thought.

"If you don't like her, then you don't need to pretend to care for her in front of her father... Enough, your behavior has been inappropriate all this time. Now there's nothing for you to worry about because she doesn't remember anything; she won't say anything to her father!" Axel exclaimed in frustration, then took a deep breath as if choked.

Gwyneth looked at Axel. 'He's like Dominic, wanting to take me away from suffering. He looks good,' she thought.

"If I let you marry her without her father's presence, he will say that I'm a bad wife who doesn't appreciate him!" Margareth retorted, then looked at Gwyneth. "You can't marry her before her father comes. That's my decision... Her father will be back in two months," she continued.

Gwyneth widened her eyes, not expecting the father of real Gwyneth to be away for quite a while, leaving her with a cruel stepmother.

'I can't imagine; Gwyneth must be under pressure. Or maybe she's a brave girl who can stand up to her stepmother?' she pondered.

Axel fell silent, gazing at Gwyneth for a moment before turning to Margareth.

"In that case, I'll take her to stay in my apartment after she's allowed to leave the hospital," he said.

"Hey..." Margareth furrowed her brow. "That's the same as making me look like a mother who doesn't want to take care of her sick daughter. She'll stay in our house... Her father will likely call frequently to inquire about her, and I'll have to tell him that she had an accident today, whether I like it or not!"

"Damn it!" Axel clenched his fists.

Gwyneth suddenly felt horrified, imagining living with Margareth and Peter, who now treated her harshly as if unsympathetic to her condition.

'What should I do? I can't escape from them because I'm still sick... My legs even feel numb. I think I can only find protection from Axel.' She looked back at Axel.

Brenda, who had been discovering the tension between her mother and Axel, immediately held his arm.

"If you're worried and feel you can't be far from her, you can stay at our house with her," she suggested.

Margareth immediately looked at Brenda, as if aware of her nature.

"A... Axel," Gwyneth whispered.

Axel sat down and looked at Gwyneth while holding her hand.

"I trust you," Gwyneth whispered again. "I'm afraid..."

"Don't be afraid," Axel replied anxiously. "I'll always be by your side..."

Brenda looked at Margareth, then back at them as if signaling something.

"I wouldn't mind if you stayed at our house until her father came back," Margareth said with a sarcastic look. "But you have to give me an unlimited shopping allowance... Because I also need to struggle to get permission from her father to let you stay in our house," she continued.

Axel quickly reached into his black pants pocket, took out a black wallet, then retrieved a black card and handed it to Margareth.

"Let me stay with her," he said.

Margareth immediately took the black card. "Wow... You seem to love her so much that you'd do anything for her."

Axel chose to remain silent, while Brenda smiled as if pleased with his decision, and Gwyneth observed the black card in Margareth's hand.

'What kind of thing is this? Is it some advanced device that can lead me to Dominic?' she wondered silently.