The amnesia, his obsession

The chandelier above shimmered like a thousand cold stars, its light spilling across a wedding that felt more like a transaction than a celebration. Everything was perfect, too perfect. The flowers were flawless, the guests were powerful, the music was elegant and none of it meant anything. Isabella stood at the center of it all, her fingers tightening around a bouquet she no longer wanted. The delicate white petals crushed slightly under her grip, but she didn’t loosen her hold.Because if she did— She might fall apart instead. This wasn’t love, it wasn’t even choice, this was obligation. Across the room stood her husband. Leonard DeLuca. Power wrapped in a human form. Tall, impeccably dressed, untouchable and completely uninterested in her existence. He hadn’t looked at her during the vows. Not once, not when she walked down the aisle, not when she said “I do, not even when he placed the ring on her finger. It had felt like being married to a shadow or worse. To a man who had already decided she didn’t matter. Whispers followed her as she moved, soft but sharp enough to cut. “He didn’t even look at her…” “Poor girl…” “That marriage won’t last.” Each word pressed against her chest, tightening, suffocating but Isabella kept walking because stopping would mean admitting they were right and she refused to break that easily. The Room That Was Never Meant to Be Warm, the master bedroom door closed behind them with a soft but final click. It sounded louder than it should have. Like something ending before it even began. Silence settled immediately. Heavy, unforgiving. Isabella turned slowly, her heart pounding against her ribs as if trying to escape. Leonard had already loosened his tie, his movements calm, indifferent—like tonight held no weight. Like she didn’t exist. “Leonard…” her voice came out softer than she intended. No response. He walked past her without a glance, heading straight for the bar. The sound of liquid pouring into a glass echoed through the quiet room. Sharp, deliberate, distant. “I think we should talk,” she tried again, forcing strength into her tone. A mistake because this time—He laughed, low, humorless. Cold enough to make her skin tighten. Finally… he turned and when his eyes met hers, she felt it. Not anger, not frustration, nothing and somehow— that was worse. “Talk?” he repeated, like the word itself was beneath him. Isabella swallowed, steadying herself. “Yes. About… us.” “There is no ‘us.’” The words landed instantly. Clean, precise, cruel. She felt something crack inside her chest, small but real. “But we’re married now—” “And whose fault is that?” He stepped toward her. Slow, controlled. Every step measured, every movement deliberate and with each step— The air seemed to tighten around her. “We both know what this is,” Leonard continued, his voice dropping into something colder. “A business deal dressed up as a wedding.” Her fingers curled into her palm. “I didn’t force you.” “No,” he said, lips curving slightly. “You just benefited from it.” Her breath caught. That wasn’t fair but fairness didn’t exist in his world. “Let’s make something clear tonight, Isabella.” Her name sounded wrong coming from him—like something bitter he didn’t want to taste. He stopped in front of her. Close enough to touch. Far enough to feel like a stranger. “I will give you everything that comes with my name,” he said. “The title. The house. The money.” A pause. Then— His voice dropped lower. Sharper. “But don’t expect anything else.” Her throat tightened. “Anything… else?” For a second, just one— His gaze dropped to her lips, then returned to her eyes, empty again. “No affection.” A pause. “No love.” Another pause “And definitely not my touch.” Silence followed. Heavy, crushing. Isabella felt her vision blur slightly, but she forced it back. Forced herself to breathe. Not here, not in front of him, not tonight. “If that’s how you feel,” she said quietly, gathering what little pride she had left, “then why agree to this marriage at all?” Leonard smirked. “Because,” he said, stepping back and lifting his glass, “some sacrifices are necessary for power.” Power. That was it, that was all she was to him, not a wife, not a partner.A pawn. The Night That Changed Nothing… Yet Hours later, the room felt even larger, even emptier. Isabella sat on the edge of the massive bed, her wedding dress still wrapped around her like a cage she couldn’t escape. The silence pressed in from every direction. Leonard never came back. He didn’t even try, didn’t pretend, didn’t care. Her fingers moved slowly to the ring on her hand. Cold, heavy, real. A reminder that this wasn’t temporary, this was her life now. A life built on nothing but what Isabella didn’t know… What no one in that room could have predicted… Was that everything was about to change because in just a few days—.