1 I had been in a secret relationship with Victoria Blaiklock, the heiress to the Blaiklock family, for years. We had finally agreed to make it public today. But when the press conference started, she was a no-show. Instead, her childhood best friend posted a cozy selfie with her on social media. The caption read: The ones who love you always find a way to you. Huge thanks to the incredibly busy CEO Victoria Blaiklock for dropping by my set. The comments section instantly filled with adoration and envy. Meanwhile, I stood on that stage under the harsh glare of the flashbulbs, utterly humiliated by the press. “Nate DuPont is just a D-list actor who can’t book a decent gig to save his life. To think he’d try to leach off the Blaiklock family… the audacity.” “He must be desperate for cash. Look at his background. A nobody from the streets trying to claim a Blaiklock heiress? He’s going to get blacklisted. He’ll end up working as a male escort at this rate, haha!” Unable to bear the mockery, I turned to leave. But before I could reach the exit, one of Victoria’s rabid fanboys hurled a heavy rock at me. It struck my temple, and the world went black. When I finally opened my eyes, my recent memories were gone. I only remembered who I truly was: the sole heir to the global DuPont conglomerate. And I remembered that I had an unfulfilled marriage alliance with the daughter of the prestigious Morgan family. My head throbbed with a blinding pain the moment I woke up. Just then, my phone buzzed on the bedside table. I swiped to answer, and my parents’ worried voices flooded the receiver. “Nate, sweetie, are you okay?” “Oh, your father and I have been worried sick over here in Europe! I still don’t understand why you refused to take over the family business and insisted on playing actor over there. Look at the mess you’ve gotten yourself into…” As my mother rattled on, a heavy fog settled in my brain. I frowned, thoroughly confused. “Mom, what are you talking about? Didn’t we agree that I’d come home and take over the company right after graduation?” There was a sudden, heavy silence on the other end. Then, my mother gasped. “Nate! What on earth are you saying? You’ve been acting for years! You even signed yourself over to that little girlfriend of yours, Victoria Blaiklock. And for what? Your career hasn’t even taken off!” “Girlfriend? But aren’t I betrothed to Audrey Morgan? Why would I have a girlfriend?” Silence fell over the line again, thicker this time. Finally, my mother’s voice trembled. “Nate… did you lose your memory?” I stared at the sterile white ceiling of the hospital room, trying to piece things together. “Yeah. It feels like I’ve forgotten a lot of things.” “Maybe… maybe that’s a blessing in disguise,” my mother whispered softly. “The things you forgot weren’t exactly happy memories.” Unhappy memories? I tried to dig into the blank spaces of my mind, but a sharp, stabbing pain shot through my temples, forcing me to stop. Before hanging up, my parents urged me to rest and recover. They promised to fly back and get me as soon as they wrapped up their business overseas. Until then, they told me to reach out to the Morgans if I needed anything. My late grandfather had been exceptionally close with Old Mr. Morgan. Even though I had previously walked away from the engagement, they wouldn’t turn their backs on me. I picked up my phone to search for my own name online, but the door clicked open. A young woman walked in, her eyes red and rimmed with tears. She looked at me with deep remorse. “I’m so sorry, Nate. I’m so late.” “Excuse me, but do I know you?” I asked, my voice flat as I stared at her. “Nate, what are you talking about? It’s me. Victoria.” She froze, her expression shifting to sheer shock. A man stepped up from behind her and sighed. “Look, Nate, I know you’re mad that Victoria stood you up at the press conference. But she only did it because she was worried the crew on my set would push me around. She went there to back me up. Don’t take it out on her.” Hearing this, Victoria immediately grabbed his hand, offering a comforting squeeze. “It’s not your fault, Roger. I was just too busy and completely lost track of the schedule. I forgot yesterday was supposed to be our big announcement.” Watching them trade sweet, protective glances, a sudden, bitter pang tightened my chest. I hated the feeling. Frowning, I snapped, “I don’t know either of you. Get out of my room. I need to rest.” “Nate, don’t be ridiculous,” Victoria said, her remorse instantly turning into annoyance. “I admitted I made a mistake. But pulling a stunt like amnesia just to hurt me is childish.” I caught the name she had used. Blaiklock. I tested the words on my tongue. “So, you’re the Blaiklock heiress? My supposed girlfriend?” Victoria let out a knowing, soft laugh. “Alright, I get it. You’re giving me an out. Yes, I’m your girlfriend. You remember now, don’t you?” “In that case, let me make this official: we are over. I have an arrangement with the Morgan family. Do not contact me again.” Roger let out a sharp, mocking laugh. “An arrangement with the Morgans? A family of that stature wouldn’t even look at a D-lister like you. Nate DuPont, did that rock scramble your brain?” Victoria shook her head, pitying me. “Seriously, Nate. If you’re trying to make me jealous, at least make the lie believable. Besides me, which elite family would ever look past your working-class roots?” “I am the sole heir of the global DuPont Group,” I growled, my patience wearing thin. “I’d like to see which family in this country dares to look down on me!” “Haha! Victoria, he’s completely lost his mind!” Roger barked with laughter, staring at me like I was a clown. “Just because his last name is DuPont doesn’t mean he has anything to do with the actual DuPont empire!” Victoria rolled her eyes, her face tight with second-hand embarrassment. “Nate, stop talking. You’re making a fool of yourself.” Suddenly, my phone rang. 2 I looked down. It was Director Bennett. He was likely the director of my current project. I hesitated before sliding to answer. The second the call connected, a barrage of spitfire abuse came through the speaker. “Nate DuPont! Are you out of your mind? You were doing fine, so why did you have to go and provoke the Blaiklocks? How the hell am I supposed to shoot my movie now?!” His voice was deafening, clearly audible to the two people standing in my room. I glanced at Victoria, who looked suddenly guilty, and calmly put the phone on speaker. “Director Bennett,” I said slowly. “As far as I know, my relationship with the Blaiklock heiress was very real.” “Real, my foot! Victoria Blaiklock herself just ordered me to replace you as the lead and give the role to her best friend, Roger Cross! If she wanted him in the first place, she should have said so instead of making me waste six months on you! You’re a liability, Nate. Do the industry a favor and get yourself blacklisted!” With a frustrated groan, he hung up. A cold anger flared in my chest. As a DuPont, being berated by a low-level director was beyond insulting. I couldn’t comprehend what my past self had been doing to tolerate this. Suddenly, fractured memories flickered in my mind. Freezing temperatures. Me, shivering, submerged in ice-cold water for hours. The stunt department’s negligence, causing me to throw myself off a galloping horse. I had bled for this film. I had given it everything. And my so-called girlfriend had handed my blood, sweat, and tears directly to another man without a second thought. “Well, Ms. Blaiklock,” I said, a dark smile playing on my lips. “Care to explain this?” Her eyes darted away. “Roger is new to the industry. This project is a perfect launchpad for him. Besides, the internet is ripping you apart right now. The director didn’t want the bad press anyway.” “Is that so? And why exactly is the internet ripping me apart? Oh right, because you stood me up.” I had already seen the footage from the press conference. The pack of reporters surrounding me like vultures, laughing in my face while I stood there defenseless. And while I was being publicly crucified, my “girlfriend” was playing doting guardian angel on another man’s set. The whole relationship was a tragic joke. Sensing my hostility, Roger’s smug demeanor vanished, replaced by an incredibly fragile, wounded look. “Nate, it’s all my fault,” he whimpered. “Please don’t fight with Victoria because of me. Look, I’ll pull out of the movie. I’ll give all my upcoming gigs to you as compensation, okay? Just stop pretending to have amnesia.” Seeing Roger play the victim instantly melted Victoria’s guilt into fierce defensiveness. She glared at me. “Nate, I already apologized. What is wrong with you? Do you have to hold this over our heads just to make us feel miserable?” “Reflect on your attitude. When you’re ready to act like an adult, we can talk.” Throwing those words over her shoulder, she grabbed Roger’s arm and stormed out of the room. I stared at the closed door, feeling a strange wave of relief. Thank god I forgot her. If I had actually loved a woman like that, the betrayal would have cut me to the bone. … A few days later, I was discharged from the hospital. My first order of business was to visit the Morgan estate. I wanted to apologize for calling off the engagement. If possible, I wanted to honor my grandfather’s dying wish and make things right with Audrey Morgan. When I arrived at the grand Morgan manor, I spotted a woman in the garden watering the hydrangeas. It was Audrey. She possessed a quiet, breathtaking elegance that was a world away from Victoria’s loud, demanding presence. Bathed in the soft morning sunlight, she looked so ethereal my chest tightened with a sudden, genuine flutter. “Hello, Ms. Morgan,” I called out. She looked up, her gray eyes widening in utter disbelief. “Nate? What are you doing here?” “I came to pay my respects.” She stared at me as if she’d seen a ghost but quietly ushered me into the house. Old Mr. Morgan was just as stunned to see me. Since I didn’t know the exact details of how I had broken things off before, I decided the best approach was absolute honesty. “You’re saying… you don’t remember anything from the past few years?” Audrey asked, her voice rising in disbelief. I nodded. “Yes. But judging by the state of things, I don’t think I missed out on much. Amnesia might actually be a blessing.” “I didn’t just come to apologize. I want to reinstate our marriage alliance. That is, if you’re still willing to have me.” The room fell into a tense, heavy silence. Old Mr. Morgan cleared his throat, his eyes sharp as flint. “As far as I recall, your relationship with the Blaiklock girl was quite serious. You walked into my home and broke off this engagement specifically for her.” “I will handle that, Mr. Morgan,” I replied steadily. “I may not remember the details of our relationship, but her recent actions have made it very clear that we have no future together.” The old patriarch stared at me, his powerful presence weighing down on the room like a physical force. I clenched my jaw, meeting his gaze head-on without flinching. After a tense minute, the severity in his eyes melted into approval. He turned to Audrey. “And what about you, Audrey? Are you willing to give him another chance?” Audrey studied me, her gaze lingering on my face. After a long pause, she said, “If he can clean up his mess and start fresh, I’m willing to give him a chance.” “After all, a merger between the Morgan and DuPont families is highly beneficial for both of us.” “Thank you, Ms. Morgan,” I said, offering a small, confident smile. “I won’t let you down.” 3 Leaving the Morgan estate, I followed the navigation on my phone back to the apartment I apparently leased. To my surprise, Victoria was already there, sitting on my sofa and sipping a cup of coffee. She looked up at me like a queen inspecting a peasant. “Back already?” “I assume you’ve calmed down now. Good. We can finally talk.” I knew I needed to end things cleanly, so I ignored her condescending tone and sat down opposite her. “Ms. Blaiklock, since you’ve clearly found someone else, let’s just make this clean. We’re over.” “Nate, enough!” Victoria slammed her cup down. “Is this all because of that stupid press conference? Fine! I’ll make it up to you!” “There’s a high-society gala tomorrow night. We can use the event to announce our engagement. That should satisfy your pride, shouldn’t it?” She picked up her cup again, offering a smug smile. Engagement? Had my past self really been that close to marrying her? “I’ll pass on the engagement, Ms. Blaiklock. As I said, my commitment lies with the Morgan family.” “Why do you keep bringing up the Morgans? If you offend a dynasty like that with your delusions, even I won’t be able to protect you!” “And stop trying to pass yourself off as the DuPont heir just because you share a last name. Their family operates overseas, which is why your records don’t show much, but if the real DuPonts find out you’re using their name, they will ruin you.” Hearing the Blaiklock heiress warn the actual DuPont heir about the wrath of his own family was almost comedy gold. Before I could speak, Victoria’s tone softened. “Look, once we announce our engagement, I’ll have my agency clean up your reputation. I’ll even get you a lead role in a massive new drama, okay?” It made no sense. If she cared about me, why hadn’t she put out a single PR statement to defend me? Why did she have to wait until we were engaged to clear my name? Or was I just a chess piece she was using to pave the way for Roger Cross? She didn’t love me. Not even a little. Why on earth had my past self stayed with her? I tried to dig into the memory, but a familiar ache started behind my eyes. I pushed it down and frowned. “No thanks. I’m leaving the entertainment industry anyway.” “Nate, quit throwing tantrums. You signed a lifetime contract with my agency. The termination fee is astronomical. With your bank account, you couldn’t afford to pay it off in three lifetimes.” “A lifetime contract?” I looked at her, stunned. “So I essentially sold myself to you?” Victoria’s face softened into a nostalgic smile. “Yes. You said I was your entire world, and that you’d gladly sign your life away for me.” “If you hadn’t helped me secure that wager with my family back then, I wouldn’t have gotten my shares in the Blaiklock Group. I haven’t forgotten what you did for me, Nate.” “And what about Roger?” I asked, cutting right through her sweet words. “Roger is just my childhood friend. He returned from abroad a few years ago, and his family asked me to look out for him. I know I’ve neglected you lately because of him, but I promise he won’t be a distraction anymore.” Just as the words left her mouth, her phone lit up on the table. My eyes caught the caller ID: Roger Babe. She answered it right in front of me. Her face instantly pale, she cooed into the receiver, “Stay right there. Don’t move. I’m coming to get you!” Hanging up, she grabbed my wrist and dragged me toward the door. “Come to the office with me. We have urgent business to discuss.” I pulled my arm back, staring at her coldly. “If Roger is the one calling you, what does that have to do with me?” “It’s work-related, Nate! Just come on, we don’t have time to waste!” For some inexplicable reason, I let her drag me to the agency headquarters.
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