**Chapter 4**
When I next awoke, I found myself locked in a warehouse.
The wounds on my back had formed a thin scab, and even the slightest movement sent searing pain through me. I forced myself to get up, knocking on the door.
A cold voice from outside replied, “Miss Brooke said you haven’t learned your lesson yet, so you’ll remain locked up for three more days, without food or water.”
He paused, then added, “Master Damien also agreed.”
I slid down the door to the floor, and a sudden, bitter laugh escaped me.
Brooke hated me, and I knew it better than anyone.
Years ago, due to a twist of fate, I had occupied her rightful place as the Sterling heiress, leaving her to suffer outside.
She had finally been reunited with her family, but Damien had refused to let me, the fake daughter, leave, spoiling me rotten, so much so that Brooke couldn’t even make me go away.
Now, Damien had amnesia. He didn’t remember me, nor his insane, possessive love for me.
Brooke finally had her chance for revenge.
I leaned against the cold warehouse wall, not struggling, not knocking on the door again.
Anyway… in a few more days, I would be completely free.
There was no need to add complications at the last minute.
Let it be.
There were no windows in the warehouse, so it was impossible to tell day from night.
I huddled in the corner, unable to sleep because of the pain from my wounds, counting my breaths to pass the time.
Brooke would have someone throw in a stack of photos every day.
The photos were all intimate moments between Damien and Seraphina-
9:27 AM
<
He was pictured with his arm around Seraphina’s waist at a party, leaning in to whisper in her ear;
He bent down to adjust her dress, a gentlemanly and gentle gesture;
He placed a diamond ring on Seraphina’s hand in front of everyone, pulling her into an embrace and kissing her;
On the back of each photo, Brooke had scrawled taunting words in red ink-
“This is what my brother’s fiancée should look like.”
“What are you, anyway?”
“Stop dreaming. He’ll never remember you.”
Three days later, the warehouse door finally creaked open.
Blinding light poured in, and I squinted, seeing Brooke standing in the doorway, looking down at me with disdain.
“Seraphina’s birthday party? My brother went all out,” she said, her smile dripping with malice. “What are you waiting
for? Get to the party and serve as a waitress!”
I pushed myself up against the wall, my legs so weak I could barely stand, but there was no room to refuse.
After hastily applying some medicine, drinking some water, and eating a little something, I was rushed to the banquet
hall.
True to Brooke’s words, Damien had spared no expense for Seraphina’s birthday party.
The entire banquet hall was decorated to resemble a starry night sky, crystal chandeliers reflecting brilliant light, and champagne towers stacked taller than a person.
But the most striking thing was Damien’s gift to Seraphina.
A blue diamond necklace worth hundreds of millions.
He personally placed it around her neck, and the entire hall erupted in applause.
Even so, whispers rippled through the crowd-
“Did Damien really lose his memory? He used to be so crazy for Elara…
“Shhh! Lower your voice! The Sterling family is audacious, arranging a fiancée for him while he has amnesia. Who knows what will happen if he ever remembers and overturns the whole family…”
“I heard his amnesia is permanent, the doctors said so…”
I kept my head down, quietly going about my tasks, as if these conversations had nothing to do with me.
Until-
A pair of high heels stopped in front of me.
I looked up, meeting Seraphina’s smiling eyes.
“Elara.” She swirled the champagne in her hand, her red lips curving into a faint smile. “Are you satisfied with the little gift I gave you last time?”
I looked up at Seraphina. “You really don’t have to be like this.”
I said softly, “Damien has amnesia now, he has no feelings for me, and I won’t interfere with you two.”
Seraphina chuckled, her red lips curling into a mocking are.
“You say that so easily. I’ve loved him for so many years. Do you know how happy I was when I finally got my wish for al marriage alliance?”
Her nails dug into my arm, her eyes swirling with twisted hatred.
“And what happened? He turned around and announced he only wanted you! I loved him so much that I even came to him, offering a hundred billion dollar corporation as a dowry, but he didn’t even blink, and threw me out…”
Her voice started to tremble. “That day, it was pouring rain, and I still went looking for him, only to see him coaxing you into bed again. I witnessed it with my own eyes, him pressing you against the floor–to–ceiling window, with such tenderness, such profound affection, saying that in this whole world, he only wanted you…”
“Do you know how desperate I was that day? And now, your single phrase ‘I won’t interfere‘ is supposed to erase all the pain I suffered?!”
She stepped back, elegantly smoothed her dress, her smile sweet and malicious.
“Elara, remember this: I will make you wish for death, but never find it.”
With that, she turned and walked away.
I stood rooted to the spot, cold sweat breaking out on my back. A strong sense of unease washed over me.
I put down the tray and was about to leave when Seraphina’s panicked voice suddenly echoed through the banquet hall-
“My necklace is gone!”
The entire hall erupted in murmurs.
“That’s the blue diamond necklace Master Damien just gave her!”
“Who would be so bold as to steal it?”
In the chaos, Seraphina looked at me pitifully, her finger directly pointing at me. “I only spoke to her a moment ago…”
In an instant, all eyes shot to me.
Damien’s gaze was the coldest, like a blade dipped in ice.
