The beeping grew louder, more insistent. The sterile scent of antiseptic filled his nostrils, mingling with the faintest traces of something metallic-blood? His pulse quickened, a sudden wave of panic gripping his chest. Where was he? What happened?
Then, a voice. Soft, cautious, familiar yet distant.
"Alexander?"
The name echoed through his mind, bouncing off empty walls. His brows knitted together as he forced his eyes open.
Blinding light seared into his skull, sharp as a knife, sending a fresh wave of pain crashing through his senses. He groaned, his throat raw, body aching from the effort. The room swayed before him, a blur of white walls and unfamiliar shapes.
Slowly, his vision sharpened. A man stood beside him, middle-aged, impeccably dressed, his graying temples giving him an air of authority. His dark eyes, sharp and assessing, held something unsettling-concern, hesitation... relief?
"Alexander... Thank God."
His lips parted, but his voice came out a hoarse rasp. "Where-" He swallowed, trying again. "Where am I?"
The man stepped closer, his movements precise, controlled. "You're in the hospital. You were in an accident."
Accident. The word rang hollow, meaningless. His mind grasped at the edges of something-memories, thoughts, anything-but all he found was emptiness. His heartbeat thundered in his ears.
He tried again. "How... long?"
A pause. "You've been unconscious for two weeks."
Two weeks.
A shiver crawled down his spine. His fingers clenched weakly against the sheets, a feeble attempt to ground himself. Why couldn't he remember?
The man watched him carefully, then asked, "Do you know who I am?"
Alexander's gaze flickered over him, searching, analyzing. There was familiarity in his features, but the answer eluded him, slipping through his grasp like sand. He shook his head slowly.
A flicker of something-shock?-crossed the man's face before he masked it. "I'm Marcus Reed. Your attorney."
Attorney. The word settled uneasily in his gut. Why did he need an attorney by his bedside?
A fresh wave of nausea rolled through him. His mind felt fractured, broken, as if entire pieces had been ripped away. He gritted his teeth and forced the next question out.
"What... do I not remember?"
Marcus hesitated. "It's complicated."
Alexander's patience thinned. He narrowed his eyes, his voice a fraction stronger. "Try me."
A sigh. Then-"You're suffering from retrograde amnesia. The accident... it erased five years of your memory."
The air left his lungs.
Five years.
A lifetime, gone in an instant. His mind scrambled for something-anything-to hold onto. He squeezed his eyes shut, pushing through the fog, but all he found was a vast, gaping void.
His breath came faster now, shallower.
Marcus placed a steadying hand on his shoulder. "Calm down. The doctors said this might happen. It could be temporary."
Temporary. Or permanent. The unspoken words hung between them.
Alexander swallowed against the tightness in his throat. "Tell me something. Anything."
Marcus hesitated again, then spoke carefully. "You're the CEO of Cain Industries. You built an empire, Alexander. You're one of the most powerful men in the world."
CEO. That sounded right. The words carried weight, a sense of belonging, of purpose. It settled deep in his bones. He could almost hear the click of polished shoes on marble floors, the hum of a city beneath towering skyscrapers.
"And... my personal life?" His voice was quieter now.
Another pause. Marcus's expression turned unreadable. "You were married."
Something inside him jolted. "Married?"
"Yes."
His heart pounded. He searched his fractured memory, the emptiness gnawing at him. Then, like a whisper in the dark-a name.
Evelyn.
His chest tightened. "Evelyn. Where is she?"
Marcus's jaw tensed, his posture stiffening. It was slight, almost imperceptible, but Alexander caught it.
The air between them thickened.
Finally, Marcus spoke, his voice measured. "She's not here."
Something about the way he said it sent a cold shiver down Alexander's spine.
"I need to see her." His demand came instinctively, his fingers curling against the sheets.
Marcus exhaled sharply. "Alexander..." He hesitated. "You and Evelyn are no longer together."
The world tilted.
"That's not possible." His voice was laced with disbelief. "I remember her."
"You remember her name." Marcus's voice was gentle, but firm. "You don't remember what happened."
A slow, sinking feeling settled in his gut. "Tell me."
Marcus hesitated. "You and Evelyn divorced five years ago."
The words slammed into him like a freight train.
No. No, that couldn't be right.
His breath came faster now, uneven. Divorced? He didn't even remember marrying her-how could they be divorced?
His fingers clenched into fists, his mind racing. "That doesn't make sense."
"I know this is a lot to process, but-"
"You're lying." The accusation was sharp, a blade cutting through the air.
Marcus's expression darkened. "I wouldn't lie to you, Alexander."
Silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken words.
Alexander's jaw tightened. "If we're divorced, then why is she the only thing I remember?"
Marcus said nothing. His hesitation was answer enough.
Alexander pushed against the pain in his skull, against the disorientation clawing at his mind. Something wasn't right.
He leveled Marcus with a sharp gaze. "Where is she?"
A muscle ticked in Marcus's jaw. "I can find out."
"Do it."
Marcus nodded, though there was something uneasy in his expression. "Rest first. We'll talk soon."
The moment he left, Alexander exhaled slowly, his fingers rubbing his temples. He turned his gaze to the reflection in the window-a man staring back at him, unfamiliar yet unmistakably himself.
And in his gut, a deep, undeniable truth settled.
Whatever happened between him and Evelyn... whatever he had done to lose her... it was something he wasn't going to like.