1 The moment the hospital called to tell me Garrett had lost his memory again, I didn’t even have time to settle my parents into their hotel after their cross-country flight. I dropped everything and sped across the city. When I reached his private suite on the top floor, the bed was empty. My hands were shaking, my mascara smudged from the panic of the drive, so I stepped into the en-suite bathroom to wash my face. I needed to look composed. I couldn’t bear the thought of him waking up, looking at my frantic, tear-stained face, and finding nothing in his eyes but blank indifference. Then the suite door swung open, accompanied by a chorus of loud, mocking laughter. “Bro, you’re playing the amnesia card way too often,” a guy’s voice joked, followed by the clink of beer bottles. “One of these days, you’re going to blow your cover.” “Seriously,” another chimed in. “Having to pretend you don’t recognize your own live-in girlfriend every six months? Sounds exhausting.” Then came Garrett’s voice—smooth, drawling, dripping with that effortless arrogance I used to mistake for confidence. “What else was I supposed to do? Sienna was getting way too clingy. Dragging me to dinner, bringing up engagement rings, flying her parents into town to force a sit-down. Give me a break. You think I’m going to bury the prime of my youth in a white picket fence?” “Man, faking medical trauma is ruthlessly brilliant. Whose idea was it this time?” “Mine, obviously.” The familiar, polished voice sent ice straight down my spine. “If it wasn’t for me,” Tessa Cole purred, “he would’ve cracked two days in.” “Right, right! All hail our queen,” Garrett laughed, the room erupting into catcalls and applause. “If it wasn’t for you, Tessa, I’d be picking out china patterns right now.” I gripped the marble edge of the bathroom sink, my knuckles turning white. Tessa Cole. The high-society heiress Garrett had supposedly “heroically rescued” during his second bout of amnesia eight months ago. Back then, I thought she was just a grateful billionaire’s daughter who had whisked him away to private clinics out of sheer benevolence. I stood frozen in the dark, the horrifying mosaic of the last two years falling into place. This wasn’t his first time. The first “amnesia” happened a year and a half ago. He claimed he took a blow to the head defending a college girl from a brawl outside a downtown club. That girl—Daisy—cried on his hospital bed, swore she’d devote her life to nursing him, and moved into his world for six agonizing months while I wept myself to sleep every night. That episode only ended when Garrett miraculously “regained his memory,” dramatically kicked Daisy out, and fell to his knees begging for my forgiveness. The second time was Tessa. He supposedly suffered a concussion pulling her from a wrecked car. Tessa swept in with private doctors and vanished with him. For a whole month, while I scoured the city in a frantic blur of panic and insomnia, he was gone. And then, just like before, he came back. He held me, weeping, telling me the hematoma in his brain had flared up, that the trauma had scrambled his memories, but the second he remembered my face, he came running straight home. He showered me with jewelry, took me on weekend getaways, and built a golden cage of romantic promises. I had made him swear on his life that night. No more reckless heroics. No more forgetting me. He raised his right hand and looked into my eyes with utter devotion. And I, desperate to believe I was loved, swallowed the lie whole. “Aren’t you taking it a little far with Sienna, though?” a hesitant voice cut through the laughter outside. “What if she actually catches on?” The room went quiet for half a beat. Inside the bathroom, my heart hammered violently against my ribs. Even knowing it was all a lie, a pathetic part of me still waited to hear what he would say. “Relax,” Garrett snorted. “She’s completely obsessed with me. She’d never leave. Besides, Austin’s running interference for me. She won’t suspect a thing.” Tessa’s mocking laugh followed. “And what if she does find out? Look at her family, look at her background. Garrett is the best thing that could ever happen to a girl like her. She’d never let go of this lifestyle. She’s hopelessly naive. Last time she was running around the city crying her eyes out looking for him, Garrett and I were holed up in the penthouse right next door to her building for an entire month, and she didn’t suspect a thing.” “Shut up, are you serious?” someone gasped. “You guys stayed next door?” “Tessa said it added a thrill,” Garrett chuckled fondly. “Said it was a good test to see how loyal Sienna really was.” “And you enjoyed every second of it, didn’t you?” Tessa teased. A wave of crude, knowing banter washed over the room. “Damn, you two are sick.” “Why don’t you guys just date each other already? Why keep dangling Sienna on a string?” Garrett chuckled darkly. “A wife is fine, but a mistress is better. And what you can’t officially have is always the sweetest.” “Screw off,” Tessa snapped playfully. “You’re never having this.” As their flirtatious bickering continued, the bathroom door handle clicked. The door swung inward. I snapped my head up, tears streaming down my face. Standing in the doorway was Austin Mercer. Garrett’s cousin. The quiet, commanding heir who had spent the last two years helping me “search” for Garrett, sitting with me in hospital waiting rooms, handing me tissues while I unraveled. Austin didn’t look surprised to see me. Before I could make a sound, he stepped inside, pulled the door shut behind him, and wrapped his arms firmly around me, burying my face into the crisp fabric of his chest. “Don’t make a sound,” he murmured, his breath hot against my ear, his heartbeat steady and strong. “I’m getting you out of here.” 2 Austin drove me away from the hospital in his dark SUV. The silence between us was suffocating until the dashboard screen lit up with an incoming call from Garrett. Austin tapped the steering wheel to put it on speaker. “Austin? Where the hell are you?” Garrett’s voice echoed through the car. “Where’s Sienna? Why hasn’t she shown up at the hospital yet? Call her and find out what’s taking so long.” “I’m on it,” Austin said evenly. “I’ll track her down.” Austin disconnected the call. We hit a red light, and he turned to look at me, waiting for my reaction. Without a word, I reached over, took his phone right out of his hand, and unlocked it. It didn’t take long to find the group chat—a private thread I had never once seen on Garrett’s phone. Scroll after scroll. Garrett and Tessa bantering back and forth, mapping out every detail of this latest stunt. This time, the target was an Instagram influencer named Kinsley. Garrett had spent fifty grand topping her livestream leaderboards under an alias. The “car accident” was completely staged—minor scratches at most. Because the private clinic was owned by the Mercer family’s medical group, the doctors wrote whatever medical chart Garrett told them to. His plan was to play the amnesiac hero, vanish from the hospital, and move into Kinsley’s luxury condo for a few weeks of uninhibhed fun. My hands shook as I read the messages: Garrett: Austin, you handle the fallout. Keep Sienna busy. Austin: Understood. I’ll stay with her while she searches, keep you updated. Garrett: If she starts hyperventilating or threatening something drastic, give me a heads-up so I can show my face. Don’t want her doing something crazy. Austin: This is getting ridiculous, Garrett. If you don’t love her, just break it off. Garrett: Who said I don’t love her? But you know my family. A girl from a middle-class background with zero connections isn’t marrying into the Mercer estate. I’m just easing her into reality. Lowering her expectations step by step until she accepts that I’ll have other women. Austin: So you plan to keep her as a secret side piece forever? Garrett: I’ll manage the dynamic between her and my future wife when the time comes. Tessa: Oh please, and what kind of wife does the great Garrett Mercer envision? Garrett: Someone like you, obviously. Tessa: Hard pass! You’d cheat on me within six months. Garrett: Don’t worry, darling. The family already has my actual heiress picked out. You’re safe. Nausea surged up my throat. To these people, I wasn’t a partner. I wasn’t even a human being with feelings. I was a pet. A toy to be coddled when convenient, deceived for sport, and discarded whenever a shiny new distraction caught their eye. Austin’s phone buzzed in my hand with another text from Garrett: Garrett: Still no sign of Sienna. Call her again! Kinsley just texted asking when I’m moving my luggage over. Looking back, the signs had always been there. Life isn’t a soap opera; men don’t get selective amnesia every six months like clockwork. But I had been so starved for his affection, so desperate to keep our shared future alive, that I willingly blinded myself to the truth. I swiped open the keyboard on Austin’s phone and typed: I just picked her up. She’s completely hysterical, on the verge of a breakdown. Are you sure you want her at the hospital right now? Garrett replied almost instantly: Hell yes! The harder she cries, the more it proves she can’t live without me. I need to establish the memory loss before I slip away to Kinsley’s, or she’ll tear the city apart. Bring her in now. I locked the screen, turned to Austin, and said in a voice stripped of all warmth: “Turn the car around. Take me back to that room.” 3 Austin didn’t ask questions. He spun the SUV around and drove straight back to the hospital. When I pushed open the door to the VIP suite, the room fell dead silent. The friends who had been lounging on the sofas instantly scattered to the corners, trying to look solemn. Garrett was propped up against the pillows, blinking with perfectly rehearsed confusion. He looked at me, tilting his head with innocent detachment. “Who are you?” Then he looked past me toward Austin, his expression completely earnest. “Austin… is this your girlfriend? She’s really pretty.” The performance was so seamless, so utterly shameless, that something inside me snapped. I didn’t cry. I didn’t tremble. I stepped forward, closed the distance between us in two strides, and swung my arm with everything I had. SLAP! The crack echoed off the walls. Garrett’s head whipped to the side, his cheek blooming bright crimson. “You miserable son of a bitch!” I screamed, lunging forward to drive both fists into his chest. “You just can’t sleep at night unless you’re out playing knight in shining armor to some pretty girl, can you?!” I slammed my fists into him again and again, knocking the wind out of his lungs until he was gasping, his eyes rolling back. “Stop it! He’s injured!” Tessa shrieked, rushing forward to grab my wrist. I spun around and slapped her across the face with the back of my hand. “Mind your own damn business! I haven’t even settled my score with you yet, you pathetic parasite!” “You crazy bitch!” Tessa raised her hand to strike back, but Austin stepped in, catching her wrist in a vice-like grip and shoving her backward. “Austin! Are you out of your mind?!” Tessa yelled, clutching her arm. “You’re taking her side?!” The sudden chaos completely derailed Garrett’s script. But he recovered fast, determined to maintain his cover, glaring at me with faux indignation. “What is wrong with you?! Even if you’re my cousin’s girlfriend, you can’t just barge in here and assault people!” “Assault people?” I laughed hysterically, lunging back at the bed. “Fine! I won’t touch her—I’ll finish you! You swore to me six months ago! You stood in my apartment and swore! And here you are, running off to save another girl, getting another convenient case of amnesia!” I rained blows down on his shoulders, his arms, his neck, putting every ounce of my betrayal into my knuckles. Garrett, terrified of blowing his cover, couldn’t fight back properly and could only flail under the sheets like a cornered animal. “I don’t know who you are! Get off me!” he yelled. “Since you love chasing skirt so much,” I snarled, dropping my gaze straight between his legs, “maybe I should just kick it off and save us both the trouble!” I pulled my leg back to kick him where it hurt. Garrett let out an ungodly shriek, leaped off the bed in pure terror, and clutched his groin, cowering in the corner. “You’re insane! Get the hell out of here!” I stood there, chest heaving, the bitter taste of adrenaline coating my tongue. Austin stepped up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist to pull me back, holding me so tightly I couldn’t break free. “I told you she was unstable right now,” he said coldly to the room. “I’m taking her home. Let her calm down before she comes back.” He backed me out of the suite and into the elevator. The moment the metal doors slid shut, the rage evaporated, leaving only a hollow, exhausting quiet. Down in the underground garage, I took Austin’s phone and sent a message to the group chat: She was having a severe panic attack and suspected something was off. Right outside the door, she told me she was going to act crazy and attack you to test if your amnesia was real. I didn’t have time to warn you. Good job holding your cover. She’s down in the car sobbing her eyes out. Garrett replied within seconds: Holy shit, that terrified me! I thought she actually found out. Thank God I held it together! Austin, you’re a lifesaver. Handle the fallout. I’m slipping out the back to Kinsley’s place now. I’ll keep this trip short and come back soon! Austin reached over, took the phone from my fingers, and typed: No need to rush back. Take your time. He tossed the phone onto the dashboard, turned, and pulled me back into his arms. He leaned down, his lips brushing against my ear, his voice low and rich. “Don’t waste your tears on him. He’s not worth a single one.” I stiffened, pushing against his shoulders to create space between us. “Save the comforting routine, Austin. You’re in on this. You’ve been his accomplice for two years. For all I know, this whole savior act is just part of the script.” Beating Garrett had released the initial burst of rage, but the reality was settling in. I couldn’t kill him, and I couldn’t undo the years I had wasted. I took another step back. “I don’t understand the sick games you rich people play, and I don’t care to learn. I just want my life back.” Austin didn’t back down. He stepped closer, cornering me against the side of the SUV, his dark eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made my breath catch. “He humiliated you for two years,” Austin said softly. “Don’t you want to make him pay?” “What are you talking about?” My throat tightened. “Marry me.” I stared at him, my heart slamming against my ribs. “What did you just say?” “Marry me,” Austin repeated, entirely calm. “It’s the ultimate retribution. Become his family superior. Marry me, and I swear to you, no one in that circle will ever dare look down on you or touch you again.” I looked around the empty, dimly lit parking garage, paranoia creeping in. Was this another prank? Were there hidden cameras? Was someone about to jump out and laugh at how gullible I was? Seeing the suspicion in my eyes, Austin gave a faint, self-deprecating smile. “I’m not playing games, Sienna. We can go to City Hall the second the doors open.” “Why?” I whispered. “Why me?” 4 Instead of answering with words, Austin leaned down and captured my mouth. His kiss was fierce, possessive, and entirely unlike Garrett’s careless, hurried touches. I knew I should have shoved him away. I knew jumping from one fire into another was reckless. But I was drowning in humiliation, desperate for an anchor, desperate to rewrite the script they had written for me. So I kissed him back. When he finally pulled away, his breath was shallow, his pupils dilated with an unmistakable hunger. “Your parents are in town, right?” he asked, his voice rough. “Take me to meet them.” “All right,” I said, the word slipping out before I could stop it. “Let me arrange it.” My parents had already been furious that Garrett had bailed on their dinner yet again. When I brought Austin to their hotel the next morning, my mother was taken aback, but Austin’s impeccable manners, quiet confidence, and respectful demeanor completely disarmed them. Over breakfast, as Austin casually answered my father’s questions about his family’s business, the sheer scale of the Mercer empire finally hit me. And that was when I realized another layer of Garrett’s deceit: Garrett hadn’t just faked amnesia; he had played down his wealth around me, pretending to be a struggling mid-level manager so I would split rent, cook his meals, and buy his groceries—all while he secretly owned luxury penthouses and wore six-figure watches when he went out with his elite crowd. I hadn’t hit him nearly hard enough. My parents loved Austin, but as we walked them to the train station later that afternoon, my mother pulled me aside, her face creased with worry. “Sienna, his family is powerful. Are you sure a man like that won’t look down on us?” I swallowed the lump in my throat and squeezed her hand. “He won’t, Mom. Austin isn’t like that.” After seeing my parents off, Austin drove me back to my apartment complex. As we stepped into the hallway, my eyes drifted to the door directly opposite mine. The heavy oak door was tightly shut. A wave of disgust washed over me, thinking of Garrett and Tessa laughing behind that door eight months ago while I cried on the other side of the wall. “Get some rest,” Austin said, leaning against my doorframe, looking down at me with an unspoken warmth. “I’ll bring you breakfast tomorrow morning.” I looked at him. Six-foot-two, broad-shouldered, carrying himself with an effortless authority that Garrett could never match. “Do you want to come in for a drink?” I asked. Austin paused, a flicker of surprise crossing his face. “What?” I didn’t give him time to overthink. I stepped up on my toes, looped my arms around his neck, and pulled him down into a kiss. “Stay tonight.” Whether it was out of spite, impulse, or an overwhelming urge to feel alive again, I didn’t care. That night was a revelation. Austin was relentless, possessive, and completely devoted to my pleasure. In the quiet aftermath, lying exhausted against his chest, a bitter laugh escaped me. All those years with Garrett, faking satisfaction just to protect his fragile ego—what a waste. Around midnight, a phone began to vibrate insistently on the nightstand. It was Garrett calling Austin. I reached over, grabbed the phone, and swiped to accept, putting it directly on speaker. “Austin?” Garrett’s voice drifted through the quiet room. “Something feels off. Sienna hasn’t called my friends or checked the hospitals once today. Do you think she figured it out?” “I doubt it,” Austin said, his voice deep and slightly raspy. “She’s been busy hosting her parents. They just left this afternoon.” Garrett went quiet for a moment, a rare note of guilt in his tone. “Yeah, that’s on me. I should’ve timed this better so the old folks didn’t make the trip for nothing.” I let out a cold, silent smirk. Shifting under the sheets, I straddled Austin’s hips, trailing my fingers down his bare chest and applying a deliberate, teasing pressure. Austin’s breath hitched, a low, involuntary groan escaping his throat. “Holy shit!” Garrett gasped on the other end. “Bro, do you have a girl over? Damn, sorry to interrupt!” “It’s fine…” Austin managed, his hand reaching up to grip my hip, his knuckles white. “Anyway, keep an eye on Sienna for me,” Garrett continued casually. “If she gets too quiet, let me know. I can always cut things short with Kinsley and come back early. Honestly, this influencer knows a few tricks, but she’s getting clingy already…” The sheer hypocrisy made my skin crawl. I leaned down, bringing my lips close to Austin’s ear, and whispered in a sweet, petulant whine that carried straight into the microphone: “Austin… are you done with that call yet? Can you please pay attention to me?” Dead silence fell over the line. I leaned down further, kissing Austin’s neck, feeling the sudden, fierce racing of his pulse. Then, Garrett’s frantic scream shattered the quiet: “Austin?! Who the hell is that?! Who are you with?!”
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