Her feet were brushing against the soft rug, because the steady movement of her legs was the only thing keeping her calm as she waited for Oliver Grant, the private investigator she had hired to uncover the truth about her mysterious marriage to Adrian.
It had been days since they last spoke, and each passing moment only made her more impatient.
When the doorbell rang, the sudden sound destroyed the silence and made her jump. With her heart racing, she rushed to the door and pulled it open.
Oliver stood there, calm as ever, but there was a seriousness in his eyes this time around that had not been there before. A laptop bag was hanging from his shoulder, and he carried a slim folder under his arm.
"Miss Lily," he greeted, his voice steady but wierd. "I've found something you need to see."
Lily nodded, stepping aside to let him in. "Come in," she said, her voice even more tense despite her attempt to sound relaxed.
Oliver walked to the living room and settled into one of the couches. He placed his laptop on the coffee table, opening it carefully.
Lily sat opposite him, her hands folded tightly in her lap as the tension in the room grew heavier.
"You've found something," she said, her tone filled with a lot of questions.
"I have," Oliver replied, pulling the laptop closer. "What I found might be difficult to believe. It's not just paperwork or stories. It's... more concrete than that."
He opened a folder labeled Lily & Adrian. Lots of thumbnails filled the screen—photographs and videos. Lily swallowed her breath as she looked at the images, her heart pounding louder with each passing second.
Oliver clicked on the first photo. It popped up on the screen, showing Lily dressed in a ravishing white wedding gown, standing beside Adrian in a sharp black suit.
They were smiling—genuine, lovely smiles—under an arch of flowers.
"This... this can't be real," Lily whispered. Her hands shaking as she reached for the laptop, her fingers hesitating just above the screen.
"It's very real," Oliver said quietly. And then he double-clicked on a video file.
The screen opened up with movement. Lily saw herself walking down an aisle, her arm linked with an older man she barely even recognized as her uncle.
She wore the same white gown from the photo, and at the end of the aisle stood Adrian, his expression soft and full of anxiousness.
Lily watched in silence, her heart beating harder with every step she saw herself take on the screen. Then, her voice filled the room, speaking vows she didn't remember saying.
"I, Lily Anderson", take you, Adrian Blackwood, to be my lawfully wedded husband..."
She shook her head, her voice barely to be heard. "I don't remember this. None of it. How is this even possible?"
Oliver reached for the folder and brought out a few printed photographs across the table. One showed Adrian holding her close as they laughed together at what appeared to be their wedding reception.
Another captured them dancing, their eyes locked as if no one else in the world existed.
"These were taken during your wedding," Oliver explained. "The time matches the date on your marriage certificate.
This wasn't just some mix-up. The event happened, Miss Lily."
Lily shook her head, holding on to her chest as confusion bubbles inside her. "But how? Why don't we remember any of this? It doesn't make sense."
Oliver sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Memory loss of this kind can happen for many reasons—trauma, certain substances, or even purposeful interference.
I'm still investigating more into the details, but one thing is clear: this wedding wasn't a mistake. You and Adrian seemed genuinely happy that day."
The word happy rang in Lily's mind like a cruel joke. She kept looking at the photographs, trying to compare the joyful woman in the pictures with how lost and disconnected she felt now.
Her fingers brushed over one of the photos, focusing on Adrian's face. There was something in his expression—a rare softness, almost vulnerable—that clashed with the man she had come to meet.
"I need to talk to him," she said firmly, breaking the silence. "I need to hear his side of this."
Oliver agreed. "That's probably a good idea, but be very careful. From everything I've uncovered, Adrian might or might not be really much in the dark as you are."
Lily's hold on the photo grew stronger. She had hired Oliver to find answers, but now that they were looking her in the face, they only brought more questions.
Oliver stood, packing up his things. "Call me if you need anything," he said as he was heading towards the door. "And let me know if you want me to continue this investigation."
"I will," Lily murmured, barely even acknowledging the sound of the door closing behind him.
She sank into her couch, the photographs and laptop still spread on the table. The proof was undeniable, but it felt very unreal —like it belonged to someone else's life.
Who was the woman smiling in those photos? And what had made her marry Adrian, a man who now seemed just as clueless as she was?
As the weight of everything grew more over her, one thing became clear: she could not ignore this any longer. It was time to confront Adrian and get to the truth, no matter what it turned out to be.
She grabbed the folder and held it tightly, as if it might disappear if she let go. Her memories of the wedding were already like smoke—fading and out of reach.
Rising to her feet, she made her way to the door, her resilience growing stronger with each step.
Just as she reached for her coat, her phone rang out loudly from the table. The sudden noise broke the silence, making her freeze.
Her hand hovered as she looked at the screen. An unknown number flashed across it.
Her heart began beating heavily in her chest. Something about the call made her uneasy, though she couldn't explain why.
For a moment, she thought about letting it ring, but curiosity—and a creeping sense of dread—forced her to pick up.
With trembling hands, she answered. "Hello?"
"Lily Harper?" A woman's voice responded, smooth but with a sharp edge that sent a chill down her spine.
"Yes... Who is this?" she asked, her tone very careful.
The line went quiet for a while , as though the caller was carefully choosing her words. "This is Vivian Blackwood," the woman finally said.
Lily's breath caught. Blackwood. Adrian's last name. "You're Adrian's sister?"
"That's right," Vivian said, her voice calm but uneasing. "I'm guessing you have quite a few questions about your... unexpected marriage to my brother."
Lily's hold on the phone tightened, her pulse racing. "You know about the marriage?"
Vivian gave a low laugh, a sound that was both amusing and mocking. "I know more than you think, Lily. About you, about Adrian, and about why none of you remembers what happened that day."
Lily's legs fell weak, and she sank back down onto the couch. Her mind raced up with different thoughts as she tried to process what Vivian was saying. "What do you mean? What do you know?"
Vivian's tone changed, becoming sharper. "That's not something we can discuss over the phone. If you want answers, meet me. Tonight."
Lily took her time, her gaze looking on to the folder in her lap. Her guts told her to go straight to Adrian, but now there was this woman—his sister—claiming to have answers. She couldn't ignore that.
"Why should I trust you?" she asked, her voice shaky but strong.
Vivian sighed, her tone softening just a little. "Because I want the truth as much as you do. And because if you go to Adrian first, you'll only make things worse. Trust me, Lily, I'm trying to help you—for now."
"For now?" Lily repeated, her stomach mixing with unease.
"I'll text you the address," Vivian said, ignoring her question. "Be there in an hour."
Before Lily could say another word, the line went dead.
She just stood there, looking at the phone in her hand, her thoughts filled and messy. Meeting Vivian felt dangerous, but she could not shake the feeling that this might be her only chance to uncover the truth.
Her eyes moved to the photographs on the table, the happy smiles in them mocking her confusion. She had to see this through, no matter the risk.
Taking a deep breath, she stood, her goal to find the solution to this pressing issue hardening. She put the folder into her bag, grabbed her coat, and heade
d for the door.
Whatever waited for her, she was ready to face it. Or at least, she hoped she was.