The day started like any other.
Calm. Quiet. Almost too normal.
Ayla stood in front of the mirror, adjusting her hair, her mind still filled with the memories of the past few days—the soft smiles, the stolen glances, the moment everything between her and Zayn had finally changed.
For the first time, she wasn't confused about her feelings.
She was sure.
And maybe that's why fate decided to test her.
Downstairs, Zayn was waiting.
"Ready?" he asked as she walked toward him.
She smiled. "Where are we going again?"
"You'll see," he said, a small teasing smile on his lips.
She rolled her eyes lightly. "You and your secrets."
But she didn't argue.
Because she trusted him.
And that was something new.
The drive was peaceful.
Soft music played in the background while sunlight filtered through the windows. Ayla rested her head slightly against the seat, stealing small glances at Zayn as he drove.
Everything felt… right.
Too right.
And maybe that was the problem.
As they reached a turn, everything changed.
A loud horn.
A flash of light.
And then—
impact.
Darkness.
When Ayla opened her eyes, everything felt distant.
Blurry.
Heavy.
The first thing she noticed was the sharp smell of antiseptic.
The second—
the unfamiliar ceiling above her.
Her head ached.
Her body felt weak.
She tried to move, but a soft groan escaped her lips instead.
"She's awake."
A voice.
Male.
Relieved.
But unfamiliar.
Ayla slowly turned her head.
A man stood beside her bed, his eyes filled with something she couldn't understand.
Worry.
Hope.
Fear.
But to her—
he was a stranger.
"...Who are you?" she whispered.
The world stopped.
Zayn froze.
The words hit him harder than anything else could have.
His expression changed slowly, disbelief spreading across his face.
"Ayla…" he said softly, stepping closer. "It's me."
She frowned slightly, confusion clouding her eyes.
"I'm sorry… do I know you?"
Silence filled the room.
Heavy.
Unforgiving.
Zayn felt something inside him break.
Just yesterday—
she had looked at him like he was everything.
And now—
she didn't recognize him at all.
The doctor stepped in, his tone calm but serious.
"It's temporary memory loss," he explained. "The accident caused trauma. She might have forgotten recent memories."
Recent memories.
Zayn's heart sank.
Because he knew exactly what that meant.
She hadn't forgotten everything.
She had only forgotten…
him.
Ayla watched the room carefully, her eyes moving between the doctor and the man standing beside her.
He looked… affected.
Deeply.
But she didn't understand why.
"Can someone explain what's going on?" she asked softly.
Zayn clenched his fists slightly before forcing himself to stay calm.
"You were in an accident," he said. "You're safe now."
She nodded slowly.
"And you are…?"
The question hurt more the second time.
Zayn hesitated.
For a brief moment, he didn't know what to say.
Then finally—
"I'm… your husband."
The words felt heavy.
Too heavy.
Ayla's eyes widened slightly.
"My… husband?"
"Yes."
She stared at him, trying to process it.
But there was nothing.
No memory.
No feeling.
No connection.
Just emptiness.
"I don't remember you," she said quietly.
Zayn swallowed hard.
"I know."
Hours passed.
Tests were done.
Doctors came and went.
But nothing changed.
Ayla remembered her name.
Her past.
Her life before the contract.
But everything after that—
was gone.
Everything that included him…
was gone.
That night, the hospital room felt colder than usual.
Ayla sat quietly, staring at her hands.
Across the room, Zayn stood by the window, his back facing her.
Neither of them spoke.
Because neither of them knew how to.
Finally, she broke the silence.
"If you're really my husband…" she said slowly, "why does it feel like I'm meeting you for the first time?"
Zayn closed his eyes briefly.
Because the truth was—
she was.
He turned to face her.
His expression calm.
But his eyes filled with something deeper.
"Because," he said quietly, "you forgot the part where we fell in love."
Her breath caught slightly.
"...We were in love?"
"Yes."
The word felt heavier now.
More painful.
Because only one of them remembered it.
Ayla looked at him carefully.
Trying to find something.
Anything.
But there was nothing.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
Zayn shook his head immediately.
"It's not your fault."
But it felt like it was.
That night changed everything.
Again.
But this time—
not because they crossed a line.
But because the line had been erased completely.
As Zayn stood there, watching the woman he loved look at him like a stranger—
he realized something terrifying.
He had already fallen for her.
Completely.
And now—
he had to make her fall for him…