SELENE

Even though my heart was pounding wildly, I turned slowly to face him. He stood so close that I could feel his warmth, and what unsettled me most wasn't just the distance between us, it was the way he was looking at me.

Softly. Tenderly.

So different from the cold, indifferent stares he used to give me.

This was not the Sebastian I knew.

This man, standing inches away, smiling like my presence actually mattered, calling me his wife as if the word carried weight felt like a stranger wearing my husband's face. And somehow, that hurt more than his cruelty ever did.

A quiet sigh escaped my lips as I looked away.

I did not dare wish he would stay like this. Hope had already betrayed me once.

"Excuse me." I whispered and tried to step past him.

But he moved, blocking my path with his broad frame.

My eyes dropped before I could stop them to his bare chest, firm and defined, my gaze trailing down to his abs. Heat rushed to my cheeks and I quickly looked away, cursing myself.

I tried to move again.

And again, he blocked me.

Trapping me there.

He took another step toward me, and instinctively I moved back until the edge of the bed pressed against me, leaving me with nowhere else to retreat.

"You are.. my wife, right?" He asked softly, his voice dropping as though we were sharing a secret meant for only the two of us.

My eyes widened, my lips parted, but no words came out. I just stared at him, frozen between disbelief and fear.

He seemed to take my silence as permission. "Then..." he continued gently, "I should be able to hold you... to talk to you."

There was a brief hesitation, like he was afraid I would disappear if he moved too fast. Slowly, carefully, he lifted his hand and tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. My body betrayed me and I almost flinched at his touch. The contact felt too unfamiliar, yet too intimate.

"But you keep trying to escape me." He murmured, a small, almost playful smile tugging at his lips. "Am I really that scary?"

I shook my head quickly, my gaze dropping to the floor. "No... you're not."

He reached out and gently lifted my chin, forcing me to meet his eyes. "Then stay." He said, his tone suddenly serious. "I like it when you're close."

Something inside me cracked.

I didn't know what made my eyes sting. Maybe it was the way he said it so sincerely, or maybe it was because those same lips had once told me to keep my distance. To stay away. To not mistake obligation for affection. And now, they were saying the opposite, like the past never existed.

His smile slowly faded as he studied my face. "Why do you look like you're about to cry?" He asked softly. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No... no." I hurried to say, wiping at my eyes before the tears could betray me. "I'm just..." My voice wavered. "I'm just happy you're back. Alive." I lied.

Sebastian watched me quietly for a moment, then sighed. "I'm sorry." He said suddenly.

I blinked. "For what?"

"For making you worry." He added, his voice softer. "They told me you've been here since last night. You must have been scared." His brows pulled together. "I don't like the thought of you crying because of me."

My heart stumbled at his words. This was the same man who once ignored my tears like they meant nothing.

"It's... it's fine." I whispered. "What matters is that you're okay."

He nodded, then closed the small distance between us. My breath hitched as he leaned down, his face only inches from mine. My heart slammed against my ribs. Is he about to-

I closed my eyes without meaning to, bracing myself.

But instead of his lips, I felt only air.

Confused, I opened my eyes to see him reaching past me, grabbing the shirt he'd left on the bed. My face burned as I turned away. How could I have thought he wanted to kiss me? I prayed he hadn't noticed me closing my eyes.

"Can you help me?" He asked instead. "My head still feels heavy."

"Oh." I hesitated, then stepped forward, helping him slide his arm into the sleeve. The closeness made my breathing uneven, my heart racing for reasons I couldn't explain.

I needed to get away from him, before I completely lost my senses.

He smiled like it was normal for us to be this close. "You always help me dress, don't you?" He said casually.

"Huh?" I blinked, quickly looking away. I never did. Not once. "Sebastian..."

"I remember," he continued, his voice thoughtful, almost dreamy. "You looked so beautiful in your wedding dress. And I was holding a ring box... smiling like I was genuinely happy."

A ring box?

Happy?

That memory didn't belong to us. Not to the truth I knew.

"We must have been so in love, right, Selene?" He asked softly.

I looked up at him, caught by the hope in his eyes. He was searching my face, waiting for me to confirm it, like he needed me to tell him he wasn't crazy, that what he felt wasn't just a broken memory playing tricks on him.

But he was wrong.

We were never a loving couple.

I should tell him.

I should be honest.

I should stop this before it goes any further-

Yet... my heart betrayed me.

After everything, after all the pain, a small part of me still clung to him. Maybe fate was giving me another chance. A chance I had prayed for in silence. A chance to finally be loved by him.

So I held onto it like a lifeline.

"Yes." I whispered, meeting his gaze. "We were so in love... and we still are."

The lie tasted bitter and sweet at the same time.

SELENE

I lied to him.

And the scariest part wasn't that I did, it was how easily the words slipped past my lips. How naturally they settled between us. Even as I looked into his eyes, even as my conscience screamed at me, I didn't take them back.

Sebastian smiled, then pulled me into a hug, his arms wrapping around my waist as though they belonged there.

"Thank you, Selene." He murmured.

His warmth seeped into me, and guilt followed right behind it. I told myself the truth would only confuse him, that it would overwhelm him in his fragile state. That I was protecting him.

But who was I really fooling?

This wasn't for him.

It was for me.

I tightened my fingers against the back of his shirt, closing my eyes. Just for today. Just this one day, I wanted to pretend. I wanted to have him, to feel what it was like to be held without being pushed away.

Tomorrow, I promised myself, I would tell him the truth.

I slowly eased out of his arms, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach my eyes. "You should take some rest." I said gently.

"But I just woke up." Sebastian protested, frowning slightly as I guided him toward the bed.

"Exactly." I replied, pressing him down until he lay back against the pillows. "The doctor said you need as much rest as possible."

He sighed but didn't resist as I adjusted the sheets around him.

When I turned toward the window, my chest tightened. Outside, a small crowd had already gathered. Journalists clustered together with their cameras poised, waiting. Even with all our efforts to keep the accident quiet, the news had still found its way out. It always did when it came to Sebastian Kingsley.

I drew a quiet breath and pulled the curtains shut, shutting out the flashing lenses and prying eyes.

"Can you pass me my phone?" He asked suddenly.

I paused. I was standing between him and the bedside cabinet where his phone rested. I reached for the phone and held it out to him, but the moment his fingers brushed against it, I suddenly remembered...

The messages!

Those angry words I had sent before I knew about the accident. If he saw them now... everything would unravel.

My breath hitched.

As he tried to take the phone from my hand, my grip tightened instinctively, refusing to let go. The phone trembled between us for a second before I pulled it back.

Sebastian frowned, confusion flickering across his face. "Selene?"

I didn't answer. I withdrew the phone completely and took a step back, clutching it to my chest as if it could protect me from the truth it carried.

"Wow." Sebastian snorted, leaning back against the bedrest with an exaggerated groan. "I survive an accident... and still can't get my own phone."

I fumbled for an excuse, holding the device tightly behind me. "Doctor's orders."

He tilted his head, playfully narrowing his eyes. "The doctor said I can't text?"

I swallowed hard. "He... implied it."

Sebastian's brow quirked, and suddenly he whirled, folding his arms like a general surveying a battlefield. "Or... maybe you implied it."

I rolled my eyes, though my cheeks betrayed me with a faint blush. "Either way, you're not allowed to touch it."

He smacked his lips as though tasting a joke. "Hmm... is there something on here I'm not supposed to see?"

My stomach flipped, betraying me, and my voice followed. "Ab... absolutely not." I stammered.

Sebastian snorted, amusement dancing in his eyes. "Oh, there's definitely something in there. What could it be?" He tapped his chin thoughtfully, as if trying to solve the world's greatest mystery.

There was no way he could guess it, right?

He scanned me from head to toe, a mischievous glint in his gaze. "Could it be...," he drawled slowly, "nude?"

I scoffed, rolling my eyes. Seriously? My heart had been in overdrive for nothing but his mind was stuck on this?

"Well, we're married and in love," he added with a sly grin, "so seeing each other nude is nothing. Just one little sneak peek, huh?"

Jesus. My instincts kicked in. I yanked a pillow off the couch and hurled it at him. "Why on earth would I send my nude to you?"

He caught it effortlessly, chuckling as his grin widened. "Oh... that's cute." he teased, holding it like a trophy.

I groaned, realizing that keeping him from the phone was going to be far more exhausting than I ever imagined.

Sebastian straightened, pushing himself off the bed with an easy grace that made my stomach twist. "Alright." He said, a teasing lilt in his voice. "Enough games. Give me my phone and show me what's on it."

I took a small step back, clutching the device like it was a lifeline. "I... um..." I stammered, searching for an excuse, and finally settled on the first thing that came to mind. "Oh my god! What's behind you?" I exclaimed, pointing wildly over his shoulder.

He didn't flinch. "You think I'll fall for that?"

"I'm serious! There's something there-look!" I insisted, my voice trembling just enough to sell it.

"If I find out you're lying..." His eyes narrowed as he finally turned to glance behind him. That was my cue. I bolted. My legs carried me to the door in one panicked dash, and I slid it open just as he spun back around.

"I knew you were lying!" He called, spotting me at the door. "Come back here!"

A wicked grin spread across my face. As he strode toward the door, I slammed it shut and sprinted down the hall to the women's bathroom.

"Selene!" I heard him shout after me. I didn't look back, only exhaled sharply and laughed as I locked the door behind me.

For a moment, I let myself breathe. The chase was over, for now.

I double-tapped the screen and swiped up, but his phone remained stubbornly locked. I hadn't even thought this far ahead.

What could his password be? I tried his birthday, but no luck.

"What on earth is his password?" I muttered to myself. Then an idea struck. I fished my phone out of my pocket and dialed his secretary's number. It rang once, twice, and was picked up immediately.

"Hello?" Vincent's calm voice answered.

"Tell me Sebastian's phone password." I blurted the moment he picked up.

There was a pause on the other end. "Pardon?" He asked, clearly taken aback.

"His phone! What's the password?" I urged. "Sebastian doesn't remember."

"But I told him earlier." Vincent replied.

"Earlier?" I frowned.

"Before I left the ward." He clarified. "He asked for his phone. I gave him the password, but... he didn't seem to retain it."

"Huh?" I blinked. "He forgot?" I added, muttering as if Sebastian could hear me. "How can you be so forgetful?"

"His password is 140924." Vincent said patiently.

"Hold on." I swiped Sebastian's phone and entered the numbers. The screen unlocked instantly. "Thank you." I cut the call before he could say anything else.

I stared at the glowing screen, the numbers echoing in my head.

140924

I repeated them slowly, and then my breath caught.

Fourteen. Zero nine. Twenty-four.

My eyes widened as the realization struck me all at once. It wasn't just a random set of numbers. It was a date.

14/09/24

Our wedding day.

My fingers tightened around the phone as my heart began to pound. Of all the dates he could have chosen, he decided to use the one day he had made me believe was a mistake.

SELENE

I didn't realize how unprepared I was until Sebastian asked a question I couldn't outrun.

What could it have meant to him?

The question circled endlessly in my mind, refusing to settle. I wished desperately that I could ask Sebastian directly, but the man I could have questioned no longer existed. This version of him carried no memories of our past, only fragments that didn't belong to us and silences where answers should have been.

From the day we married to the day of his accident, he had made me believe he hated me. Hated my presence, my voice, even the air I shared with him. He recoiled from everything that had my name attached to it. Or so I had thought.

Now, knowing the date he had chosen for his phone password, I felt torn in two.

Had I been wrong all along?

Or was I simply clinging to meaning where there was none, desperate to rewrite a story that had already broken me?

Stop overthinking, Selene, my mind scolded quietly. It's just a phone password. Don't turn it into something it's not. Don't forget how he treated you before.

I nodded to myself, as if the reminder had been spoken aloud. I needed it. More than I cared to admit.

Sliding the door open, I stepped back into his ward, phone in hand. The room was empty.

"Where on earth did this man go?" I muttered. "Is he even allowed to be wandering around?"

With a tired sigh, I turned and headed back into the hallway, setting off in search of my husband who apparently couldn't keep himself in one place for more than five minutes.

I made my way to the hospital balcony, where Sebastian sat on a bench near the railing.

I let out a breath and started toward him, relief loosening my steps.

Then I stopped.

He wasn't alone.

A young girl in a wheelchair stared at the Rubik's cube in his hands, her eyes wide with wonders.

"Whoa! How did you do that?" She exclaimed, pointing at the cube just as his fingers moved with precised speed. In seconds, the colors aligned perfectly.

"This is very easy." Sebastian said lightly, smiling at her amazement.

I folded my arms, watching from a short distance.

"You're like a pro." The girl said in awe, then sighed dramatically. "This is so unfair. I can't believe you beat me."

Sebastian laughed softly. "I won fair."

"It's not fair." She whined, snatching the cube from him. "You're an adult and I'm still a kid. When I grow older like you, I'll be a pro too."

"Yeah," he replied, smiling at her, "but you'll never beat me."

She scrunched up her nose at him, and I felt a smile tug at my lips.

I had never seen Sebastian like this, so relaxed, so gentle. I had never seen him with children, never seen this easy, playful side of him.

"Anyway," the little girl asked, tilting her head curiously, "why are you here? Are you sick like me?"

Sebastian touched his head lightly and nodded. "I was in an accident. It... affected my head."

The girl frowned, squinting at him. "How?"

"I don't remember anyone," he admitted, his voice quiet, "except one person."

I froze, hidden behind a railing, listening.

Her eyes went wide. "You don't remember your family or friends?"

He shook his head.

"Then... who's the person you do remember?" She pressed.

Sebastian paused for a moment, and then a small, soft smile curved his lips. "My wife."

The girl let out a delighted laugh. "Wow. That's... interesting. So, how does it feel.. not having a single memory of the past?"

He exhaled slowly, looking out over the balcony for a moment. "I.. don't really know. I guess I'm supposed to be okay." He went silent, and the girl just waited patiently, as if she understood that some answers took time.

"I'm still figuring things out." He added finally, his smile faint but genuine.

The girl nodded sagely. "You're smart. I'm sure you'll figure it out."

He chuckled lightly, his eyes meeting hers. "You have an eye for good character."

I smiled, biting my lower lip.

"But..." The girl said, glancing past Sebastian in my direction. I turned to see who she was looking at, then I realized it was me.

"There's a lady who has been staring at you." She said, pointing, and Sebastian's head whipped toward me.

Too late to hide, I gave a small, awkward wave. "I was wondering where you went." I said, stepping closer.

"That's my wife." He told her.

The girl studied me for a moment. "She's beautiful."

"I know, right?" He said with a grin, his gaze softening as it met mine.

Lord. This was... so much.

Much to my relief, a nurse approached.

"Your break time is over, Stella." She said.

The girl sighed. "It was nice talking to you."

They high-fived before the nurse led her away, and Sebastian let out a small, wistful sigh.

"She's so cute." He murmured.

"I know, right." I replied, and the corner of his lips curved into a smile.

His gaze drifted to the children playing nearby. "The air feels nice out here." He murmured, exhaling slowly. Then he turned toward me, tapping the space beside him. "Come sit."

I hesitated, my fingers nervously tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear. Being this close to him still felt strange.

When I glanced at him, he was already watching me, smiling. He seemed to smile so often now, it made my heart flutter.

"There's something I'm curious about." He began.

"What... is it?" I asked, leaning slightly forward.

"Vincent told me we've been married for three years." He said, and I couldn't shake the feeling that he was stalling, drawing this out on purpose.

"Yeah?" I prompted, my heartbeat picking up.

He looked ahead, quiet for a moment, as if organizing his thoughts.

I caught his side profile bathed in sunlight. It was unreal and I couldn't look away.

But the pause stretched, making me more nervous by the second.

Then he turned back to me, tilting his head slightly. "How come we don't have any kids? Does that make any sense?"

Right. It made no sense, just like his question.