I kept my eyes closed… but my mind was wide awake.
His words echoed in my head, refusing to fade.
"She doesn't remember anything."
"I'll handle it."
A chill ran down my spine.
Handle me?
Who was he talking to? And why did it sound like I was some kind of problem… something that needed to be controlled?
I forced myself to breathe slowly, evenly, pretending to stay asleep.
If he believed I hadn't heard anything…
then maybe I could find out the truth.
The room was silent for a moment.
Then I heard movement.
Soft footsteps.
He was coming closer again.
My heartbeat quickened, but I didn't move.
The bed dipped slightly as he sat beside me.
I felt his presence before I felt his touch.
His fingers gently brushed against my wrist, as if checking if I was really asleep.
"You shouldn't pretend," he murmured quietly.
My heart almost stopped.
Did he know?
Panic rose inside me, but I forced myself to stay still.
After a few seconds, he let out a soft sigh.
"I know you're stronger than this," he continued, his voice calm but laced with something I couldn't understand.
Stronger?
What did he mean?
His hand moved from my wrist to my hair, tucking a loose strand behind my ear.
The gesture was gentle.
Almost caring.
But somehow… it didn't feel safe.
"Things are going to get complicated," he said softly.
"But don't worry… I won't let anything happen to you."
That should have comforted me.
But it didn't.
Because the way he said it—
It sounded less like a promise…
and more like a warning.
A few seconds later, he stood up.
"I'll be back," he said.
Footsteps.
The sound of the door opening.
Then closing.
Silence.
I waited.
One second.
Two.
Three.
Then I opened my eyes.
The room was empty.
My chest rose and fell quickly as I sat up, ignoring the pain shooting through my body.
Everything felt wrong.
Nothing made sense.
My gaze shifted around the room—plain walls, medical equipment, a small table beside my bed.
And then…
Something caught my attention.
A phone.
His phone.
He had left it behind.
For a moment, I just stared at it.
My mind racing.
This could be my chance.
A way to find out who he really was.
Or what he was hiding.
My hands trembled slightly as I reached for it.
The screen lit up the moment I touched it.
Locked.
Of course.
But before I could put it down—
A notification appeared.
My breath hitched.
Unknown Number: "Is she still alive?"
My heart dropped.
Alive?
What did that mean?
My fingers tightened around the phone as another message popped up.
Unknown Number: "If she remembers… everything is over."
Everything is over?
Fear gripped me completely now.
Because one thing was clear—
This wasn't just about memory loss.
This was something much bigger.
And somehow…
I was right in the middle of it.
My fingers tightened around the phone as my mind struggled to process the messages.
"Is she still alive?"
"If she remembers… everything is over."
Alive?
Remember what?
And most importantly—
What exactly would be over?
A cold shiver ran down my spine.
This wasn't normal.
This wasn't just some misunderstanding.
This was something dangerous.
Something I was clearly not supposed to know.
My hands trembled as I stared at the screen, half-expecting another message to appear.
But nothing came.
The silence felt heavier now.
Louder.
I swallowed hard and looked toward the door.
He could come back any second.
I needed to think.
Fast.
If this phone held answers… then I had to unlock it.
I glanced back at the screen.
Locked.
Of course.
I hesitated for only a moment before trying the most obvious thing.
I typed in my name.
Ayesha.
Wrong.
I tried again.
His birthday?
I didn't know it.
My birthday?
I didn't even know my own birthday.
Frustration bubbled inside me.
"Think," I whispered under my breath. "Think."
Then something hit me.
What if… the password wasn't something logical?
What if it was something emotional?
Something connected to me?
My heart started racing again.
Slowly, I typed—
My name again.
But this time…
In lowercase.
The screen unlocked.
I froze.
For a second, I couldn't even breathe.
Why would his password be… my name?
Unless—
No.
I shook the thought away.
I didn't have time to overthink.
I quickly opened his messages.
The same unknown number was at the top.
I tapped on it.
More messages appeared.
Dozens of them.
My eyes scanned the screen rapidly.
Unknown Number: "You should have finished it that night."
Him: "It wasn't that simple."
Unknown Number: "You're getting attached."
Him: "Watch your words."
Unknown Number: "Then remember the deal. She survives only until it's done."
My heart dropped.
She survives only until it's done.
My grip on the phone tightened.
Were they… talking about me?
No.
No, this couldn't be real.
My breathing grew uneven as I scrolled further.
Him: "She won't remember anything. I made sure of it."
Unknown Number: "You better hope so. If she does… we're all finished."
A loud ringing filled my ears.
I made sure of it.
The words echoed again and again in my head.
My memory loss…
Wasn't an accident?
It couldn't be.
It couldn't be.
But then—
What if it was?
What if everything that had happened to me…
Was planned?
I quickly locked the phone and placed it back exactly where I found it.
My hands were shaking uncontrollably now.
My chest felt tight, like I couldn't get enough air.
This wasn't just fear anymore.
This was something deeper.
Something darker.
I wasn't safe.
Not here.
Not with him.
The sound of footsteps approaching the room snapped me out of my thoughts.
My heart leaped into my throat.
He was back.
Panic surged through me as I quickly lay back down, closing my eyes and pretending to be asleep again.
The door opened.
I heard him step inside.
Everything went silent.
For a few seconds, I thought maybe—
Maybe he hadn't noticed anything.
But then…
"You shouldn't touch things that don't belong to you."
My eyes flew open.
My breath caught in my throat as I looked at him.
He was standing near the bed.
Watching me.
His expression was calm.
Too calm.
But his eyes—
They were different.
Cold.
Sharp.
Dangerous.
"I…" my voice trembled. "I don't know what you're talking about."
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
The tension in the room was suffocating.
Then slowly…
He stepped closer.
Each step deliberate.
Controlled.
Until he was standing right beside me.
"You're a terrible liar," he said quietly.
My heart pounded violently.
He knew.
He definitely knew.
I tried to move back, but there was nowhere to go.
My body was still weak.
Trapped.
He leaned slightly closer, his gaze never leaving mine.
"What did you see?" he asked.
His voice wasn't loud.
It wasn't angry.
And somehow… that made it even more terrifying.
"I didn't see anything," I whispered.
Another lie.
His jaw tightened slightly.
For a brief moment, something flickered in his eyes—
Anger?
Or disappointment?
I couldn't tell.
Then suddenly—
He reached out and grabbed my wrist.
Not harshly.
But firmly enough that I couldn't pull away.
"You need to understand something," he said, his voice dropping lower.
"I'm the only one keeping you safe right now."
Safe?
I almost laughed.
Safe from what?
From him?
"Safe from who?" I managed to ask, my voice shaking.
For a second, he didn't answer.
He just looked at me.
Studying me.
Like I was something fragile.
Or something dangerous.
"From the people who want you dead," he finally said.
My blood ran cold.
Dead?
The word echoed in my mind.
"They won't hesitate," he continued. "And unlike me… they won't care if you remember or not."
My grip on his shirt tightened without me realizing it.
"Then why would they want me dead?" I asked, my voice barely audible.
He went silent again.
Too silent.
Then slowly…
He lifted his hand and placed it gently against my cheek.
The sudden softness of the gesture caught me off guard.
"You're asking the wrong questions," he said quietly.
My breath hitched.
"Then what's the right question?" I whispered.
A faint, almost unreadable smile appeared on his lips.
"The right question is…" he leaned closer, his voice barely above a whisper—
"Why are you still alive?"
My heart stopped.
For a moment, everything around me felt unreal.
Like I had stepped into a nightmare I couldn't wake up from.
Because deep down…
I knew one thing.
Whatever truth I had forgotten—
Was powerful enough to get me killed.
And the man standing in front of me…
Might be the only one who knew it.
Or the one who caused it.
"To be continued... Is he my protector... or my enemy?"