The amnesia, his obsession

Chapter 10: The truth he is not supposed to know

The air turned heavy, cold, unforgiving.

"...you should tell him how much he used to hate you."

Victoria's words hung in the air like a loaded weapon.

Isabella's heart stopped.

Her fingers tightened instinctively around Leonard's hand.

This was it.

The moment she had been avoiding.

The lie... was about to collapse.

Leonard didn't move, didn't speak.

But the shift in his presence was immediate.

Slowly, his head turned toward Isabella.

His eyes locked onto hers.

Searching, demanding.

"Is that true?"

His voice was quiet, too quiet.

Isabella's throat went dry.

"I—"

"Answer me."

This time, his tone was sharper, more commanding.

Victoria stepped closer, her heels echoing against the marble floor.

"Go on," she said with a smirk. "Tell him how he couldn't even stand being in the same room as you."

"Stop," Isabella whispered.

But Victoria didn't.

"He avoided you. Ignored you. Treated you like you didn't exist—" she continued

"I said stop!"

The sudden sharpness in Isabella's voice shocked even herself.

Silence followed.

Leonard's grip on her hand tightened.

Not painfully but firmly and possessive.

"Look at me," he said.

She couldn't, she didn't want to.

Because the moment she did...Everything would change.

"Isabella."

Her name rolled off his tongue slowly and calm.

She forced herself to look up.

And immediately wished she hadn't.

His eyes were dark, not soft anymore, not warm warm.

But not cold either, something worse, something intense.

"Were you lying?" he asked.

Her chest tightened painfully.

"I didn't know what to say," she admitted softly.

That wasn't an answer and they both knew it.

Victoria laughed.

"She lied to you about everything," she said. "There was no love, no affection, this marriage was nothing but a business deal."

Leonard's gaze landed on Isabella.

"Is that true?"

Tears burned in her eyes.

But she refused to let them fall.

"Yes," she whispered.

The word shattered the silence.

Victoria smiled in satisfaction.

But Leonard didn't react.

Not the way anyone expected.

Instead— He stepped closer to Isabella.

"What else?" he asked.

She blinked. "What?"

"What else did you lie about?" He asked

Her heart pounded violently.

"Nothing—"

"Don't."

The single word stopped her.

"Don't lie again," he said calmly.

For a moment...She saw it.

The hurt, the confusion, the crack in his control.

"I only said it because—" her voice broke slightly, "—because you hated me."

Silence for some moment.

Victoria scoffed. "Of course he did."

But Leonard's attention remained on Isabella.

"Why?"

The question caught her off guard.

"Why would I hate you?" he pressed.

Her lips parted but no words came out because she didn't have an answer that wouldn't hurt.

"You don't remember," she said finally.

"That's not good enough." His voice dropped, lower, intense.

"I need to know why."

Before she could respond— Victoria stepped in again.

"Because you were in love with me," she said sharply.

The words hit like a bomb.

Isabella's breath caught.

Leonard's expression didn't change but something shifted, something dangerous.

"And yet..." he said slowly, turning slightly toward Victoria, "I don't feel anything for you now."

Victoria froze.

His gaze returned to Isabella.

Intense, burning.

"But I feel something for her."

The room went still.

"I don't remember loving you," he continued, his voice steady, "but I also don't remember hating her."

A pause.

"So why," his eyes darkened, "does it feel like she's the only thing I don't want to lose?"

Isabella's heart broke because this—

This wasn't part of the lie anymore, this was real.

Victoria's expression twisted in anger.

"You're confused," she snapped. "This isn't real. It's just your condition—" "Then why does it feel real?"

Her words died.

Leonard stepped even closer to Isabella.

His hand lifted—

And gently wiped the tear that had finally escaped her eye.

"Did I hurt you?" he asked quietly.

Her chest tightened.

"Yes." Without hesitation.

A flicker of something dark passed through his eyes.

"Then that version of me..." he said slowly, "...doesn't matter."

Isabella froze.

Because in that moment— Leonard made a decision that could change everything.

"I don't care who I was before," he said.

His gaze locked onto hers.

Possessive and final

"I choose who I am now."