Ashley's POV
Damon's eyes flickered like flames, intriguing but enigmatic. I craved answers, but the pressing need to return home weighed on me.
"I saw you when I was fleeing those loan sharks. You helped me fend them off," I reminded him.
Damon tilted his head, intensifying his gaze. "What are you talking about?"
Though the curious onlookers watched, I didn't care. I took his hand, intending to descend the stairs and question him privately.
As we descended, a hand grabbed me – it was Lord Arwin. "What do you think you're doing, Gwen?" Lord Arwin inquired.
"I'll be back in a minute," I reassured him.
"I can't let you out of my sight," he insisted.
Lord Arwin couldn't grasp my predicament. If only I could explain that I wasn't the lady he believed me to be.
"I'll be fine," I assured him again.
"I'll wait right here for you," Lord Arwin said, obstinate. But my thoughts were consumed by how I would return home and what my brother might be feeling.
"Where are you taking me?" Damon's voice, just as I remembered it, echoed in my mind.
"To a quiet place where we can talk," I replied.
"It seems you've truly lost your memory if you don't know how to address your superior," he said, forcefully pulling his hand from my grasp.
Fear gripped me as I gazed at him. "I just want to go back home," I confessed, fear welling up inside me.
"Take her to her room. She needs rest," Damon instructed Lord Arwin before descending the stairs.
My hope felt shattered. Lord Arwin guided me to the room, wanting to follow me inside, but I declined. I entered and closed the door behind me.
Voices murmured outside the door.
"Is she okay?"
"What happened to her in the river?"
"I feel so sorry for her."
"I hope she's alright."
"Gwen doesn't deserve this. She deserves her life back." I winced at that last statement. "Maybe she should try to start anew, this time with caution." The once painful remark now carried a glimmer of hope.
Inwardly, I pondered, maybe I should embrace this new life. Start over and contemplate the future ahead. Aunty Emily had promised to care for Elijah and handle the surgery. I had nothing to worry about. With those thoughts, I drifted off to sleep.
Damon's POV
I walked away from my big brother, lost in thought.
"What's her name again? Why did she hold my hand? What did she want to tell me?" These questions swirled in my mind as I made my way to my mother's chambers.
The journey felt long, but after two years of absence, it seemed shorter than before. I let out a sigh when I finally reached my mother's door.
"Excuse me," I called out to one of her maids. "Please inform my mother that I've returned." She nodded respectfully and hurried off.
A few moments later, I heard my mother's voice. "Can't you see I'm tired and don't wish to see anyone right now?"
Sadness washed over me as I watched the timid maid relay the message I had already heard. It appeared that everyone feared me, taking a long stare at the maid with her shaky legs.
"My Lord," she stammered in her shaky voice. However, instead of responding, I left in frustration.
On my way to my chambers, I noticed two figures approaching – Victor and Victoria.
"It seems your mother isn't eager to see you," Victoria taunted, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
Surprisingly, that made me chuckle. Her tiny voice hasn't changed a bit, but I wouldn't let this slide. My mood shifted instantly, and I gave her a cold stare as I walked towards them.
I leaned in, my voice now a seductive whisper. "I know what you did at the accursed river." Our eyes locked, a mysterious glint in mine, and I closed the distance between us.
What followed were words neither of them wanted to hear. "You both coerced that young girl into the river," I said, feeling my words send a shiver down their spines.
"What are you talking about?" Victoria stuttered.
"If I were to tell Lord Arwin and the alpha that you two were responsible for what occurred at that accursed river, I doubt you'd ever see daylight again."
"You have no evidence."
To their surprise, I reached into my pocket and retrieved a bracelet. "I believe this is yours. The alpha gave it to you." Victor tried to grab it from my hand, but I was quicker. "You're too slow," I grinned, knowing they would forever be under my influence as long as I possessed this and the g
irl's memory remained suppressed. The thought brought a sly smile to my face.