Ashley was up by six in the morning. She pulled on a pair of simple jeans and a white blouse, then ran a quick hand through her hair in the mirror. Today was important—the grand opening of her first mini-mart, Taylor's Convenience.
As she came down the stairs, she found Lucas already in the kitchen preparing breakfast. He looked up and gave her a warm smile. "Nervous?"
"A little," Ashley admitted, taking the cup of coffee he offered. "But mostly excited."
The kiss they'd shared last night had subtly shifted something between them. A quiet understanding now lingered in the air, like they could sense each other's thoughts without words.
"I went over the inventory list," Lucas said. "Everything's in. I also double-checked the checkout system. It's working perfectly."
Ashley blinked. "Since when do you know how to operate a point-of-sale system?"
Lucas paused, clearly surprised by his own knowledge. "I... I don't know. It just felt natural when I saw the setup."
"Maybe you used to do something like this," she said gently. "Your memory will come back eventually."
But deep inside, a flicker of unease stirred. Lucas's skills weren't things an average person just happened to know—fixing machines, understanding business logistics, and now this? Complex system operations?
"Ashley," Lucas said suddenly, "if one day I remember who I was—and it turns out I'm not the person you think I am—what would you do?"
Ashley set her coffee down, eyes steady on his. "That depends on who you are."
"What if I'm a fraud?"
"Are you lying to me now?"
"No." He shook his head firmly. "My feelings for you are real."
"Then that's enough," she said, reaching for his hand. "I trust my instincts."
Just then, the front door opened. Jack walked in, his face unusually serious.
"Hey, sis. I just came back from town," he said. "Heard some troubling news."
Ashley tensed immediately. "What kind of news?"
"Eugene's been spreading rumors about you," Jack said grimly. "Says you're unstable. That your business plan is a pipe dream."
Ashley gave a dry, amused snort. "What else did he say?"
Jack hesitated. "He's also telling people there's something 'off' about you and Lucas. That you've been 'seduced' by a man with no background."
Lucas's expression darkened instantly. "He really said that about Ashley?"
"That's not all," Jack continued. "Word is, he's joined forces with Harrison."
Ashley's brows knit together. Robert Harrison was the town's biggest supplier—a man who practically monopolized the local market. If Eugene was now working under him, things could get messy.
"What are they trying to do?" she asked.
"From what I gather, Harrison doesn't want competition. He might try to stop your store from opening."
Ashley fell silent for a moment, then gave a confident smile. "Let them try."
At 9 a.m., Taylor's Convenience officially opened its doors. Ashley had placed a cheerful sign out front:Grand Opening—10% Off Everything!
At first, only a few curious neighbors stepped inside. But as the morning wore on, more people came. The store was well-stocked, prices were lower than Harrison's, and the variety impressed everyone.
"These shampoos are great quality," a middle-aged woman commented. "And cheaper than Harrison's place!"
"We get our stock directly from suppliers," Ashley explained with a smile. "No middlemen, so the savings go to you."
Lucas worked efficiently beside her, restocking shelves with surprising intuition—he always seemed to know exactly what customers would ask for.
"He's quite the helper," an elderly lady told Ashley. "Is he your husband?"
Ashley blushed. "We're… partners."
"You make a good match," the woman said with a wink. "Hope you two stay happy."
Business was picking up when a commotion erupted outside. Ashley looked up and saw Eugene approaching with a small group of men.
"Neighbors!" Eugene called loudly. "You need to know—the owner of this store is mentally unstable!"
The room went still. Customers froze mid-purchase. Ashley clenched her jaw but forced herself to stay calm.
"Eugene, this is my store," she said, stepping to the entrance. "You don't get to spew nonsense here."
"Nonsense?" Eugene scoffed. "I'm protecting the community. You're all being fooled—she's under the influence of a man who doesn't even know who he is!"
He pointed at Lucas. "You're going to trust them?"
A murmur ran through the crowd. Ashley could feel the mood shift.
"That's enough," Lucas said, stepping forward, voice calm but sharp. "Don't stir up trouble here."
"Trouble?" Eugene sneered. "I have proof your relationship isn't normal. Mr. Harrison says we don't need con artists running shops in this town!"
As he finished, a tall, broad-shouldered man stepped into view—Robert Harrison himself.
"Miss Taylor," he said with smooth authority. "I hear you've opened a store."
"I have, Mr. Harrison," Ashley replied politely. "Is there a problem?"
"There is," he said, eyes scanning the merchandise. "Some of your items don't have legitimate sourcing."
Ashley's heart skipped. She knew this was a setup. "All my products have proper invoices."
"Do they?" Harrison pulled out a sheet of paper. "Because I've received a complaint—some items here are of questionable quality."
"That's slander," Ashley snapped.
"Slander?" Harrison chuckled. "Let's have the health inspectors take a look, shall we?"
He signaled, and several uniformed officials stepped forward. Ashley realized this had all been carefully orchestrated.
"Hold on," Lucas said suddenly. "Mr. Harrison, are you sure you want to go through with this?"
Harrison turned, eyeing him. "And who are you to question me?"
"I'm Ashley's business partner," Lucas replied coolly. "And I'd like to know what your complaint is actually based on."
"The fact that your store threatens the local business order," Harrison said dismissively.
"You mean your monopoly?" Lucas's voice was sharper now.
Harrison's expression changed. "What are you implying?"
"I'm saying," Lucas continued, tone icy but composed, "if you truly cared about order, you'd welcome fair competition. But if this is just about protecting your profits… that's a different matter."
The crowd began whispering. Ashley stared at Lucas in amazement—he was commanding, unshaken, not at all the quiet man she'd grown used to.
"You trying to teach me how to run a business?" Harrison growled.
"No. Just pointing out facts," Lucas replied. "According to Ohio's business regulations, anyone has the right to open a lawful store. Unless you have real evidence of wrongdoing, what you're doing is malicious competition."
Harrison faltered—he clearly hadn't expected this.
"And," Lucas added, "if I'm not mistaken, malicious competition is something we can report to the state commerce board."
"You—" Harrison was livid. "Who the hell do you think you are?"
"Someone who believes in fair play," Lucas said calmly. "And someone who won't let anyone bully Ashley."
Ashley's chest tightened. Lucas wasn't just defending her—he was doing it with intelligence and strength.
"Fine," Harrison spat. "We'll see how long this lasts."
He turned to leave, but Lucas stopped him. "One more thing, Mr. Harrison."
Harrison paused. "What now?"
"Tell your men to be careful what they say," Lucas said, eyes on Eugene. "Spreading false rumors can lead to lawsuits."
Eugene went pale. Clearly, this had gone further than he'd expected.
"We're done here," Harrison snapped, storming off with his men.
The crowd slowly dispersed. Customers resumed shopping. An old man patted Ashley on the shoulder.
"You've got a good man there, young lady."
"He's not my—" she started, but he was already walking away.
"Thank you," Ashley said softly to Lucas. "I don't know what I'd have done without you."
"You won't ever have to," he replied. "No one's going to hurt you."
But Ashley couldn't ignore what she'd seen—Lucas's legal knowledge, his confidence, his poise under pressure. It was far beyond what an amnesiac should possess. Her doubts only grew.
By evening, the store finally quieted. Ashley tallied the day's sales—much better than she'd hoped.
"A great first day," Lucas said, glancing at the ledger.
"Yes, but I don't think Harrison's done."
"Don't worry," Lucas assured her. "We have the law on our side."
Ashley looked at him closely. "Lucas, those legal arguments you used… are you sure you don't remember anything?"
His expression darkened. "I don't understand it either. Sometimes, knowledge just... surfaces."
"Like what?" she pressed.
"Business law. Financial strategies. A lot of things." He frowned. "But I don't know where they came from."
Ashley nodded slowly. She was more convinced than ever—Lucas's past held secrets.
At that moment, Amelia walked in.
"I heard there was some drama today," she said, concerned. "Are you both alright?"
"We're fine," Ashley said. "Just some business rivalry."
"I heard Lucas handled it brilliantly," Amelia looked at him. "You know a lot about the law?"
Lucas hesitated. "Just basic stuff."
"Really?" Amelia smiled. "I studied corporate law. The statutes you cited? Not many people remember them word for word."
The air in the room shifted. Ashley sensed the tension rise.
"Maybe I studied it once," Lucas said evenly. "But I don't recall."
"Yes… selective memory loss is strange," Amelia said thoughtfully. "Forgetting some things, while retaining others."
Lucas's hand trembled slightly. Ashley noticed.
"Let's call it a day," she cut in. "We're all exhausted."
"Agreed," Amelia nodded. "I'd like to go over your business plan tomorrow, by the way."
On the walk home, Ashley whispered, "Don't worry. I trust you."
"Thank you," Lucas said, squeezing her hand. "No matter what happens—I won't leave you."
But deep down, he knew today had exposed too much. Amelia was already suspicious. She would dig deeper.
Not far behind, Amelia was on her phone.
"Yes, he displayed advanced legal knowledge," she said softly. "I'm more certain than ever—he's not who he says he is. Speed up the investigation. I want answers."
She hung up and stared after them, a glint of steel in her eyes.
"Soon, all the secrets will come to light," she murmured. "And then we'll see how they handle the truth."
Night fell. The town was calm again.But everyone knew—it was the calm before the storm.