My girlfriend got into a car accident and lost her memory. My brother, Liam, pretended to be me and became her new boyfriend. Watching Liam’s sweet smile in the photo, I couldn’t help but curl my own lips. He had no idea that woman was a cage I had personally designed. And I? I was the only hunter. Liam just posted a new update on SnapChat. No caption. Just a picture of him with a woman, against a backdrop of vibrant Globe Amaranth flowers – the kind that symbolize eternal love. I stared at the photo, the screen’s light casting a cold, hard glint in my eyes. The woman in the picture was my girlfriend, Celeste. But she’d lost her memory in a carefully orchestrated car accident. She’d gotten into that accident because she was trying to catch me. Celeste and I met during summer break. The salty air of the coast, the sun-drenched paths of an old resort town. She smiled at me, backlit by the setting sun, and said it was love at first sight. I once believed it was destiny. Later, I learned that “destiny” was just the beginning of another hunt. Celeste was a possessive, controlling fanatic. Just because I wanted to cut our trip short and go home, she saw it as betrayal. She locked me away. Like training a disobedient beast, she chained me to the bed with cold metal, leaving me at her mercy. That month, I lived like something less than human. I found a way to escape. I thought that out-of-control car would end the nightmare. I never expected she’d only lose her memory. Now, this amnesiac lamb has caught the eye of my foolish brother.
He somehow found out about Celeste’s incredible family fortune and brazenly wormed his way into her life, taking advantage of her vulnerability. But he was still my brother. I couldn’t let him fall into a trap I’d personally dug. The moment Liam came home, I cornered him. The faint, unfamiliar scent of his cologne still hung in the air. “You know that’s my girlfriend,” my voice was flat, devoid of emotion. When I first ‘escaped’ home, nightmares haunted me every night. I’d scream Celeste’s name in my sleep. It was terror, a shiver etched deep into my bones. Liam, though, mistook it for profound love. He rushed forward, slapped me hard a few times, his eyes red as he grilled me about every single detail of my time with Celeste. “Julian, just let me have her,” he suddenly changed his demeanor, blinking with wide, wet eyes, like an innocent puppy. “You’ve always been the best big brother to me.” Always the same. Ever since we were kids, our parents always favored him. They always told me, as the older brother, to take care of Liam. We were twins; I was only born a few minutes before him, yet I was expected to bear the responsibility of looking after him for his entire life. My favorite toys, the candy apples I loved, the drawings I saved up for – if he so much as hinted he wanted them, they were his. He’d been raised with a spoiled, selfish streak. “Do you even know what kind of person Celeste is?” I asked him. Just thinking of that woman made my throat tighten, a lingering physical memory. “The Blackwood heiress? You think I don’t know that?” His eyes gleamed with astonishing brightness. “I know a lot more than you think.” “Now that Celeste lost her memory, I’ve been pretending to be her boyfriend and taking care of her for days.” Liam couldn’t hide the smug satisfaction from his lips. He’d always dreamed of marrying into a wealthy family, and now, opportunity had practically landed in his lap. My eyes widened instinctively. I thought he was just helping out. I never expected him to steal my identity. “Don’t you know you’re going to get yourself killed?” My voice held a tremor I hadn’t even realized was there—a mix of anger and a secret thrill. His stupidity would only drag him into the abyss. A thin layer of anger flushed Liam’s face. He suddenly lunged, grabbing for the chain on my wrist. The bracelet Celeste had given me, the one I hadn’t had time to take off. “Give it to me!” he snarled, using all his strength, yelling at the top of his lungs. “This was never yours to begin with!” Mom and Dad were traveling overseas, but I still worried his piercing voice would be heard by the neighbors. And if it was, I’d be the one getting yelled at. I let go, watching him snatch the silver bracelet. If he wanted to be Celeste’s boyfriend so badly, then let him. “This bracelet, and Celeste, they’re both mine now.” Liam put on the bracelet, swaggering as he flashed it at me. His eyes crinkled with a smile, like a child who’d gotten the whole world, already deeply immersed in the beautiful dream he’d woven for himself.
I dreamt of Celeste again. One moment, we were sitting side-by-side by a quiet lake, her eyes looking at me, filled with crushed starlight and intense, almost possessive affection. “I’ll wait for you forever,” she said, gripping my hand, her voice soft yet firm, like a vow carried on the wind. But the next second, the scene shifted. In a dark room, she was fiercely choking my neck, her cold lips pressed against my earlobe, her breath reeking of blood. “Why did you run away? Why did you leave me?” In the endless darkness, her face was shrouded in a sinister gloom, her gaze fierce and fixated, like a dying beast. “I wasn’t leaving you, I just wanted to go home.” Tears streamed down my face, the air slowly draining from my lungs. “I won’t run away. Can you… can you please not lock me up again? I’m scared.” Celeste let out a soft chuckle. Her hand finally moved from my vulnerable neck, and instead, gently stroked my hair, over and over. Like calming a frightened pet. “Julian, I know you’re the goodest boy,” her voice was hypnotic. “Just stay here with me, don’t go anywhere.” “If you don’t answer me again…” she paused, her tone suddenly chilling, “I’ll turn you into a beautiful dried corpse, to keep you by my side forever.” I shivered, then, with all my might, I trembled out those words. “I’ll… I’ll stay with you forever.” “Good boy.” … I woke from the nightmare, cold sweat soaking my back. Celeste’s scorching, possessive breath seemed to cling to me, branded onto my skin, sending shivers down my spine. I was terrified she would regain her memory and drag me back into that hell. That month was a gaping, bloody wound in my life, and I never wanted to look back. Thankfully, in just one more month, I’d be off to college in another city. I would leave this place forever and never cross paths with her again. I clutched my pounding heart, gasping for air. But then I looked up, and my eyes slammed into a pair of dark eyes silently watching me from the shadows. I instantly lost my voice and screamed.
“My fault,” a soft female voice said. “I accidentally came into the wrong room and scared your brother.” Celeste was wearing cotton bunny pajamas, her bangs falling over her eyes, concealing any emotion, making her look delicate and harmless. She offered a perfectly pitched apology, nodding slightly at me. Liam rushed in, pulling her protectively behind him, gripping her hand tightly, like a possessive wolf pup, terrified I’d snatch her away. “It’s fine, just go.” I avoided Celeste’s gaze. I couldn’t bear to look into those eyes. Those eyes, they seemed to pierce through my skin, seeing every hidden thought, leaving me nowhere to hide. Liam actually dared to bring her home to stay, without even telling me first. A surge of anger, like my territory had been invaded, burned in my chest. “Where’s your girlfriend staying? Why did you bring her home without telling me?” I stepped out of the room, lowering my voice to question him. “We only have a few rooms. How could she ‘accidentally’ get lost?” My tone was stern, my brows furrowed. He really was destined for a drama major. Liam’s eyes welled up instantly, long lashes glistening with tears, making him look like a frightened fawn. He looked as if he’d suffered some monumental injustice, a sight designed to provoke anyone’s protective instincts. “Julian was sleeping so early, I was afraid of disturbing him, so I didn’t get a chance to say anything.” He choked out his words, making me sound like a cruel, malicious older brother. Ever since we were kids, his best trick was crying. The loudest one always got what they wanted. He effortlessly reaped all the attention and affection that was always denied to me. And I, with my stubborn pride, always unwilling to back down, was forever the one being blamed. “It’s my fault,” Celeste gently raised a hand, wiping away Liam’s tears, her face full of self-reproach. “My memory hasn’t fully returned since the accident, and I keep forgetting things. I just accidentally came into the wrong room. I’m so, so sorry.” The light spilled into her bright, clear eyes, making her appear even more gentle and charming. But I knew what kind of obsessive, twisted heart lurked beneath that beautiful exterior. I involuntarily took a step back. “Then you two should go. Leave my room.” “Are you Liam’s brother, Julian?” Celeste’s voice was soft, yet it felt like a needle pricking my ear. She looked at me intently, her gaze filled with a probing curiosity, then quickly withdrew it, as if talking to herself. “I must have been mistaken. You’re twins, it’s normal for you to look alike.” Liam quickly pulled her arm and led her away. He didn’t want Celeste to spend another second with me, terrified her damn memory might suddenly return. As they reached the doorway, Celeste looked back and said softly, “Your brother seems a little afraid of me. I must have scared him. I’m truly sorry.” “Julian’s just a bit timid, it’s fine,” Liam reassured her, but shot me a warning look. After they left, I frantically locked my bedroom door. That night, I huddled with my blanket, leaning against the cold door, and slept there. Terrified she’d reappear like a phantom, silently at the foot of my bed.
Celeste completely dominated my dreams. Ever since she locked me up, I was constantly plotting my escape. She was incredibly attentive, gentle as water. If not for the cold metal touching my wrists and ankles, I would have truly believed I’d found love. “I’m saving you, not hurting you,” I once cried, my voice raw and hoarse. “How could you do this to me?” I first met her on a cliffside trail. She slipped, and I caught her just in time. She insisted on treating me to dinner. During the meal, we were amazed to discover how remarkably similar our tastes were – from movies to our plans for the future. I admitted I liked childish things, like having my entire room filled with plush toys. Celeste did too. Just like now, this soft, large bed was piled high with all sorts of bunny plushies. Their glass-bead eyes watched impassively as she pinned me beneath her, unable to move. “I only want what’s best for you,” her dark, deep eyes were like bottomless pools, locking onto mine. “Just be a good boy, stop thinking about running away, and I’ll let you go.” To escape, I retracted all my claws, becoming utterly obedient to her. “Good boy.” She finally revealed a satisfied, brilliant smile, then lowered her head and bit my neck. It didn’t hurt, but it carried the humiliation of a declaration of ownership. I could clearly feel the surge of her obsessive passion, her burning breath on my skin, an suffocating aggression. I felt nauseous. It was a primal revulsion, mixed with fear and disgust, churning in my stomach. She gently unlocked my chains, then brazenly began to toy with my body. The chains clicked open, a sound that should have been the gospel of freedom, but now it felt like the prelude to hell opening. The cold of the metal had barely receded from my wrists when her fingertips covered them. It wasn’t a caress of desire, but more like… an appraisal. She was like a calm artisan admiring a masterpiece nearing completion. Her fingertips traced my collarbone, my chest, my waist, with an irresistible pressure, as if branding her mark onto my skin. The air was thick with her cool perfume, mingling with the cold sweat of my fear, transforming into a sticky, oppressive scent. I was forced to tilt my head back, looking at the dim light on the ceiling, feeling less like a person and more like an object laid bare, stripped of all dignity and the right to resist. Her kisses were cold and damp, falling on my eyelids, my lips, my jaw. Each kiss was like a mark, an occupation. She whispered in my ear, those gentle words now more chilling than the most malicious curse. “Julian, you’re mine.” “Every inch of your skin, every breath you take, is mine.” My body trembled almost imperceptibly, not from excitement, but from extreme humiliation and fury. I clenched my teeth, swallowing every protest and scream. Because I knew that any hint of disobedience would only result in a longer, more desperate confinement. She handled my limbs as if I were a cherished piece of porcelain, exploring every corner of my body. In her eyes, there was no lust, only a near-insane obsession and possessiveness. I felt my soul being slowly peeled from my body, floating in mid-air, coldly observing this shell endure everything. That night was absurd and endless. I quietly put on my clothes, tightly clutching the car keys I’d stolen from her jacket pocket. Like a startled rabbit, I fled desperately from that cage. But I never expected her to wake up so quickly. Another black car blocked me on the winding mountain road, like a silent beast. Celeste got out of the car, her dark hair glowing softly in the morning sun. She looked at me quietly, a gentle, almost resigned smile on her face. “You lied to me,” she said softly, her voice scattered by the wind. In that moment, every nerve in my brain snapped. I slammed on the accelerator, driving straight at her. I’d rather be a murderer than return to that hell. There were no cameras here. Let her rot. But I never thought she’d still be alive. Not only alive, but brought into my home by my foolish brother. I couldn’t imagine how she would drag me back into the abyss once her memory returned.
Morning sunlight streamed through the curtains. When I stepped out of my room, Celeste and Liam were sitting at the dining table. She considerately handed Liam a napkin, her face adorned with a doting, unblemished smile. Those gentle, water-like eyes seemed to forever hold boundless affection. “Thanks,” Liam’s face flushed, his eyes cast down like dewy grapes. “It’s nothing,” Celeste looked up, her gaze bypassing him and settling on me, a smile playing on her lips. “It’s what I should do as your girlfriend.” Her gaze felt like feathers, yet also like barbed whips, slowly tracing my exposed neck and arms. I shivered, then hurried into the bathroom, head down. When I came out after washing up, Celeste was in the kitchen washing dishes. The sunlight outlined her slender back, that picture of domestic tranquility, enough to deceive anyone. Who could imagine the obsessive, rotten core beneath that facade of false warmth? “Julian,” Liam’s voice chimed in my ear. He sat down beside me, grinning, but his hand unceremoniously pinched my arm. “You deliberately wore so little. Don’t think I don’t know you’re trying to seduce Celeste.” A sharp pain shot through me. I yanked my arm back, then grabbed his wrist. I stared at him coldly. “Liam, get this straight. You’re the one who stole my identity and took my girlfriend.” “If you want my trash, and you treat it like treasure, then keep it safe.” “But as your brother, I have to warn you,” I watched his face instantly drain of color, speaking each word slowly. “How could a car accident only result in superficial injuries? She’s been amnesiac for so long, not bothering to look for her family or regain her memory. Instead, she’s happily living in a stranger’s house. You know exactly what you’re thinking.” Our family was just a regular, ordinary working-class family. Between us and the Blackwoods, a prestigious old-money family, there was a whole galaxy. Liam was just taking advantage of her amnesia, trying to stage a cheap drama of “Billionaire Heiress Falls for Me.” Seeing his guilty face, I released his hand and turned to the kitchen. I took a plate of sliced watermelon from the fridge, and when I turned around, I bumped right into Celeste’s smiling eyes. She was standing right behind me, silent as a shadow. I tried to walk around her, but she reached out, placing a light but firm hand on my shoulder. “Can I have a slice of watermelon?” Her voice was soft, but her eyes were fixed on me, as if trying to see through my soul. I slapped her hand away fiercely, my heart skipping a beat. Every cell in my body screamed: kill this woman, kill her. I forced down the fear and the surging killing intent, managing to squeeze out a smile. “Go ahead.” Celeste naturally picked up the largest slice of watermelon, chewing it slowly. The bright red juice trickled down the corner of her lips, a sight that made it seem as if she were chewing my very flesh. I pressed my lips together, carrying the remaining watermelon, and fled back to my bedroom. *Click.* I locked the door. For the next month, I had to keep my distance from her. Just under a month. If I could just hold on for one more month, I’d be free. Not long after, the lock on my door clicked. Liam swayed the spare key in his hand and swaggered in. “Julian, you’re not going to stay in your room all day, are you?”
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