After the car crash, I lost my memory. Four powerful, elite men, each claiming to be the love of my life, were practically tearing each other apart, throwing fortunes at me. Julian Sterling, the billionaire CEO, emptied luxury boutiques. Liam Knight, my boy-next-door childhood friend, bought my favorite art gallery. Caleb Thorne, the A-list celebrity, booked Times Square for my birthday. And Dr. Elias Thorne, my attending physician, became my most comforting, unwavering support. They spoiled me rotten, like a princess everyone envied. Julian Sterling, his eyes blazing with possessiveness, clutched me close, his voice husky: “Anya, forget them. You can only be mine.” They didn’t know. The car crash was my design. The amnesia was an act. I just wanted to see how these four culprits, who had shattered my family and destroyed my life in the past, would tear each other apart and drown in the carefully constructed pond I’d built for them. The sterile, suffocating scent of disinfectant clung to everything, inescapable, in the pure white hospital room. I opened my eyes. Four handsome faces, each harboring their own secrets, swam into view. “Anya, you’re awake?” Dr. Elias Thorne, my attending physician, was the first to speak. He wore a crisp white coat, his eyes, framed by delicate gold-rimmed glasses, held a perfectly calibrated concern – just enough to appear caring, but not too much. He reached out to check my forehead, but another large, well-defined hand intercepted him mid-air. “Dr. Thorne, please mind your boundaries.” Julian Sterling’s voice was like ice. He exuded an almost palpable sense of intimidation, an aura that screamed ‘stay away,’ yet his gaze toward me held a burning, possessive intensity. “Anya, do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?” Before I could answer, a clear, boyish voice cut in. “Mr. Sterling, Anya just woke up. Don’t scare her.” Liam Knight held a thermos, his eyes gentle. He was my boy-next-door, my childhood friend. “Anya, I made you your favorite homemade broth.” “Everyone, move!” A man, practically swallowed by a baseball cap and dark sunglasses, pushed his way in, tearing off his disguise to reveal a face so stunning it felt unreal. It was Caleb Thorne, the superstar. He cupped my face, his charming eyes full of heartache: “My little queen, you’re finally awake. You scared me to death.” Four men, four different poses, yet all looked at me with the same possessive gaze, as if I were their property. I blinked blankly, perfectly portraying vulnerability and helplessness, my voice light and soft: “Who… are you all? And… who am I?” “Amnesia?” Four voices spoke in unison, their shock barely concealed. Dr. Elias Thorne was the first to react. He immediately regained his professional composure as a doctor and began to examine me. Julian Sterling’s face was a thundercloud, dark enough to drip. He swatted Caleb Thorne away as he leaned in, staring intently at me: “Anya Sterling, don’t play games.” I flinched, a whimper escaping my lips as tears immediately welled up. “Julian Sterling!” Liam Knight instantly stepped in front of me, glaring at him. “Can’t you see Anya’s scared? How can you still push her when she’s like this?” Caleb Thorne exploded too: “Hey, Sterling! Try yelling at her one more time? I’ll have my fans crash your company’s website so hard, it’ll never recover!” The air in the room crackled with tension. I hid behind Liam, peeking through the gap in his shoulder, my eyes cold as I watched the farce unfold. How pathetic. In my previous life, it was these four men. Julian Sterling launched a hostile takeover, bankrupting my family’s company. My father’s hair turned stark white overnight from the stress. Liam Knight, for his family’s gain, stole our company’s most vital trade secrets, delivering a fatal blow to my father. Caleb Thorne used his public influence, fabricating baseless scandals that dragged my mother’s reputation through the mud. She eventually succumbed to depression and passed away. And Dr. Elias Thorne, my father’s most trusted physician, forged a health report, concealing the heart problems my father developed from prolonged overwork, ultimately leading to his sudden collapse and death in his office. My family was shattered, utterly destroyed. I went from being a golden girl, destined for greatness, to nothing more than dust on the street, eventually run over by a runaway truck. Given a second chance at life, how could I ever forget? I remember everything, every single detail. This crash, this amnesia – they were just the first act, the grand opening of the revenge I’d orchestrated just for them. Dr. Elias Thorne’s final diagnosis was that I had suffered hippocampal damage due to severe head trauma, resulting in memory confusion and loss. “Simply put, she doesn’t remember anyone,” he said calmly, pushing up his glasses. Julian Sterling’s brow furrowed deeply, forming a sharp ‘V’ shape, clearly not believing it. Liam Knight breathed a sigh of relief, his eyes overflowing with tenderness. Caleb Thorne, however, rushed to my bedside, grabbing my hand: “It’s okay if you don’t remember! Baby, from today, I’ll chase you all over again!” Like a startled deer, I nervously pulled my hand away, whispering, “I… I want to be alone for a bit.” It was my subtle way of telling them to leave. Caleb Thorne tried to say more, but Liam pulled him away. Julian Sterling remained rooted to the spot, his deep dark eyes fixed on me, as if I were a valuable, yet enigmatic, artifact. After a long moment, he simply said, “Get some rest,” and turned to leave. Finally, the hospital room fell silent. The vulnerability and confusion instantly drained from my face, replaced by a chilling, dead silence. I pulled back the covers and walked to the window. Below, beside four luxury cars, the four men were locked in a standoff. I couldn’t make out their expressions, but I could easily imagine their ugly faces, battling each other over me. Oh, how truly perfect. In the last life, you all ganged up to push me into the abyss. In this life, you’ll tear each other apart, for me. My hospital room became a silent battlefield during my stay. One day, Julian Sterling would send every single haute couture piece from the current season. The next, Caleb Thorne would hire out an entire Michelin-starred chef team, just to make me a special, comforting meal. Liam Knight took the sentimental approach, bringing old childhood photos and trinkets every day, trying to jog my memory. Dr. Elias Thorne, meanwhile, used his position, claiming “the patient needs quiet rest” as an excuse to block the other three from my room, monopolizing his time with me. “Anya, they’re too loud. It’ll affect your recovery,” he said, skillfully peeling an apple, his voice sickeningly sweet, almost too gentle to be real. “With me here, no one can hurt you.” I took the apple, giving him a sweet, dependent smile: “Dr. Thorne, thank you. I only feel safe when I’m with you.” The smile in his eyes deepened. Safe? How could I forget? In my last life, my father, too, trustingly put his health in your hands, only for you to personally bring about his death. Dr. Thorne, don’t rush. Your comeuppance will be delivered, little by little, by my own hands. Just then, the hospital room door burst open with a bang. Julian Sterling stormed in, radiating a frosty aura. Behind him, two bodyguards directly restrained Dr. Elias Thorne, who had tried to block them. “Since when did my woman become your responsibility?” Julian Sterling walked up to me and scooped me up without a word. I gasped, instinctively wrapping my arms around his neck. “Julian Sterling! Put her down!” Dr. Elias Thorne, Liam Knight, and Caleb Thorne, who had rushed over, roared in unison. Julian Sterling sneered, holding me like a conquering king, surveying his vanquished rivals with disdain. “From today on, Anya Sterling will be staying at my private hospital.” Julian Sterling’s private hospital felt more like a luxurious cage. A top medical team was on call 24 hours a day, nurses were always available, and everything in the room was decorated in my favorite style. He placed me on the soft, luxurious bed, looking down at me, his voice brooking no argument: “From now on, you’ll live here. You’re not allowed to see anyone without my permission.” He wanted to isolate me completely, to claim me as his own. I bit my lip, my eyes reddening, looking on the verge of tears: “Who… who are you? Why are you holding me captive?” “I’m your man.” He pinched my chin, forcing me to look at him. “Anya Sterling, you’d better remember quickly. My patience has limits.” His gaze was too aggressive. I fearfully turned my face away. He, however, thought I was scared of him. A flicker of annoyance crossed his eyes, and he softened his tone: “I just… care about you too much.” A cold sneer formed in my heart. Care? In my last life, he also used this same unyielding posture to swallow my family’s company. He had said, “The Davies Corporation, I’ll take it. And you, I’ll take you too.” So domineering, so cruel. I lowered my eyes, my long lashes concealing the hatred within. When I looked up again, my eyes were glistening with unshed tears. “My head hurts…” I clutched my head, weakly collapsing into his arms. Julian Sterling panicked, as expected, and immediately called for a doctor. Seizing the moment he turned, I swiftly sent a message to Liam Knight using the tiny phone hidden in my nail. Just one word. “Save me.” Liam Knight arrived faster than I expected. He wasn’t alone. He brought my “parents” with him. Of course, they were actors I’d hired. When the hospital room door was pushed open, Julian Sterling was spoon-feeding me soup. “Mr. Sterling, we appreciate you looking after our Anya, but now, we’re taking her home,” my “father” said sternly, his tone neither obsequious nor arrogant. My “mother” directly rushed to my bedside, taking my hand and crying as if her heart would break: “My precious darling, you’ve suffered so much!” Julian Sterling’s face immediately darkened. I seized the opportunity to show affection and dependence on my “parents,” hiding in my “mother’s” embrace, looking timidly at Julian Sterling, as if he were a kidnapper. “Mr. Sterling, Anya’s current condition requires the company of her family.” Liam Knight stood behind my “parents,” smiling gently, yet with a hint of challenge. It was a checkmate move. No matter how domineering Julian Sterling was, he couldn’t forcibly keep me in front of my “elders.” He stared intently at me, like a provoked lion. I met his gaze, my eyes pure and innocent, but inside, my heart was roaring with triumphant laughter. Julian Sterling, do you think you can win by locking me up? In this game, I set the rules. I was “successfully” taken back home. A villa I had rented under a fake identity. After sending Liam and my “parents” away, I immediately opened the surveillance monitors in the room. On the screen, Caleb Thorne was throwing a tantrum in his apartment, smashing an expensive vase. “Useless! All of you, useless! You couldn’t even keep track of one person!” His agent trembled beside him. On another screen, Dr. Elias Thorne sat in his office, repeatedly reviewing my medical records, his eyes dark and unreadable. As for Julian Sterling, he didn’t return to his company. Instead, he drove to a cemetery in the suburbs. My parents’ graves. He stood before their headstones for a very long time, rain soaking his hair and shoulders, yet he remained motionless. I turned off the monitors, the smile on my lips growing colder. Only now you come to play the hypocrite? Isn’t it a bit too late? Julian Sterling, everything you inflicted upon my parents, I will make you pay back tenfold. My phone vibrated. It was a message from Liam Knight. “Anya, are you asleep? Don’t be afraid. I’m here for you now.” I replied with “Good night,” then blocked him. The fish were on the hook. Next, I’d let them tear each other apart. The next day, an entertainment headline exploded across the internet. #A-Lister Caleb Thorne Suspected New Relationship, Female Identity Unknown# The accompanying picture showed a “cozy” photo of Caleb and me in the hospital corridor. The angle was tricky, making it look like he was passionately embracing me. I had deliberately leaked this photo to a rival media outlet through a private detective. Caleb Thorne’s fans immediately went wild, unleashing a torrent of curses and insults directed at the blurry female figure in the photo. “Who’s this bitch? How dare she seduce my bias!” “Oppa, clarify this now! You would never fall for someone like this!” Caleb Thorne’s call came through immediately, his voice anxious: “Anya, don’t look at the news, it’s all fake. I’ll have my PR team handle it right away!” I said, my voice choked with tears: “Caleb, I’m so scared… they’re all cursing at me…” “Don’t worry, baby, I’ll figure something out.” After hanging up, the curve of my lips grew wider and wider. Caleb Thorne, you care most about your career and your fans. Now, I’ll make you destroy it yourself. Caleb Thorne’s so-called solution was to hold a live stream. In the live stream, he looked haggard, his eyes bloodshot. He admitted the person in the photo was me, but claimed we were just “friends.” “She just went through a car crash and is very weak. Please don’t bother her anymore.” He bowed ninety degrees to the camera. His fans were heartbroken and expressed their understanding, then began attacking the media outlet that leaked the photo and the “mastermind” behind it. The blame was cleverly directed towards Julian Sterling. Because the photo’s background was Julian Sterling’s private hospital. “It must be that Sterling guy’s doing! He wants to drive our bias away!” “Sterling Corp is blacklisted for life! Boycott all Sterling products!” Julian Sterling’s PR team was in a frenzy, and his company’s stock price plummeted. When he called me, his voice was laced with suppressed fury: “That photo… was it your doing?” I burst into tears, feigning distress: “I don’t know… I don’t know anything… Mr. Sterling, please let me go, okay? I just want a peaceful life…” The more heartbroken I cried, the more agitated he became. “Alright, stop crying,” he said stiffly, trying to soothe me, then hung up. I knew he was already suspecting Caleb Thorne. Excellent. The first seed of distrust had been sown. The situation escalated even more intensely than I had anticipated. Caleb Thorne’s fans were incredibly aggressive. They not only cyberbullied Julian Sterling but also doxxed Liam Knight and Dr. Elias Thorne, labeling them as “entangled male sidekicks.” A story of love and hate among four people was spun into countless versions online. I, the “amnesiac protagonist,” became an object of universal sympathy. Liam Knight was the first to lose his composure. He directly issued a statement on his family’s corporate social media, clarifying his relationship with me and warning netizens to stop spreading rumors, or face legal action. This statement, undoubtedly, only added fuel to the fire. “Oh, the main character is finally making an appearance? Is he declaring war on Mr. Sterling and Caleb Thorne?” “Knight Industries? Never heard of such a small company. Daring to chase clout?” Liam Knight’s mask of gentle composure cracked for the first time. He found me, his eyes bloodshot: “Anya, come with me. I’ll take you away from here, to a place where no one knows us.” I looked at him and gently shook my head: “Liam, I’m not going anywhere.” I paused, then asked with an innocent tone: “Do you… also think I’m a lot of trouble?” He immediately panicked: “No! That’s not what I meant! Anya, I just…” “I just want to protect you,” he finally said. I smiled. Protect me? In my last life, you used those very words to deceive my father’s trust, then stabbed our family in the back with the cruellest blow. Liam Knight, your devotion is the most disgusting thing I’ve ever witnessed. At the center of this fiasco, Dr. Elias Thorne was, ironically, the one who held his composure best. He didn’t issue any statements, nor did he come looking for me. He simply sent a message promptly every day, reminding me to take my medication and rest, as if the turmoil outside had nothing to do with him. But I knew he cared more than anyone. I deliberately didn’t reply to his messages. On the third day, he finally couldn’t resist and appeared at my doorstep. He looked a bit haggard, and his white coat was slightly disheveled. “Anya, why didn’t you reply to my messages?” He grabbed my wrist, his grip a little too tight. I winced in pain: “Dr. Thorne? You’re hurting me.” He seemed to snap out of it, as if jolted awake, quickly letting go. A flicker of panic crossed his eyes: “I’m sorry, I… I was just so worried about you.” “Are you okay? Don’t believe what they’re saying online.” He explained anxiously, “Liam and I… we’re innocent.” I looked at him and suddenly smiled, a radiant, innocent smile: “Dr. Thorne, I believe you.” I tiptoed, leaning close to his ear, and whispered in a voice only we could hear: “I believe you, just like my dad believed you.” His body instantly stiffened. Dr. Elias Thorne’s face went deathly pale in an instant. He stared at me, his eyes filled with shock, fear, and a hint of disbelieving scrutiny. I maintained my innocent smile, as if what I’d just said was merely an accidental remark. “Dr. Thorne, what’s wrong? You look so pale,” I asked with concern. He opened his mouth, but not a single word came out. He stumbled away, looking utterly broken and defeated. I closed the door, the smile on my face freezing inch by inch. Dr. Elias Thorne, are you scared now? Don’t rush, this is just the beginning. I will make you crumble, little by little, in endless suspicion and fear. That night, Julian Sterling invited me to dinner. The venue was a private club with excellent discretion. He pulled out my chair, personally served me food, and adopted a very humble posture. “Anya, I was out of line before. I was too eager,” he said, pouring me a glass of juice, his tone softer than ever before. “I’ll clean up the mess online. They won’t bother you anymore.” I lowered my head, stirring the juice in my glass, saying nothing. “I know you don’t remember,” he paused, his voice a little hoarse. “But we used to be… good.” I looked up, meeting his deep eyes, and asked softly, “What was our relationship… before?” He was silent for a long time before he finally said, “I was your… greatest love.” I almost burst out laughing. Greatest love? Julian Sterling, your audacity knows no bounds, it’s truly astounding. “Is that so?” I tilted my head, feigning curiosity. “Then what about Liam? And Caleb? And Dr. Thorne… they all said they were the love of my life.” Julian Sterling’s face darkened: “They’re all lying to you.” “And you?” I pressed, “Are you telling the truth?” He was stumped, a hint of awkwardness flashing across his handsome face. I pressed my advantage, using an innocent cruelty to tear open his feigned devotion. “Mr. Sterling, you all say you love me, but your ‘love’ makes me so uncomfortable.” “Caleb’s fans curse at me, Liam tries to force me to leave, you lock me up, and Dr. Thorne is acting weird.” I put down my glass, stood up, and looked at him earnestly. “If this is love, then I’d rather not have it.” With that, I turned and walked away, without a hint of hesitation. Leaving Julian Sterling sitting alone at the empty dinner table, his face impossibly grim. I knew my words, like a sharp thorn, had dug deep into his heart. He would start to reflect, to scrutinize the other three. And once the gears of suspicion started grinding, there was no turning back. When I got home, Liam Knight was waiting at the door. He saw me step out of Julian Sterling’s car, and the tenderness in his eyes instantly faded, leaving only disappointment and hurt. “Anya, you still went to see him,” he said softly, his voice trembling slightly. I didn’t explain, just said tiredly, “Liam, I’m exhausted.” He stopped me, asking stubbornly, “Why? You know what kind of person he is!” “What kind of person is he?” I countered. “And what kind of person are you?” Liam Knight froze. I looked at him, saying each word clearly: “You all say you love me, but everything you do hurts me.” “I can’t tell who’s good and who’s bad.” “Liam, tell me, who should I trust?” I tossed the ball back to him. He looked at my clear, bewildered eyes, and all color drained from his face. Yes, what right did he have to criticize Julian Sterling? At the vultures’ feast, carving up the Davies family’s legacy, Liam Knight had also been a guest at the table. He opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing, turning away dejectedly. Watching his forlorn back, I felt no joy, only an icy coldness that permeated my bones. It wasn’t enough. Far from enough. The next few days passed quietly. The four men seemed to have reached some unspoken agreement; none of them came to bother me again. But I knew that beneath the calm surface, strong undercurrents surged. Julian Sterling began secretly investigating Knight Industries’ financial situation. Caleb Thorne used his connections to gather evidence of Julian Sterling’s tax evasion.
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