Alysha woke upAlysha Jarl blinked, her vision hazy as she slowly opened her eyes. The sterile white of the hospital room was sharp against the lingering fog in her mind. She tried to focus, her gaze drifting to the unfamiliar faces surrounding her. Her heart thudded in confusion, a strange, anxious emptiness in her chest.“Can you hear me?” a voice said gently, pulling her attention to a woman leaning over her, wearing a white coat. Her badge read “Dr. Erica,” but Alysha’s mind struggled to place the name. Who was she? She glanced past her, catching the gaze of a tall man with silvering hair and piercing eyes who seemed to watch her every movement, his face etched with something like relief and tension.Alysha’s eyes narrowed as she looked at him. She searched her mind, but there was nothing—no name, no memory, only a yawning blankness that felt strangely terrifying. She swallowed, looking back at Dr. Erica, and tried to speak, but her voice was weak, scratchy.“Where… am I?” she fin
Alysha blinked, utterly lost, trying to make sense of the fragments of information being thrown at her. She glanced at the intimidating woman in front of her, who was now studying her with a thin, victorious smile. Seraphina leaned in closer, her voice a low, calculating whisper. “Let me tell you who you are, okay?”Alysha, too confused and overwhelmed to question it, nodded slowly, desperate for any scrap of clarity.“You are a servant of the Holland family,” Seraphina continued smoothly, her voice dripping with a fake kindness that masked something darker. Alysha blinked, absorbing the words with a surprising lack of resistance, nodding along as if each new detail were a lifeline. From across the room, Neil’s eyes widened, his shock barely concealed. What in the world was Seraphina doing?Seraphina, sensing Neil’s disapproval, ignored him, doubling down on her story. She handed Alysha a laminated ID card, its details stark and precise. Alysha squinted at it, reading the name in cris
Charles’s mind raced as he steadied his gaze on Alysha, piecing together every detail Andrine had told him. Seraphina was dangerous, Andrine had warned. Ruthless and manipulative. Charles knew he had to play this carefully, that every word had to be calculated. One wrong move, and he could lose her to whatever twisted narrative the Hollands had crafted.He offered her a reassuring smile, keeping his tone light, though his pulse hammered. “You really don’t remember me?” he asked softly, his expression calm despite the storm of thoughts swirling in his mind.Alysha stared at him, her brow furrowed, but then slowly, she shook her head. Her eyes, wide and trusting, held nothing but curiosity, no trace of recognition. It was the look of someone grasping for reality in a haze of lies, and it broke something in him.He forced a smile. “Well,” he said, his voice softening as he took a step closer, feeling Seraphina’s cold gaze drilling into his back, “I’m Charles Sternly. Your boyfriend.”Aly
“Charles,” Neil finally spoke up, his voice dangerously calm. “You’re overstepping. You have no authority here.”But Charles only looked at Alysha, his expression softening. “Alysha,” he said, his voice dropping to a gentle tone, ignoring Neil’s threat entirely. “If you don’t remember yet, that’s fine. But you don’t need to be afraid. I’m here to make sure you’re safe. That’s the only reason I’m here.”Alysha looked at him, uncertain yet drawn to his words, something flickering in her eyes—a glimmer of trust, or perhaps just a hope for escape from the tangled web she found herself in.Seraphina’s eyes narrowed, and Neil’s jaw clenched, the threat between them growing, but Charles stood his ground, unyielding, determined to protect her from whatever the Hollands had in mind.Seraphina’s anger flared, her eyes blazing as she hissed, “Charles! What proof do you have that this is Alysha?”Charles froze for a split second. Proof. He had none—no photo, no documentation, nothing concrete he
Neil’s face tightened, his jaw clenching as he watched Charles lead Alysha toward the exit with an air of quiet authority. Taking a deep, steadying breath, Neil turned and strode after them, his footsteps echoing down the sterile hallway. His face was calm, controlled, but beneath the surface, he was anything but.“Charles,” Neil called out, his voice smooth, almost fatherly. “Wait there, my boy.”Charles paused, his grip on Alysha’s arm reassuring, protective, as he turned to face Neil. Alysha clung to Charles’s side, instinctively drawing closer, sensing a tension she couldn’t quite name but felt in her bones.Neil approached, his expression a mix of calm authority and an edge of something darker. “I understand your concerns, Charles,” he began, his voice steady and cool, as though he were the voice of reason in this chaos. “But Alysha—Arisha, as she now knows herself—belongs here, under our care. She’s still recovering. Taking her out of this controlled environment might cause her
Charles guided Alysha through the gates of the military camp, his grip on her steady, protective. As they moved deeper into the compound, soldiers nodded in respect as they passed, recognizing Charles’s rank and authority. Alysha glanced around, taking in the sharp, organized atmosphere, the regimented movements, and the air of security that seemed to surround them like an invisible shield. They arrived at a secluded villa on the edge of the camp, surrounded by trees and high walls, away from prying eyes.“This is my place,” Charles said, his voice softening as he held the door open for her. “You’ll be safe here.”Inside, the villa was warm and welcoming, a surprising contrast to the stern, cold demeanor of the camp. The soft lighting and understated decor seemed to calm Alysha’s nerves, but she was still silent, watching him with a blend of confusion and cautious trust.Charles set her bag down and gestured to a seat. “Take a moment. You’ve been through a lot,” he said, his voice gen
Andrine sprinted through the shadows, her heart pounding as she dodged between trees, her breath coming in short, ragged bursts. The night air was sharp and cool against her skin, but her focus was singular—getting back to Holland Villa undetected.In that military area, Charles’s villa was a bit far away from Holland Villa. There were Villa’s for every special rank officers in the military.She had taken a tremendous risk, one she knew she couldn’t afford to get caught in. But leaving Sisi with Charles and Alysha had been her only option. She’d seen how desperate Alysha’s situation was under the control of the Hollands. If Sisi, Alysha’s daughter, stayed within their reach, they’d only use her as leverage, tightening the cage around her mother.Just a little farther, she told herself, pushing her legs to move faster, her pulse racing with a mixture of fear and determination. She had to slip back into the villa as quietly as she’d left, unnoticed by any of the Hollands’ security or pr
Alysha sat quietly with Sisi curled up beside her, the little girl’s arms wrapped tightly around her, as if afraid Alysha might slip away. Sisi didn’t say much, her words limited to soft, affectionate whispers of “Mommy” followed by giggles, her tiny face lighting up with joy every time Alysha looked at her.Alysha felt an overwhelming warmth as she kissed Sisi’s head, feeling the softness of her daughter’s hair, the innocent trust in her touch. She wasn’t sure why, but holding Sisi felt right, as if this was a piece of her life she’d been missing all along, a missing part of herself she’d somehow found. The connection was instinctive, deeper than memory, and it tugged at her heartstrings, filling her with a fierce, protective love she couldn’t explain.Charles watched the two of them, his confusion barely concealed as he leaned against the doorway, arms crossed, a faint frown creasing his brow. He’d seen many things in his career, but this—Alysha, who barely remembered her own name,