Third Person's POV

"Starlet, this is your last chance. Get out of here and stay away from Aldrich. If you don't, the consequences will be more than you can handle," Eileen warned.

"Consequences? You mean like this?" Starlet asked, and before Eileen could react, she suddenly started the car and slammed her foot on the gas. The engine roared as the car shot forward and Eileen's terrified screams filled the air.

"Starlet! You lunatic! What the hell are you doing? Stop the car! Stop it now!" Eileen shrieked in fear.

"What's wrong? Aren't you the one who loves making threats? Loves talking about consequences? Fine, then! Let’s see how you like being dragged down with me. If we die, we die together!"

A crazed grin spread across Starlet’s face as she said that, her bloodshot eyes locked on the road ahead like a demon straight out of hell. The sight alone drained all the color from Eileen’s face.

Scenes of the past flashed through Eileen’s mind. She didn’t want to die. She couldn’t die. She had just returned to the country, and had just begun her plan to become Aldrich's wife—how could she die now?

"Starlet! Stop the car! I said STOP!"

However, Eileen's panicked screams only fell on deaf ears. At that moment, pure fear took over. Without thinking, she lunged for the steering wheel.

The sudden struggle caught Starlet off guard. She knew Eileen had nearly died in a street racing accident years ago—that was exactly why she wanted to teach her a lesson, to make her feel a fraction of the fear she once inflicted on others. It was just supposed to be a warning, a small taste of retribution.

But she hadn’t expected Eileen to fight back.

The car swerved wildly, and Starlet could feel the control slipping away. If this continued, they would both die for real.

Eileen's life didn’t matter to her. But her own? She still had a future. A life to live.

Soon, her eyes caught sight of the guardrail up ahead. Gritting her teeth, she yanked the wheel hard to the side.

Then a deafening crash filled their worlds and everything went dark.

Starlet didn’t know how long she had been unconscious. But a jumble of voices pulled her back to reality, their words filtering through the haze.

"Both patients have sustained severe injuries to their hands. They need immediate surgery, or they risk permanent damage. But most of our surgeons are already in the operating room. Only one is available right now. So, who do you want to be treated first, Mr. Young?"

Her mind cleared instantly upon hearing it.

Her hands couldn't be damaged! She was a comic artist. If she lost her hands, her entire future would be destroyed.

Panic surged through her. She forced herself to speak in a hoarse and weak voice.

"Aldrich… I-I still need to draw. My hands… I can’t afford to lose them."

Just then, the warmth of a hand holding hers suddenly disappeared.

Starlet opened her eyes just in time to catch the flicker of hesitation in Aldrich’s expression.

But then, his hands moved—away from her and onto Eileen’s shoulder.

"Save Eileen first," he said.

The pain hit Starlet all at once. So sharp, so overwhelming that she couldn't tell if it was coming from her injured hands or her shattered heart.

She looked at him, at the man who had once promised her forever. And in that moment, any remaining hope she had crumbled into dust.

'Of course. Something broken is never worth keeping. Not an object. Not a person,' she thought.

As such, Starlet drifted in and out of consciousness.

The anesthesia left her unable to open her eyes, but she could still hear everything around her.

"Aldrich, you really made a mess of things this time. How are you planning to clean it up?"

"Yeah," another voice chimed in. "Starlet’s a comic artist. Her hands mean everything to her. But you chose to save Eileen first. When she finds out the truth… she’s going to hate you for the rest of her life."

Third Person's POV

“She’ll never know the truth. I had no choice at the time—she woke up too soon. If I had chosen to save her first, my whole act of pretending to have amnesia would’ve fallen apart. She would’ve hated me even more. But luckily, she’s okay,” Aldrich answered.

“Okay? The doctors said if she had been in surgery even a minute later, she would’ve lost her hand,” rebutted the other.

Starlet’s heart clenched after hearing it, while a sweat-soaked hand holding hers.

A few moments later, she felt a soft kiss land on her forehead, followed by a firm, determined voice.

“I know I owe her. But I’ve already planned everything out. In a few days, the doctors will announce that my memory has returned. Everything will go back to the way it was. I’ll make it up to her. I’ll love her the way I should have. I’ll give her everything she deserves," Aldrich explained.

“After we get married, I’ll take her to see the most beautiful northern lights. I’ll go anywhere she wants to go. We once made a wish under a shooting star that we'd stay together forever. She won’t leave me. She never will," he added, assured.

Starlet wasn’t sure if he was trying to reassure himself or remind her of their past.

But that wish… she had no desire to fulfill it anymore.

If someone stayed, it meant they loved their partner. But if they left, it meant they no longer did.

That applied to everyone, especially if one played with someone’s heart.

From then on, Aldrich never left Starlet's side while she was unconscious.

Every half an hour, he had the doctors check on her condition. Every so often, he gently wiped her dry lips with warm water.

He played the role of a devoted, attentive boyfriend flawlessly—until the moment she woke up.

The second she opened her eyes, he quickly turned and left the room.

Starlet watched his retreating figure, a cold smirk flickering across her lips.

A few minutes later, the doctor came in to check on her.

“These past few days… who’s been taking care of me?” she asked suddenly.

The doctor hesitated for a moment, avoiding her gaze before stammering, “I—I’m not sure… probably a nurse.”

“Is that so?”

She let out a soft, humorless laugh and picked up her phone, checking the time.

She had been unconscious for days.

And in three more, she would be gone forever.

Just then, her phone rang.

It was the nursing home.

“Miss Bennett… your sister… she passed away yesterday at around eleven in the morning.”

Her already shattered heart felt like it was being crushed under an unbearable weight.

Tears slipped silently from the corners of her eyes, soaking her pale face.

“Dr. Erickson… was she in pain?” she sobbingly asked.

“No, don’t worry. She was peaceful. She just kept calling your name, asking for you. I tried calling you so many times, but I couldn’t reach you… so I told her you were on your way,” Travis replied.

'This is all that bitch's fault! If she hadn’t crashed my car, I wouldn’t have missed my sister’s final moments. If I had never gotten involved with Aldrich, none of this would’ve happened,' she grittingly thought, guilt, regret, and grief consuming her.

After hanging up, she collapsed onto the hospital bed and buried her face in her hands as a muffled, anguished sob escaped her lips.

Biting down hard on her own arm, she forced herself to swallow the pain, the sorrow, the hatred.

This hospital was full of Aldrich’s people. She couldn’t let them find out about her sister’s death. Otherwise, her plan to switch death with her sister would be in vain.

The next morning, she checked herself out of the hospital and went straight to the nursing home.

When she arrived, her sister was lying in the morgue, peaceful and still, as if she were simply asleep.

Starlet’s legs gave out beneath her. She dropped to her knees and sobbed like a lost child.

Third Person's POV

"My condolences. Talia wouldn't want to see you like this."

Travis’s gentle voice came from behind, his broad hand resting lightly on Stralet's shoulder.

Of course. Her sister had been the kindest, most innocent soul. No matter how many mistakes she had made, that foolish girl only ever wished for her happiness. She would never want to see her in pain.

Swallowing back her grief, Starlet, with Travis’s help, arranged a simple funeral for her sister.

Once everything was settled, the sky was still bright. Instead of going back, she headed straight to the registry office to erase her identity as Starlet.

With the official death certificate from the sanatorium, the process went smoothly.

As she stepped out of the office, the snow that had been falling all morning suddenly cleared.

Lifting her gaze to the sky, she squinted against the sharp sunlight. It was blinding, but for the first time in a long while, she felt like she could see hope—hope for a new life.

A faint smile curved her lips. Just as she was about to leave, her phone rang.

An unknown number.

She hesitated at first but answered anyway.

"Hello, Miss Bennett. This is the manager of the Haven Hotel. Your fiancé, Mr. Aldrich Young, booked the venue for a wedding three days from now, but there are still some details left to confirm. We’ve been unable to reach him, so we had no choice but to contact you. Would you be available to come by and discuss the arrangements?"

Her first instinct was to refuse. But then, when she heard the date, her eyelashes trembled slightly.

Three days from now—the day Aldrich had chosen to "regain" his memory and also the day she planned to disappear.

How fitting.

One last look at a wedding she would never attend—maybe that would be the perfect ending to this mess.

In the end, she agreed, hailed a cab, and arrived at the hotel. The manager led her to the 28th floor. The moment she stepped inside, a strong scent of magnolias filled the air.

Above her, tiny lights twinkled like stars, while delicate white magnolias cascaded like snow between strands of crystal beads. A soft fragrance lingered in the air, wrapping the room in quiet romance. It was beautiful—just like that spring when the magnolias bloomed, and she and Aldrich had met.

Magnolias symbolized loyalty.

She once believed their love would be as steadfast as these flowers.

She had forgotten, though—magnolias were fleeting. Just like everything between them.

The manager, about to explain the venue details, suddenly received a call and stepped away, leaving her alone.

The hall had two levels. Wandering aimlessly, she made her way upstairs.

From here, the floating lights in the air felt closer, almost within reach. It reminded her of that night—when Aldrich had knelt before her, eyes full of sincerity, holding out a ring as he made his lifelong vow.

Back then, when she had said yes, he had cried. And she had thought—marriage with him would be beautiful.

Who could have predicted that within three months, everything would crumble to nothing?

Lost in thought, she barely registered the sound of the doors downstairs swinging open.

At first, she assumed it was the manager returning.

But no—it was Aldrich and Eileen.

Aldrich was dressed in a deep burgundy suit, a bouquet of magnolias in his hands.

She had to admit—he looked stunning in that color.

She had loved seeing him in burgundy. He had once promised that on their wedding day, he would wear it just for her.

Beside him, Eileen’s eyes darted around the hall, a flicker of jealousy crossing her face. Then, as her gaze landed on the second floor, she paused—her lips curling into a knowing, wicked smile.

Without hesitation, she wrapped her arms around Aldrich’s.

"Aldrich, why did you bring me here?" she asked in a sweet, almost childish tone.

Aldrich placed a casual arm around her shoulders.

"This is the wedding venue I prepared for Starlet," he said. "The day after tomorrow, I plan to have a few of my friends bring her here. I’ll pretend to be overwhelmed by memories… and then, just like that, I’ll regain my memory."