Chloe's presence felt suffocating, a stark contrast to the genuine warmth Sarah had sensed from Damien. As Chloe fussed over her, asking a barrage of questions Sarah couldn't answer, Damien watched, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes. He sensed the insincerity in Chloe's overly solicitous behaviour, recognizing the calculating assessment in her gaze. He'd met enough people like Chloe in his life to know the signs.
"Sarah, darling, you mustn't worry about a thing," Chloe cooed, her voice dripping with false concern. "Even though we're poor, I can still afford to pay for your medical bills. I'll take care of everything. You just focus on getting better." Sarah sighed. Chloe was subtly inviting Damien to pay for Sarah's expenses, which made Sarah extremely uncomfortable.
"You see, even Mr. Sterling is worried about you." Chloe shot a quick glance at Damien, a subtle invitation in her eyes.
He turned to Chloe and said, "Miss Walker, Sarah's hospital fees have already been taken care of. No need for you to spend your own money."
Sarah looked at Damien wide-eyed, opening her mouth to object, but Chloe interrupted, saying, "Oh, isn't that wonderful? You see how caring Mr. Sterling is, Sarah, he paid for your hospital fees." She quickly urged, "Say thank you."
Sarah looked at Chloe, feeling a growing unease. Chloe's sudden attentiveness and meddling felt wrong. She had no memory of her, so there was no feeling of sisterhood, yet Chloe was acting like they were inseparable—a manipulative performance that made Sarah's head ache.
Damien, sensing Sarah's discomfort, stepped forward. Chloe turned to him, a practiced smile gracing her lips. "Mr. Sterling," she said smoothly. "Thank you so much for helping us. I was curious as to how long you have known my sister. How did you meet?"
"Our meeting was a result of the accident," Damien replied, his gaze unwavering. "I'm just here to ensure her well-being." His voice was even, a wall she couldn't break through. He then turned to Chloe and, with a firm and slightly chilling voice, said, "Your concern for your sister's well-being is evident. However, she needs rest. I believe visitation hours are over. Sarah's well-being is the priority, don't you agree, Miss Walker?" He pointed toward the door.
Chloe glared, thinking, Who the hell does he think he is, chasing me away so he can stay alone with Sarah? She continued to compliment herself while walking down the hallway. Her mask of concern slipped for a fleeting moment; envy covered her face. She hadn't expected Damien to be so resistant, but at least he was willing to pay for this useless trash's medical bills, she thought.
The Intuitive Connection
After Chloe had left, Damien turned back to Sarah, offering a reassuring smile and asking for her phone. She took it from under her pillow and gave it to him. He started typing his number.
Sarah: "Mr. Sterling, I will pay you back."
He looked up at her, gently saying, "Pay what?"
Sarah: "Hospital fees."
Damien smiled at her. "Sarah, I didn't do it so you would pay me back; I did it because I want to make it easier for you. I want you to have one worry less."
Sarah: "Mr. Sterling, I'm grateful for your help, but it makes me feel in debt to you. I already owe you for saving my life in the accident..."
Damien interrupted: "What if I told you that you've already paid that debt?"
Sarah looked at him, confused: "I don't understand?"
Damien looked up at her, gently saying, "Sarah, I paid the fees. Think of it as logistics. I needed one less barrier to your peace of mind. You're a kind person who helps people. You've donated blood for a decade, saving countless lives. Consider this a debt repaid by the universe for all the good you've done. You've already paid the debt, Sarah. Just accept the grace."
Sarah weakly smiled. "But it's not the same..." She stubbornly repeated, "When I recover, I will pay you back." Then, as if she recalled something, she said, "Chloe told me earlier that I've studied design. As soon as I get better, I'll get back to work and you'll get your money back."
Damien, realizing he couldn't beat her stubborn decision to repay him, said: "Alright, but for starters... I'll need you to start calling me Damien. Mr. Sterling sounds like I'm an old man." He flashed her a bright smile.
Sarah smiled back, and a tear fell from her face. "Damien..."
When she said his name, a strong protectiveness awoke within him, and a gentleness spread across his face. He moved closer to Sarah and, with his finger, gently wiped her tear. Sarah looked up at him like a deer caught in the headlights. Damien quickly moved his hand away from her face.
Sarah then said, "The name suits you, I think..."
Damien: "Oh, how so?"
Sarah: "Hmm... It sounds like a strong name... A name given to a man who's got the strength to conquer the world." She sweetly smiled.
Damien was listening to her. "Do you think I can conquer the world?" He was curious to hear her response.
Sarah looked at him and called him to come closer. She then took her small hands and pressed them on his cheeks, moving her fingers across his facial features. Her hands were cold, but his cheeks were hot; he felt like he was burning on the inside.
She then spoke... "Yes, you could conquer the world, but first you need to conquer your fears and get rid of the dark shadows that keep following you around."
Damien thought, "Fears and dark shadows?" He immediately recalled his parents' death and his grandfather locking him up in a small room on the day of the funeral. He was deep in thought.
Sarah noticed and called, "Damien."
He came back to his senses and hugged her firmly. He rested his head on her shoulder. It felt so familiar and natural that it didn't feel awkward at all. Sarah felt the same way; it was the safety and understanding.
The moment was interrupted by Nurse Brenda, who came to check up on her and bring her medications.
Damien quickly got up, saying, "You should rest now. If you need anything, you can call me at any time." Sarah nodded, she smiled and said thank you. He headed toward the door, when she called out to him, saying, "Damien, go conquer the world!" and she smiled. Damien smiled too.
Nurse Brenda kept looking between them and smiling, feeling bad for interrupting them.
Brenda offering her water and medication said: "Sarah, that man likes you."
Sarah: "Don't be silly, we barely know each other."
Brenda: "I saw the way he was looking at you... And you, how do you feel about him?"
Sarah: "I don't know..." But the truth was she knew. She liked him too. He made her feel safe, less lonely and insecure. Around him she felt so many things, but she was afraid. She didn't know anything about him. She had only seen him twice in her life, and she felt like he could disappear tomorrow and she would be alone again.
As Damien left, his thoughts lingered on the small silver band. He knew it was an engagement ring. Ethan's ring. It was a debt he couldn't simply repay, a ghost of the life she'd lost, and one he felt compelled to replace.
The Protector's Instinct
When Chloe went home, she told her mother about encountering Damien Sterling at the hospital. Caroline listened, with a mixture of resentment and calculation in her eyes.
Caroline: "How can this bitch Sarah be so lucky," she screamed, "to have one of the richest men on the planet wrapped around her finger?"
"He paid her bills," Chloe hissed, pacing the room. "He wiped her tears. He's obsessed with her, Mom. Forget Mr. Kang and the house. This is Damien Sterling's fortune. If we play this right, we don't just clear our debts—we conquer the world."
The next day Caroline went to see Sarah. "You know Damien Sterling. You called him your saviour. Was it the accident? When did he save you? Why did you refuse the money? Why did he pay for your hospital fees?" she asked, her voice laced with curiosity and desperation.
Sarah simply lay down, closed her eyes, and turned her head away, feigning sleep or genuinely succumbing to exhaustion. She offered no response.
Later that day, Damien sat in his study, absently flipping through important documents. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was off about Chloe. Her sudden appearance, her overly solicitous behaviour, her almost predatory interest in Sarah's well-being… it all felt staged and artificial. He trusted his instincts, and his instincts were screaming that Chloe was not to be trusted.
He picked up the phone and called Marco. "Marco," he said, his voice low, "I want you to look deeper into Sarah's family. I'm specifically interested in her sister, Chloe. I want everything on her. Her finances, her relationships, everything."
"Of course, Mr. Sterling," Marco replied. "I'll get on it right away."
Damien hung up the phone, a sense of unease settling over him. He was becoming increasingly involved in Sarah's life, a life he knew nothing about. He'd started as a witness to her tragedy, a keeper of her lost memories. But now, he was playing a different role, a role he hadn't anticipated. He was becoming her protector. And he couldn't shake the feeling that she was in danger, not from her amnesia, but from the very person who claimed to care for her most, Chloe Walker.
Meanwhile, at the hospital, Sarah lay in bed, her mind a whirlwind of confusion. She remembered Damien's face, his kind eyes, the way he'd told her to trust him. She felt safe with him, a feeling that was in stark contrast to the unease she felt around Chloe and now Caroline. She held the ring in her hand. It was an engagement ring, Ethan's ring, a symbol of a love she couldn't remember. She closed her eyes, trying to conjure a memory, a face, a feeling. But all she found was a blank, an empty void where her past should be. She was lost, adrift in a world that was unfamiliar. And the only anchor she had was the memory of a stranger's voice on the night of the accident, a voice that had told her to trust him. His arms that held her... His protection that came out of nowhere. And that familiar stranger was Damien Sterling. She was getting attached to a man who could disappear overnight, she thought, and that scared her just as much as her amnesia did, if not more.