Aurora's POV

My carefully chosen words were meant to sting, to remind him of the secret life he had forced upon me, of how he had kept me hidden away for years.

I knew Conrad. His ego was massive. Being forgotten—or worse, reduced to a mere acquaintance—would eat him alive.

My mind instantly flashed back to the five years I had dedicated to him, years spent chasing his fleeting affections, convinced that one day he would notice me and truly fall in love with me.

Love at first sight, a grueling pursuit, and countless late-night calls and secret dates later, we had finally established a relationship.

For five years, we did everything lovers do, to the absolute fullest.

I always believed that, one day, we would step out into the light.

I was ready to take the next step, ready for us to go public.

But Conrad’s reaction caught me entirely off guard.

He said, "Aurora, if there's been some misunderstanding, I'm sorry. You're just my plaything. Someone convenient for me to pass the time with, someone who won't complicate my life."

There was a cruelty in his casual words, piercing me like a jagged blade.

He even apologized for my "misunderstanding," as if my five years of devotion, my dreams, my very existence, meant absolutely nothing.

"Aurora, I'm sorry if you misunderstood our arrangement. I thought we were clear."

Then came the final blow.

He unapologetically announced that he was preparing to get engaged to someone his parents approved of. Someone from a prestigious family who could elevate his public image.

"You were never the type I'd consider for a serious relationship. You were just... a distraction."

Fury, cold and razor-sharp, blazed in my chest.

Five years. Five years of my life, my love, my unwavering loyalty.

Was I really going to be tossed aside this easily?

Was I really that cheap?

If he never intended to marry me, why did he accept my confession in the first place?

That day, I chose to break up. I ended the relationship right then and there. "Conrad, we're done."

I packed my bags with trembling hands. I got into my car, the light and shadows of the Pacific Coast Highway blurring together. Tears spilled over, clouding my vision.

The next moment, I heard the screech of tires, the crunch of tearing metal, and then—darkness.

Back in the hotel ballroom, Conrad stared at me, his expression unreadable.

The weight of his gaze was immense, practically suffocating me. My hands, hidden behind Elliot, trembled slightly, but I forced myself to remain composed.

Finally, he gave a stiff, barely perceptible nod.

He forced a tight, artificial smile onto his lips. "My apologies, Aurora. I must have been mistaken. We were... just acquaintances. Old friends, perhaps."

I feigned a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank goodness! I was worried for a second there that you were going to tell me we had some sort of scandalous, secret affair!"

I leaned into Elliot, wrapping my arm around his waist and lacing my fingers with his.

I looked up at Elliot, flashing a playful smile, and winked. "Darling, tell him he's not my type."

Elliot looked at Conrad. "Aurora is far too kind and genuine to engage in anything less than a pure relationship."

Conrad’s gaze, which had been fixated on the hand Elliot had resting on my waist, suddenly turned razor-sharp.

His eyes snapped to my left hand, specifically to the sparkling engagement ring on my finger. The diamond caught the light, dazzling and bright.

"When..." he asked quietly, his tone clipped and laced with disbelief, "are you two planning to get married?"

Elliot smiled faintly. "Yes, we're engaged. Aurora and I are tying the knot next month. It will be a small ceremony, just close family and friends. Though, if you'd like to witness true happiness, you're welcome to come."

Conrad’s eyes remained locked on me, a storm seeming to brew in their depths.

I knew him too well. Right now, he was on the verge of losing control.

I figured it was just male possessiveness acting up.

After all, in his eyes, I was just a "convenient hookup." A cheap, on-call bedmate.

He would get over it soon enough.

I turned to Conrad, my tone light and innocent. "Well, that settles it! Whatever you thought we were, it doesn't matter now—acquaintances or old friends. I mean, I can't even remember it anyway. So, it's all in the past!"

I paused, then added, "It's a shame, really. I always thought I had good taste in friends."

Conrad clenched his jaw, the faint grinding of his teeth audible even over the din of the banquet.

It was all in the past.

This was the exact outcome I wanted.

For a fleeting moment, bitterness washed over me like a tidal wave.

Five years. Five years of my life, my love, my vulnerability, all down the drain.

But I realized that true revenge wasn't about inflicting pain; it was about finding inner peace, about reclaiming myself.

Faking this amnesia was my path to healing.

Elliot nodded, his eyes lingering on Conrad for a second before turning to me. "Of course, darling."

I started to turn away, my hand still tightly holding Elliot's, ready to leave. I felt a rush of triumph, a bittersweet victory.

"Aurora." Conrad's voice.

I turned back to him, raising an eyebrow. "Yes?"

His eyes were a turbulent storm of conflicting emotions: anger, confusion, and a hint of desperation.

"What if," he said in a low voice, "what if I told you that everything you think you've forgotten... isn't actually what it seems?"

Aurora's POV

I knew he wouldn't easily buy my amnesia act, but I hadn't expected him to be so blunt.

I put on a mask of polite confusion.

"I'm afraid I don't quite follow, Mr. Gallagher," I replied, my tone perfectly even. "My doctors have been very clear about my condition. Perhaps you're confusing me with someone else?"

I gently tugged on Elliot's arm. "Elliot, I really need to step away for a moment. This conversation is getting a bit... confusing."

Elliot offered a polite, somewhat stiff nod. "Conrad, if you'll excuse us. Aurora needs to rest."

Hand on my back, he guided me away, weaving through the thinning crowd. I could feel the heat of Conrad's stare burning into my back the entire way.

As we walked, we cast a stealthy glance over our shoulders.

Conrad was still standing there, watching us, his dark, commanding figure standing out starkly against the glittering backdrop of the ballroom.

"Hurry, Elliot," I whispered.

"Copy that." Elliot picked up the pace, leading me down a secluded corridor toward a private lounge.

He pulled the heavy double doors shut behind him, instantly blanketing the room in silence.

He turned to me, a sly grin playing on his lips. "Well, that was a dramatic exit, wouldn't you say? Straight out of a movie. I half expected him to declare his undying love and sweep you away in a horse-drawn carriage."

I rolled my eyes. "Don't be ridiculous, Elliot. Even if true love bit him on the ass, he wouldn't recognize it. A carriage? Please. He'd probably have a self-driving Tesla waiting."

Elliot's laughter always had a way of grounding me.

Like me, he came from old money. However, Elliot had always bucked family expectations, choosing architecture over finance, pursuing passion over profit.

He knew the suffocating weight of family expectations all too well. Because of that, he understood my need for this fake engagement—a mutual escape hatch from our respective families' pressures.

It was a partnership, a strategic alliance, but it felt like much more than that.

"So," Elliot's tone softened, "five years together. Any regrets?"

I shook my head. "It's only a relationship if the love is mutual. One-sided devotion is just playing the martyr."

As I spoke, my hand accidentally brushed against the soft fabric of Conrad's coat, which was still draped over my shoulders.

"Oh, for god's sake." I yanked the coat off. "Elliot, please, go give this back to him."

Elliot took the coat. "On it."

"I'll be right here, waiting by the window," I said, pointing to a secluded alcove. "Make it quick."

He nodded, gave my hand a comforting squeeze, and disappeared back through the double doors. I watched him go, then walked over to the window, gazing out at the city lights.

Suddenly, a deep, abrupt voice sounded behind me: "Looking for someone?"

I froze, my blood running cold. I knew that voice. It was Conrad.

I turned around slowly, my heart hammering in my chest.

"Mr. Gallagher," I said, striving for a perfectly neutral tone. "I assumed you had left. I sent Elliot to return your jacket..."

Before I could finish, he moved. His hand shot out, wrapping like a vice around my wrist.

"I need to talk to you," he said, his voice raspy.

"What do you want?" I demanded, wrenching myself free from his grip.

"Aurora," he murmured, his voice low and dark. "Tell me, have you really forgotten everything we shared? Forgotten everything about us?"

I hesitated, my breath catching in my throat. "I... I told you," I stammered, my voice barely above a whisper. "My memory... isn't what it used to be."

"Oh? You remember Elliot, but conveniently forgot me?"

I pressed my lips together, finding that difficult to answer.

"And what about this?" His voice was thick with gravel. Without waiting for a reply, he lunged forward and crashed his lips onto mine, rough and domineering.

The sudden assault shocked me, panic instantly short-circuiting my brain. His hands, resting on my shoulders, slid up my neck to cup my jaw, pulling me flush against him.

His kiss was aggressive. My head spun, and I couldn't breathe.

This wasn't love; it was a violation.

Conrad must have sensed my revulsion and my violent resistance. He pulled back slightly, his breathing heavy and ragged. In the dim light, his eyes were wild and desperate. But he didn't let me go; his arms remained locked around my waist, holding me captive.

"You're so beautiful, Aurora," he whispered hoarsely. "There's no way you've forgotten everything."

"Tell me, Aurora. Do you really have amnesia? Or is it... selective amnesia? Are you forgetting me on purpose?"

Aurora's POV

My eyes burned with raw fury.

"Selective amnesia?" I scoffed. "Is that what you call it? That's hilarious."

I jabbed a finger at his chest, my voice rising. "Mr. Gallagher, based on what you just did, my lawyers would be well within their rights to press charges."

"You yourself denied that we ever had an intimate relationship. Mere acquaintances, or old friends, remember?"

"What? Was our past relationship something that couldn't be mentioned in front of my fiancé? Was I just your hookup?"

I sneered, "I am a Buchanan. Does it make any logical sense that I would lower myself to be your dirty little secret bedmate?"

"Are you really that irresistible?" I deliberately gave his body a slow, appraising once-over. "Looks pretty average to me."

"So, was I played by you, or was I scammed by you?"

"Aurora Buchanan!" he ground out through clenched teeth.

"Alright, alright." I threw my hands up in mock surrender. "Let's just say I had terrible taste back then. And since we were just 'friends with benefits,' maybe Mr. Gallagher doesn't have the standing to question me."

He was the one who said I was just a hookup.

If that was the case, I was going to throw the word right back in his face.

Conrad took a deep breath. "Don't be like this, Aurora. I didn't know you wanted to marry me, or that you wanted the title of girlfriend."

"I broke it off with my fiancée. If you want to be my girlfriend, then be my girlfriend."

"I've missed you so much lately. What I said that day was wrong. I do care about you."

"So stop throwing a tantrum, and let's go back to the way things were, okay?"

My face remained entirely blank.

Conrad didn't get it at all. He still thought this was about the title of fiancée or girlfriend.

The biggest issue was that he had never, ever respected me.

I held up my left hand, the diamond on my ring catching the dim light. "I told you, I don't remember the past. I'm engaged. Engaged to Elliot."

My tone hardened. "In fact, I find you completely unappealing right now. You're just not my type. Not anymore."

Conrad's jaw tightened further, the grinding of his teeth clearly audible. His eyes locked onto my ring, dark and dangerous.

"I am completely indifferent to you," I said, holding his gaze with eerie calm. "You're a stranger to me. And honestly, you're just not attractive to me. My fiancé is more charming, more considerate, and better than you in every conceivable way."

"Better in every way?" he repeated through gritted teeth.

I looked up at him. "Mr. Gallagher, this is the last time. The next time we meet, we are strangers."

I turned on my heel, grabbed the doorknob, pulled the door open, and stepped out into the hallway.

Once I was safely away, out of his line of sight, my carefully constructed composure instantly crumbled. A wave of exhaustion washed over me, heavy and suffocating.

The calm, resolute expression I had just worn twisted into a grimace of pain.

An ache flared in my chest, a bitter reminder of the five years I had wasted, of the person I used to be, and of the sheer agony he had put me through.

Just for fun. The words echoed in my mind, biting and cruel.

Back in the lounge, Conrad stood perfectly still.

His phone buzzed in his pocket.

He slowly pulled it out and answered, his voice low and gravelly, "Hello?"

"Conrad? Did you find her? Is Aurora okay?"

"Yeah," Conrad said flatly, devoid of emotion. "I found her."

"Thank god! Are you bringing her back?"

Conrad let out a harsh, humorless laugh. "She has amnesia. She forgot me. And she's engaged to Elliot Brooks..."