Chapter 6: A Name from the Past
Elara couldn't sleep.
The hospital file haunted her like a ghost she couldn't touch. The words blurred together every time she reread them. Trauma. Amnesia. Confidential.
She sat at the kitchen island, sipping cold tea, the document beside her. The city outside the penthouse windows pulsed with life, but inside, everything was still.
Too still.
Killian hadn't spoken to her since she confronted him. He'd disappeared into his office and locked the door. Again.
But she wasn't done.
By morning, Elara was dressed and waiting. When Killian emerged, sharp in a tailored suit like nothing had happened, she blocked his path.
"You owe me answers."
"I gave you one last night," he replied, brushing past her.
She followed him. "Why would I beg you to marry me? Why would I need you to help me destroy someone?"
Killian stopped. "Because you didn't trust anyone else."
"That's not an answer."
He sighed, turning to face her. "Fine. You want the truth? Your memory loss wasn't just an accident. It was the result of something—someone—deliberate."
Elara's pulse spiked. "Who?"
Killian hesitated. Then he spoke the name like it tasted bitter.
"Damon Thorne."
The name cracked something open in her chest.
Faint flashes. Screams. Blood on white tile. A voice whispering, "You should've stayed out of it."
Elara stumbled back.
Killian caught her.
"You said he ruined your life. You said you had evidence that could take him down, but that if he found out—you'd be dead before you got the chance."
She stared at him, heart racing. "And you believed me?"
He nodded once. "Because I saw the fear in your eyes."
Elara's voice shook. "Then why didn't you tell me?"
"Because the more you remembered, the more danger you'd be in."
The room spun.
Damon Thorne.
That name—it was like poison in her blood.
And now, she knew.
This marriage wasn't about revenge.
It was about survival