Damien's phone rang, and he went to answer it in the hallway; it was a minor issue at one of his companies. While he was on the phone, Sarah attempted to reach the wheelchair to grab her glass of water. She pushed herself up, but a sharp pain in her leg made her gasp and lose balance. Damien, hearing her cry from the hallway, dropped his call and rushed back. He reached her just as she tipped forward, catching her securely in his arms a mere second before she would have hit the floor.
As Damien held her, they both felt the moment was familiar. He had held her like this on the night of the accident. Sarah looked at him with affection this time, not fear, and he held her with gentleness, like she was a precious porcelain. He liked the feeling of holding her, and she liked the feeling of being held by him. It felt all too natural and familiar.
Damien then placed her on the bed. While doing so, he felt her heart beating against his ribcage, and hers was in sync. She lifted her head and their eyes met; something flashed in his—a desire for a moment of passion—but he held back. She released him from her embrace, but the letting go was reluctant.
Damien: "Did you need something?"
Sarah: "I wanted to pour myself a glass of water but it was far."
Damien: "Why didn't you call me to do it? I was just in front of the door."
Sarah: "I didn't want to bother you. Besides, I thought I could do it."
Damien smiled at her willpower and stubborn refusal to ask for help.
The Unraveling
Marco's report landed on Damien's desk, a thick file filled with details about Chloe Walker. Damien's unease deepened as he read. Chloe's life was a carefully constructed façade, woven with lies and deceit. Her finances were a mess, propped up by a series of questionable loans and gambling debts. The report also revealed a shocking detail: Sarah was adopted. The Walker family was not her blood relation. The family patriarch had passed away, leaving his wife, Caroline, and daughter, Chloe, drowning in debt. They had even attempted to "sell" Sarah to a debt collector in the past, a desperate measure thwarted only by Ethan's intervention the night of the accident.
Damien's jaw tightened. He had to protect Sarah. Chloe was a predator, circling her prey. He picked up the phone and called the hospital. He asked to speak to Sarah's doctor, requesting that no one, not even Chloe, be allowed to see Sarah without his express permission. He painted a picture of a concerned friend, worried about Sarah's fragile mental state, omitting any mention of his suspicions about Chloe. The doctor, understanding and sympathetic, agreed to his request.
A Glimpse of the Past
Meanwhile, at the hospital, Sarah lay in bed, her mind a frustrating blank. She remembered Damien's face, his kind eyes, his gentle voice. She clung to that memory, that feeling of trust, like a lifeline in the swirling chaos of her amnesia. Chloe's visits were becoming increasingly unbearable, always probing for information Sarah didn't have.
One afternoon, Chloe and Caroline arrived with a stack of magazines. "Look, Sarah!" Chloe exclaimed. "I brought you some magazines! Maybe seeing some familiar faces will jog your memory!"
Sarah looked at the magazines, her brow furrowed.
"I… I don't recognize anyone," she said, her voice filled with annoyance. "These people are celebrities; I highly doubt they have anything to do with me."
Chloe sighed dramatically. "It's okay, darling," she said, patting Sarah's hand condescendingly. "I just wanted to entertain you with these." She then picked up a magazine, her gaze landing on a picture of Damien Sterling. A slow smile spread across Chloe's face.
"Look, Sarah!" she said, pointing. "Isn't that Damien Sterling! You know, he's very important. Very wealthy." She paused. "He seems very interested in you." She smiled wickedly, turning to Caroline, who nodded eagerly, already envisioning the financial windfall they could reap.
Sarah looked at the picture, her heart skipping a beat. It was him. The only time she had felt safe after the accident was in the arms of this man. She closed her eyes. The accident. His face, illuminated by the flashing lights, his voice, saying, "Trust me." She remembered him returning the ring, their cheerful breakfast, the hug they shared, and his protection.
"I..." she whispered.
"What's your relationship with Damien Sterling?" Chloe pressed.
"We're strangers brought together by tragic circumstances…"
Caroline then took out ownership transfer papers and told Sarah, "Before the accident, you told me to bring you these, my sweet girl. You wanted to transfer the house William left to my name." Sarah looked at her, confused. Transfer the house?
Chloe: "Because of William's debt, it was in your name. Now that the debt is cleared by our mother, I feel like it's only right for you to return the house to her. It's always going to be the home of the three of us, but it's safer if it's in her name."
Sarah didn't believe that story, but she didn't know how to say no to them. When Chloe placed a pen in her hand, something happened. Sarah felt a strong ringing in her head. She saw Ethan holding her hand and running, some men following them, then the car crash. The scene where she looked at Ethan, he was dead… She struggled, gasping for air, tears falling down her face. Chloe quickly called the doctor, who came over and gave her some tranquilizing pills, and she fell asleep. The doctor warned them not to tire the patient.
Chloe and Caroline's smiles faltered, their eyes gleaming with fear. Did she remember something? The mother and daughter duo, consumed by greed, now thought about hurrying their plans to sell Sarah to the debt collector, Mr. Kang. They weren't sure how long her amnesia would last. They were disappointed Sarah didn't sign the papers.
Ethan's Truth
A few hours later, Sarah had woken up, thinking about the fragments of memory that resurfaced. The door to Sarah's room opened again, and Mathilda Evans entered. Sarah was sitting on the bed, looking at the ring. Mathilda approached her and sat on the chair next to the bed. Sarah's body tensed, but Mathilda spoke calmly, her voice filled with a desperate apology.
"I… I'm so sorry, child," Mathilda said, her eyes welling up with tears. "For blaming you for Ethan's death. I was in such pain that I had to lash out at someone, and you were there."
Mathilda continued, her voice trembling. "The truth is, my son loved you immensely. I remember on the night of the accident, he heard your family had sold you to some old man for money, and he rushed out in a hurry to rescue you."
Sarah's blood ran cold. "Sold by my family for money?" she asked, her voice a whisper.
Mathilda's tears began to fall. "Your family… your mother and sister… they're not good people. Ethan told me. He was your best friend, he knew everything. He told me he planned to marry you to save you. He even prepared the ring."
Sarah showed her the ring. "Is this the ring Ethan prepared?"
Mathilda burst into fresh tears. "Yes, this is the ring he bought… He wanted to give you the world. He wanted to give you one thing you never had—a home. Please forgive me for hurting you…"
Now both women were sobbing. Sarah's tears were a mix of grief and betrayal. She hugged the woman who had just moments ago been her tormentor, a strange and sad comfort settling over them both.
Mathilda regained her composure and warned Sarah: she must distance herself from Caroline and Chloe. "They will harm you again. And Ethan is no longer there to protect you. Promise me you'll be cautious."
Sarah nodded. "Don't worry, I will be cautious."
They talked for a long time. When Mathilda left, Sarah started crying. The weight of her new reality settled over her. Her mother and sister were not family but monsters. Her only true friend was gone. The pain of her amnesia was now overshadowed by the pain of a heart-breaking truth: The weight of that guilt was an even heavier burden than her lost memories.
The Search for the Clues
Just as Mathilda Evans returned home from the hospital, Detective Martin knocked on a weathered front door. Mathilda Evans answered, her face still streaked with tears.
"Mrs. Evans," the detective began. "I'm sorry to bother you at a time like this, but we've found new evidence in your son's case. We've established his death was a murder, not an accident."
Mathilda's hands flew to her mouth, her eyes wide with shock. "A murder? My Ethan..."
She then told him everything she knew—about Ethan's life, his deep love for Sarah, and the shocking reason for his final drive that night: the Walker family was attempting to sell Sarah to a debt collector to pay off their debts. She also told him about Ethan's plan to marry Sarah to save her.
Detective Martin listened intently. He had already confirmed that the car's brakes were tampered with, but this new information about the motive was a game-changer.
He then drove back to the station. He considered going to the hospital to speak with Sarah, but he stopped himself. She had amnesia and wouldn't remember the details he needed. He also realized that Damien Sterling wouldn't like that, and he wasn't going to offend him. Moreover, his conversation with Marco had revealed the CEO's protective stance toward Sarah. Bothering her would most likely anger the influential billionaire, and Detective Martin had no desire to go there. Damien Sterling was too powerful of a figure and nobody wants to get on his bad side. He knew he could get all the information he needed from the Walkers and the debt collector. He would work from the shadows, gathering evidence, and when the time was right, he would make his move. This investigation had a long way to go...