Chapter 1 The Forgotten Girl

• The sterile scent of antiseptic and the soft beeping of the monitor greeted Elena as she opened her ocean-blue eyes. The blinding white light forced her to squint, and her head felt heavy, as if she had just awoken from an endless sleep.
• She tried moving her slender fingers, slowly, stiffly. Her body felt foreign, as if it didn’t belong to her.
• Then, a man appeared at the side of her bed. He was tall, well over 6 feet with a broad, commanding presence. His black shirt sleeves were rolled up, revealing well-defined arms. His face was striking, sculpted with a chiseled jawline and a trace of stubble that gave him a mature edge. His hair, dark and neatly slicked back, framed a pair of intense eyes, eyes that radiated a mix of relief, possession, and something dangerously close to obsession.
• “Hey... you’re awake,” he whispered, brushing her cheek with the back of his hand. The touch was gentle, but tension lingered beneath his skin. Elena swallowed hard. Her throat was dry.
• “Who... who are you?” she asked, voice barely audible. “Who am I?”
• He paused, frowning slightly, then smiled faintly.
• “You don’t remember?” he asked, eyes narrowing slightly. He pulled up a leather chair beside the bed and took her hand in his.
• “I’m Dominic. And you’re Elena... Elena Marrie. My fiancée.”
• “I’m... Elena?”
• “Yes, my love. It seems the accident took your memories, even of me. But don’t worry. I’m here. I’ll help you to remember... everything.”
• Elena tried to recall anything. Her name, his face, her past. But her mind was blank, and a sharp pain stabbed at her temples.
• “I... don’t remember anything,” she whispered, panic creeping into her voice.
• “I understand,” Dominic said quickly. “The doctors said your amnesia might be temporary. But it’s okay. I’ll be with you every step of the way.”
• The days that followed felt like walking through fog. Elena was kept in a grand room, European in style, with cream colored walls and towering marble pillars. The bed was massive, draped in translucent white canopy curtains fit for a princess, or a prisoner. Heavy drapes blocked the windows, which were sealed with automatic locks.
• She never saw a doctor. No visitors. No voices except the ticking of a clock and heavy footsteps beyond the door. Only Dominic. Always Dominic. He brought her clothes, read to her, gave her pills, and showed her photographs he claimed were their memories.
• But none of it felt familiar. None of it touched her soul. It all felt like a perfectly staged lie.
• “Why are there no other people? No family? No friends?” Elena asked one evening, sitting on a velvet navy couch near the locked window.
• Dominic stared at her for a long moment. His gaze was as unreadable as stone. “You only have me. Your family passed away long ago. Your friends... they abandoned you. I was the only one who searched for you when you disappeared.”
• His words were calm and quiet like a lock clicking into place.
• One cloudy morning, Dominic took her to the mansion’s back garden. She wore a simple white dress, her hand clutched tightly in his as though he feared she might vanish. The garden was stunning but silent, lined with blooming white roses. Under a wrought-iron arch adorned with fresh flowers, a private priest stood waiting. No guests. No smiles except Dominic’s. Only vows, a ring, and a gaze that pinned her in place.
• “Now, you’re mine completely,” he whispered as he kissed her forehead.
• Days or perhaps weeks passed. Elena now sat at the edge of the same canopied bed. The room was beautiful, but it felt like a golden cage. She wore a champagne satin nightgown, far too luxurious for a regular night, yet her heart trembled.
• She quietly approached the door and tried the handle.
• Locked. As always.
• Dominic always said it was for her safety. But Elena knew this wasn’t protection.
• This was imprisonment.
• She peeked through a gap in the curtain. Outside, the estate stretched into manicured perfection. But the towering iron gates and CCTV cameras reminded her: paradise was unreachable. Guards dressed in black suits stood still as statues, earpieces in place, watching everything.
• This house was a palace. Grand, cold... and inescapable.
• Then came the footsteps, steady, heavy, certain. Footsteps she’d grown to dread.
• 'Dominic.'
• Elena rushed back to the bed, pulled the blanket to her chin, and shut her eyes, pretending to sleep. Her heart pounded.
• Not with love.
• But with fear.
• Dominic entered quietly. His masculine scent filled the room. Dressed in a plain black T-shirt and loose linen pants, he looked more relaxed than usual. Without a word, he approached her, slipped a hand behind her neck, and gently stroked her hair.
• “Darling,” he murmured, lips brushing her temple. “You know I miss you every time I leave this room.”
• Elena opened her eyes slowly. Her expression was neither defiant nor eager, just quietly resigned.
• Dominic lay beside her, pulling her close, placing a soft kiss on her shoulder. “Aren’t you happy with me?”
• Elena exhaled. Her eyes were distant. Every touch from Dominic now felt suffocating, not soothing.
• “I want to leave this room, Dominic,” she said calmly but firmly.
• Dominic froze. He let go of her. Rising to his feet, he looked down at her, the softness in his eyes hardening.
• “What do you want to get out there?" he asked, voice low and tense. “I’ve given you everything, security,.nice food,nice clothes, a home, love. you can watch movies, listen to new music, you lack nothing... This room provides everything you want!"
• Elena sat up, her gaze meeting his with quiet courage. “I don’t lack... things. I lack life.”
• He clenched his jaw. The ticking clock on the wall was the only sound that followed.
• “I’m not a caged bird who’s content with being fed and left to sing in solitude,” Elena continued, her voice shaking. “I have a heart, a mind, desires. And you can’t control that with locks and guards.”
• “I just want to protect you,” Dominic said coldly, his eyes narrowing. “You don’t know how many people want you dead. That accident, it wasn’t random. I’m trying to keep you safe.”
• “I know. But not like this. I’m going insane!”
• Dominic turned away, hands on his hips, breathing heavily.
• “If you love me,” Elena said, standing up and holding his arm gently, “you’d take me outside. Show me the world. Introduce me to the people in your life.... I don’t even know who’s close to you. It’s like I’m a secret.”
• Dominic turned toward her. She was crying now.
• “I’ve been patient,” she whispered, trembling. “You’ve been the only one I see. You cared for me. But that doesn’t mean I’ll accept living like this.”
• Silence.
• Dominic’s fists tightened at his sides. His gaze darkened, yet a faint, calculated smile crept across his lips.
• “If that’s what you want... get ready. We’ll go,” he said.
• Elena’s eyes lit up. “Really?!”
• “Yes,” Dominic replied flatly, already heading for the door. “But don’t blame me if something happens.”
• And with that, he left without another word.
• Elena stood frozen, a wave of relief washing over her. But in the back of her mind, a dangerous hope began to bloom, what if someone out there knew her? What if... she could escape?