Chapter 2
I lay in the hospital bed, pretending to stare vacantly at the ceiling while my mind raced. The betrayal burned through me like acid, dissolving every memory I had cherished of Ryan and my sister. How long had they been planning this? How many times had they laughed behind my back? The thought made my stomach clench with a mixture of rage and humiliation.
The door to my private room swung open, and Marcus strode in with his usual air of self-importance. His designer shoes clicked against the polished floor as he approached my bed, his face arranged in what I assumed was meant to be brotherly concern.
"Isabella, how are you feeling?" His voice carried the practiced sympathy of someone who had rehearsed the line in the elevator.
"Confused," I replied, maintaining my façade of disorientation. "Everything feels... strange."
Marcus nodded, as if my confusion confirmed something for him. "The doctor says you can be discharged today. I've made arrangements for you."
"Arrangements?" I blinked up at him, playing the part of the vulnerable, memory-impaired sister.
"Yes." He checked his Rolex impatiently. "You can't stay at your apartment alone in this condition, and Ryan is... well, you understand now that he's with Victoria."
I forced myself to nod slowly, as if processing this painful information for the first time.
"Fortunately," Marcus continued, "Nathaniel Sterling has agreed to take you in."
"Nathaniel Sterling?" I echoed, genuinely confused this time.
"Your boyfriend," Marcus said smoothly, checking his phone. "Don't worry if you don't remember. The doctor said temporary memory loss is normal after a concussion."
Boyfriend? I had never dated anyone named Nathaniel Sterling. The only Nathaniel Sterling I knew of was Ryan's friend, a successful businessman who occasionally attended the same social functions. We had barely exchanged more than polite greetings.
"He's waiting outside," Marcus added, gesturing toward the door.
On cue, a tall figure entered the room. Nathaniel Sterling was even more imposing up close—broad-shouldered, with sharp features and penetrating gray eyes that seemed to see right through my charade. His dark hair was immaculately styled, and his tailored suit spoke of wealth that didn't need to announce itself.
"Isabella," he said, his voice deep and controlled. There was no warmth in it, no affection that would suggest we were in a relationship.
"Nathaniel will take care of you until you recover," Marcus said, already backing toward the door. "I've had your essentials packed and delivered to his home."
I wanted to scream, to demand answers, to tell them I remembered everything. Instead, I played along, nodding meekly as a nurse entered with discharge papers.
The ride to Nathaniel's home was silent and tense. His sleek black Aston Martin purred through the streets of Los Angeles, carrying us away from the hospital and toward Manhattan Beach. I stole glances at his profile, trying to decipher why he would agree to this bizarre arrangement.
"Why are you doing this?" I finally asked, keeping my voice uncertain, as if I genuinely couldn't remember him.
"We'll discuss it when we arrive," he replied curtly, his eyes never leaving the road.
Nathaniel's home was exactly what I would have expected—a modern mansion overlooking the ocean, all clean lines, glass, and steel. He led me inside with minimal conversation, his movements efficient and detached.
"Your room is upstairs, second door on the right," he said, nodding to a uniformed woman who appeared in the foyer. "Mrs. Patel will show you up. I've asked her to prepare fresh linens."
With that, he turned and disappeared down a hallway, leaving me with the housekeeper and my confusion. Mrs. Patel offered a sympathetic smile and gestured toward the sweeping staircase.
As I followed her up the stairs, I wondered what game Nathaniel was playing. Was he just another pawn in my family's cruel chess match? Or did he have his own agenda?
The sun began to set, casting long shadows across the immaculate guest room where I had been sequestered. I sat on the edge of the king-sized bed, staring out at the ocean view, feeling more alone than I ever had before.
A soft knock interrupted my thoughts. The door opened to reveal Nathaniel, transformed from the cold businessman of earlier. He had shed his suit jacket and tie, rolled up the sleeves of his crisp white shirt, and—most surprisingly—donned a kitchen apron.
"I thought you might be hungry," he said, his voice noticeably gentler than before. In his hands was a tray bearing a steaming plate of fettuccine Alfredo and a glass of pinot grigio.
The rich aroma of garlic, butter, and Parmesan filled the room as he set the tray on the bedside table. I stared at him, momentarily forgetting my amnesia act.
"You... cooked this?" I asked, genuinely surprised.
A hint of a smile touched his lips. "Contrary to popular belief, I do know my way around a kitchen."
He poured the wine into a crystal glass and handed it to me, his fingers brushing mine. For a moment, something flickered in his gray eyes—concern, perhaps, or something deeper that I couldn't quite identify.
"Eat," he said softly. "We can talk tomorrow. You need rest now."
As he turned to leave, I caught a glimpse of something unexpected in his expression—a tenderness that seemed entirely at odds with the cold, distant man who had brought me here. What was Nathaniel Sterling's role in all of this? And why did I suddenly feel safer in the home of this near-stranger than I had in my own family's presence?
Chapter 3
I awoke to the gentle sound of waves crashing against the shore, momentarily disoriented by the unfamiliar ceiling above me. The events of yesterday crashed back into my consciousness—the accident, the hospital, and the devastating revelation of Ryan and Victoria's betrayal. My chest tightened as I remembered the look of relief on Ryan's face when I pretended not to recognize him. Not concern, not love—just pure, unbridled relief.
The morning sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Nathaniel Sterling's guest room, illuminating the space with a soft golden glow. I sat up slowly, my head still throbbing slightly from the concussion. The tray from last night's dinner had been cleared away, leaving only a glass of water and two small pills on the bedside table, alongside a handwritten note: 'For the pain. Take with food. —N.'
I swallowed the pills and made my way downstairs, drawn by the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. The house was silent except for the distant sound of waves and the occasional call of seagulls. Nathaniel was nowhere to be seen, but a plate of croissants and fruit had been left on the kitchen island, covered with a glass dome to keep them fresh.
With coffee in hand, I began to explore the main floor of Nathaniel's home. The space was immaculate—minimalist but warm, with natural materials and ocean views from nearly every room. The living room featured a wall of bookshelves filled with first editions and art books, a baby grand piano in the corner, and several comfortable-looking leather chairs.
My fingers trailed along the spines of books as I moved around the room, taking in the details of this stranger who had inexplicably become my caretaker. On a side table near one of the chairs, a collection of framed photographs caught my eye. Most were landscapes or architectural shots, presumably from Nathaniel's travels. But one photo made me freeze mid-step, nearly spilling my coffee.
It was a picture of Nathaniel sitting on a bench in what looked like a garden, his head thrown back in laughter. Beside him, also laughing, was my grandmother Margaret. They looked comfortable together, familiar—like old friends sharing a private joke. My fingers brushed across the glass, tracing the outline of my grandmother's face. What connection could Nathaniel possibly have with her? And why had neither of them ever mentioned knowing each other?
The sound of a door closing somewhere in the house startled me. I quickly moved away from the photographs, not wanting to be caught snooping. But my mind was racing with questions. Why would Nathaniel agree to take in a woman he barely knew? What was his relationship with my grandmother? Was he truly just Ryan's friend doing a favor, or was there something more to his involvement?
With Nathaniel still absent, I found myself drawn to his home office, a sleek space with a view of the ocean. His laptop sat on the desk, closed but not locked. My fingers hovered over it, hesitating. This was an invasion of privacy, but I needed answers. I needed to understand what was happening around me.
I opened the laptop, relieved when it didn't require a password. The browser was still open to Instagram. I was about to close it when a familiar face caught my eye—Victoria's. I clicked on the photo, my heart sinking as the image expanded.
There they were—Ryan and Victoria, standing on a terrace overlooking rows of grapevines, the sunset casting them in a romantic glow. They were clinking crystal glasses of champagne, their faces alight with happiness. The caption read: 'To new beginnings and true love. #NapaValley #engagement #finally'
The timestamp showed the photo had been posted yesterday—while I was unconscious in the hospital. They hadn't even waited for me to wake up before celebrating their 'true love.'
A wave of nausea washed over me, followed by a surge of rage so intense it made my hands shake. I scrolled through more photos—Ryan and Victoria at dinner, walking through vineyards, posing in front of a luxury resort. Each image was like a knife twisting in my chest.
'I see you found them.'
I whirled around to find Nathaniel standing in the doorway, his expression unreadable. I braced myself for anger at my intrusion, but instead, he simply walked over and looked at the screen.
'I need to go back,' I said, my voice trembling with fury. 'I need to confront them. They think I've lost my memory, but I remember everything. Every lie, every betrayal.'
Nathaniel's hand came to rest on my shoulder, surprisingly gentle. 'Not yet,' he said quietly. 'You're still recovering, and rushing in without a plan will only give them the upper hand.'
Before I could argue, he picked up his phone and dialed a number. 'Hello, is this the manager at Bellevue Estate? This is Nathaniel Sterling. I'm calling about an unauthorized use of wedding vendors contracted exclusively for the Mitchell-Chen wedding...' He paused, his eyes meeting mine. 'Yes, that's right. It seems Mr. Mitchell and Miss Victoria Chen have been using services paid for by Isabella Chen without authorization while she's been hospitalized.'
As he continued the conversation, methodically dismantling Ryan and Victoria's celebration, I realized that perhaps I wasn't as alone in this fight as I had thought. Nathaniel Sterling was proving to be much more than just my fake boyfriend—he was becoming my most unexpected ally.
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