Aurora clutched the journal to her chest like a shield, backing away from the man she no longer recognized.

"I have nothing more to say to you," she said, her voice flat. She turned and walked towards the door. "My lawyer will contact you again at nine tomorrow morning."

Julian didn't move to stop her. His dark gaze followed her every step. "Where are you going?" he asked, his voice devoid of any warmth.

"Somewhere without you!"

She pulled the heavy apartment door open and slammed it shut behind her. The sound echoed in the marble foyer.

She rushed into the private elevator, her reflection pale and furious in the mirrored walls. She would stay with her agent, Leo, tonight. Right now, she just needed to get away from him.

The elevator reached the underground garage. Aurora walked towards her white Maserati, her heels clicking angrily on the concrete. As she reached for the handle, a hand shot out and clamped down on the door, blocking her.

Julian.

He had followed her down, not even bothering with a jacket. In the dim garage light, his face was a terrifying mask of fury.

"You're tracking me!" she gasped.

"Get in the car," he commanded, ignoring her accusation. "We're going to settle this right now."

"I don't need a ride from you! Let go!" She tried to push him away, but he was an immovable wall.

After a brief, silent struggle, he yanked open the passenger door, bundled her inside, and slid into the driver's seat. The locks clicked shut with a sound of finality.

"Julian, you're insane!" she screamed, clawing at the door handle, but the central lock was under his control.

He ignored her, jamming the key into the ignition. The engine roared to life, an angry snarl that filled the enclosed space.

"Where are you taking me?" she cried, gripping the armrest in terror.

He didn't answer. He just floored the accelerator. The sports car shot out of the parking spot like an arrow released from a bow.

The Maserati tore out of the garage and into the flow of late-night Manhattan traffic. The air inside the car was so thick with tension it felt hard to breathe.

"Let me out, Julian!" she yelled, but her words were lost to the wind.

She saw the hard line of his jaw, the bloodshot fury in his eyes. He had lost the icy calm he always wore.

He weaved recklessly through traffic, cutting off other cars, the speedometer climbing steadily. Horns blared around them.

"You're crazy! Stop the car!" she screamed.

"Crazy?" A bitter laugh escaped him, his grip on the wheel tightening. "Maybe we should just die together. A fitting end for your pathetic little crush, don't you think?"

In that split second of distraction, his eyes wild with rage, he missed the red light.

A massive truck, its horn blaring, barreled through the intersection from the side.

Time seemed to stretch, to slow down.

Julian's pupils contracted. He slammed on the brakes, but it was too late.

In the last moment before impact, she felt a powerful force slam into her from the side.

Julian had unbuckled his seatbelt. He threw his body over hers, shielding her completely, crushing her between his chest and the leather seat.

His chest was so solid, his scent so familiar, a scent she both loved and hated. The last thing she heard was her name, a desperate whisper against her ear.

"Aurora..."

Then came the sickening crunch of metal, the explosive shatter of glass. The world spun violently.

She was held so tightly in his embrace that she felt only the violent judder of the impact, a dull knock to her head. He took the full force of the collision.

The sounds faded. The smell of gasoline and blood filled the air.

Aurora struggled to lift her head. Julian was a dead weight on top of her. His head was limp against her shoulder, and blood was pouring from a gash on his temple, staining her white coat a horrifying crimson.

"Julian?" she whispered, her fingers trembling as she reached for his face. She felt for his breath. It was faint, almost non-existent.

Sirens wailed in the distance. People were shouting.

She looked at the man in her arms, the husband who had just threatened her, the man who had just saved her life, and her mind went completely blank.

Aurora sat on a cold plastic chair outside the emergency operating room, the blood on her coat long since dried. The hospital lights were a sterile, unforgiving white, and the smell of antiseptic made her stomach churn.

The red light above the door had been glowing for three agonizing hours. Every passing second felt like torture. The journal lay forgotten on the floor beside her, abandoned in the chaos of the moment.

Finally, the doors swung open. A tired-looking surgeon in green scrubs emerged.

Aurora shot to her feet. "Doctor, how is he?"

The surgeon pulled down his mask, his face grim. "Are you Mr. Carlisle's family?"

"I'm his wife," she said, her voice a raw whisper.

Dr. Miller sighed, his expression heavy. "We've stabilized his vital signs for now, but he suffered severe head trauma. The intracranial bleeding was extensive. We did everything we could, but the chances of him waking up are very slim."

The floor seemed to drop out from under her. She grabbed the wall to keep from collapsing.

"What does 'very slim' mean?" she pressed, dreading the answer.

"Best case scenario, he remains in a vegetative state," the doctor's words were brutal, direct. "Worst case... you should prepare yourself, Mrs. Carlisle."

The news was a lightning strike that shattered her. Hate, anger, love, regret... the emotions warred within her until all that was left was a vast, terrifying emptiness.

Julian was moved to the ICU. Through the thick glass, she watched him, his head wrapped in bandages, tubes running in and out of his still body. He looked like he could vanish at any moment.

A week later, a small miracle occurred. Julian's condition stabilized. He was moved from the ICU to a private room. But he remained unconscious.

Two more weeks passed. On a sunny afternoon, as a nurse was checking his vitals, Julian's fingers twitched.

Then, slowly, he opened his eyes.

When Aurora rushed to the hospital, she found him staring blankly at the ceiling. The ice-blue eyes that had once held such sharp intelligence were now clear and confused, like a teenager's.

He turned his head and looked at her as she burst into the room.

"Who are you?" he asked, his voice weak and raspy.

Aurora's heart stopped. He had forgotten her.

The doctors rushed in. After a series of tests, Dr. Miller called her into his office.

"His body is recovering, but a blood clot is pressing on his memory center, causing severe amnesia. What's more unusual is that his cognitive and mental state appears to have regressed to that of a sixteen or seventeen-year-old."

Aurora stared at him, stunned. A sixteen-year-old Julian? They hadn't even met then.

"This kind of traumatic amnesia might be temporary, or it could be permanent," Dr. Miller added. "For now, he needs rest and a stress-free environment."

She walked back to the room in a daze. The man who had been her tormentor and her savior was now fidgeting with the bedsheets like a nervous boy, his eyes filled with fear and a strange, budding dependence as he looked at her.

The journal. The betrayal. His cruel words before the crash. His body shielding hers. The images swirled in her mind.

A wild, audacious, vengeful plan began to form.

Before entering the hospital room, Aurora had contacted a lawyer and had a debt repayment contract drafted on an urgent basis. She made sure every detail was in order before stepping inside.

She took a deep breath and walked to his bedside, forcing a smile she hoped was gentle and convincing.

"You don't remember me?" she asked softly.

He shook his head, his eyes wide and uncertain.

"My name is Aurora Morgan," she said, her heart pounding as she uttered the first lie. "I'm your... boss."

She paused, letting it sink in before weaving the rest of the fabrication. "Your name is Julian. You're my assistant. Your father owed me a great deal of money, so you signed a contract to work off the debt. The accident happened while you were driving me. That's why your memory is gone."

The boy who was her husband stared at her, his clear eyes wide with shock and disbelief. He looked at this beautiful woman, who looked like she belonged in movies, and opened his mouth, but no words came out.