Bright sunlight poured through the gaps in the heavy velvet curtains and eventually forced me to open my eyes the next morning. The thick white duvet was pushed down to my waist, and I immediately noticed the large, empty space beside me on the massive mattress. The sheets on the left side of the bed were completely cold, which meant Devon had left the bed a very long time ago.
I turned my head toward the large windows and saw Devon standing quietly near the glass. He was fully dressed in a very sharp, dark gray business suit that fit his broad shoulders perfectly. He held a small white ceramic cup of steaming coffee in his right hand, and he watched me with an expression of complete and unwavering focus.
He looked incredibly powerful and completely well-rested, while I felt entirely exhausted from my terrible night of fearful anticipation.
"Good morning, Alexia," Devon said evenly, and he walked away from the window to approach the right side of the bed. "The doctor advised me to let you sleep as long as possible today, so I instructed the household staff to remain completely quiet in the hallways this morning."
"What time is it right now?" I asked while I pulled the thick covers higher over my chest to create a small physical barrier between us.
"It is currently nine o'clock, and I have to leave for my corporate office very soon to handle an important emergency," Devon answered as he set his coffee cup down on the wooden nightstand.
He reached his large hand out to touch my forehead, and his long fingers felt very cool against my warm skin. I desperately wanted to pull away from his touch, yet I forced my body to remain completely still so I would not anger him.
"Are you leaving me here completely alone?" I questioned, and I tried to make my voice sound appropriately anxious for a woman who could not remember her own past.
"You are never going to be alone in this house because my security team is permanently stationed at every single exit," Devon explained smoothly.
His words were framed as a comforting reassurance for an amnesiac fiancée, but I fully understood the dark, underlying threat hidden within his statement. He was explicitly reminding me that the entire house was securely locked, and escaping the estate was absolutely impossible while he was gone.
"Evelyn will bring you anything you request, and you are free to explore the second floor while you rest and recover today," Devon continued as he adjusted the knot of his expensive silk tie. "Do not try to walk down the main stairs, because I do not want you to become dizzy and injure yourself while I am not here to catch you."
"I understand," I replied simply because arguing with a man who held all the power would not accomplish anything productive.
Devon leaned his tall frame over the mattress and pressed a very firm kiss to the top of my head. The brief physical contact sent a sudden shock of nervous energy straight down my spine. He turned around and walked out of the bedroom without saying another word, and the heavy double doors clicked securely shut behind him.
I let out a very long breath of absolute relief the exact moment I was finally alone in the large room. I pushed the heavy blankets aside and stepped my bare feet onto the soft carpet so I could start my morning routine.
My stomach was rumbling slightly, but I wanted to wash my face and brush my teeth before I asked Evelyn for any breakfast. I walked into the attached bathroom and turned the silver faucet handles to let the cold water run for a whole minute.
I splashed the cool water directly against my cheeks to wake myself up completely and wash away the sleep. I found a brand new toothbrush and a tube of mint toothpaste resting on the edge of the smooth porcelain sink. I brushed my teeth thoroughly, and I used a small plastic comb to untangle my messy hair until it looked somewhat presentable.
I walked back into the main bedroom and moved toward the wide wooden dresser to find some fresh clothes. I opened a large drawer and pulled out a soft white cotton shirt and a pair of loose gray sweatpants. I quickly changed out of the blue silk pajamas, and I felt slightly more prepared to face the difficult day ahead of me.
I considered walking over to the window to check the security patrol again, but the sound of loud footsteps in the hallway suddenly distracted me.
The approaching footsteps were very fast and light, and they sounded completely different from Devon's heavy, measured walk. Someone knocked on the bedroom doors very rapidly, and the brass handle turned inward before I could even give them verbal permission to enter.
The heavy doors swung wide open, and a young woman rushed into the room with an expression of pure joy radiating from her face.
She appeared to be roughly nineteen years old, and she possessed the exact same dark hair and striking facial features as Devon. She wore a bright yellow sweater and comfortable blue denim jeans, and her overall energy was completely bright and overwhelming.
"Oh my goodness, you are finally awake!" the young woman exclaimed loudly as she ran across the soft carpet and stopped just two feet away from me.
She reached her arms out and wrapped my upper body in a very tight, sudden hug. I froze completely because I did not know how to react to such aggressive physical affection from a total stranger. She smelled strongly of sweet vanilla perfume, and she squeezed my shoulders very hard before she finally stepped back to look at my face.
"I am so incredibly sorry for hugging you without asking first," she apologized quickly when she saw my stiff and awkward posture. "Devon told me that you lost your memory from the car crash, so you probably have absolutely no idea who I am right now."
"I am very sorry, but I really do not recognize you at all," I answered softly, and a very genuine wave of guilt washed over my conscience because her wide smile was so authentic and kind.
"Please do not apologize for something the accident caused," she said kindly while she patted my arm to offer comfort. "My name is Audrey, and I am Devon's younger sister."
"It is very nice to meet you, Audrey," I replied politely, and I offered her a small, hesitant smile.
"I know you must be very scared right now, but I promise everything is going to be perfectly fine," Audrey continued rapidly, and she spoke with so much enthusiasm that she barely paused to take a breath. "I was so worried when Devon called me from the hospital last night because he sounded more terrified than I have ever heard him before."
I felt a sudden twist of deep confusion in my stomach. Tyler had called Devon to the hospital, and Devon had immediately used the terrible situation to trap me in this house. It did not make any sense for him to act genuinely terrified on the phone with his sister unless he was putting on a very elaborate performance for his entire family.
"He told you he was scared?" I asked carefully so I could prompt her for more specific information.
"He was completely panicked because he loves you so much," Audrey explained with absolute certainty. "He has been incredibly protective of you ever since you guys started dating last year, and I think the thought of losing you just broke his brain for a few minutes."
Audrey walked over to the small round table in the corner and pulled out one of the padded wooden chairs. She gestured for me to come sit down with her, and I slowly walked across the room to take the empty seat opposite her.
"Evelyn is making a massive batch of blueberry pancakes for us right now," Audrey announced happily as she rested her elbows on the wooden table. "Devon told her you needed a very big breakfast, and I decided to come eat with you so you would not feel lonely up here by yourself."
"That is very nice of you to stay and eat with me," I said, and my internal guilt grew significantly heavier.
I was actively lying to this sweet young woman, and she was going out of her way to make me feel welcome in a terrifying situation. I hated the fact that my prank on Tyler was now involving innocent people who genuinely cared about my overall well-being.
"I always wanted an older sister, and I was so excited when Devon finally introduced us a few months ago," Audrey said while she rested her chin in her hands. "We went shopping together at the outdoor mall, and you actually helped me pick out this yellow sweater."
I stared at the bright yellow fabric and tried very hard to keep my facial expression perfectly blank. I had never gone shopping with Audrey Dominico in my entire life, yet she firmly believed we had shared a wonderful day together. Devon must have fed his sister a very detailed set of lies to explain my sudden presence in their lives, and Audrey had accepted every single word without question.
The bedroom doors opened again, and Evelyn walked inside carrying a large silver tray filled with plates of warm pancakes and cups of orange juice. She set the food down on the table between us and quietly left the room so we could eat in private.
"The doctor said your memories will probably come back very slowly, so we just have to be patient," Audrey reassured me with a gentle smile as she poured sweet syrup over her breakfast. "Devon is definitely going to do everything possible to help you remember your life together, because he is completely obsessed with making you happy."
"He seems very dedicated to our relationship," I agreed cautiously, and I took a small bite of my pancake.
"Dedicated is actually a very small word for how he feels about you," Audrey laughed quietly while she chewed her food. "My brother is a very strict and serious man, and he never really cared about romance or dating until he met you."
I leaned forward slightly because I needed to learn exactly how Devon had explained our fake relationship to his family. Every piece of information Audrey provided would help me navigate the dangerous trap Devon had built around me.
"Did he talk about me very often before we got engaged?" I asked, and I kept my voice light and completely conversational.
"He talked about you constantly, and he always bought you the most amazing gifts to show his affection," Audrey answered eagerly. "He even remodeled this entire bedroom to give you a perfect space for your oil paintings."
Audrey pointed toward the large wooden easel standing near the window, and I nodded my head slowly to show I was listening closely.
"You are a very talented artist, and Devon loves your work more than anything else in the world," Audrey continued happily. "He was so proud of you when he showed me all of your beautiful artwork last winter."
My heart skipped a sudden beat, and my hands tightened into small fists under the table. I was an art student, but I had never publicly displayed my oil paintings anywhere in the city. I kept all of my serious artwork hidden inside my cramped apartment, and I only shared my digital illustrations online to make extra money to pay for my university classes.
"He showed you my artwork?" I questioned slowly, and a very cold feeling started to spread rapidly through my chest.
"Yes, he showed me your work several times when I visited his house," Audrey confirmed without noticing my sudden rising panic. "He said you were very shy about your amazing talent, but he wanted to prove how wonderful you were."
"Do you remember exactly what kind of paintings he showed you?" I asked because I urgently needed to know exactly how far his surveillance had reached into my private life.
"Of course I remember them, because they were absolutely stunning," Audrey smiled widely, and she took another sip of her orange juice. "He showed me all those beautiful, highly detailed sketches and oil paintings he has been making of your face for the past entire year."
I stopped breathing completely, and the entire bedroom seemed to spin wildly around me.
"He painted pictures of my face?" I whispered, and I could not hide the genuine shock shaking my voice.
"Yes, he has hundreds of them locked inside his private office downstairs," Audrey answered cheerfully before she tilted her head in sudden confusion. "Wait, did you really forget that Devon is the one who has been obsessively drawing your face every single day since long before you two even started dating?"