HIS BIGGEST REGRET

Chapter 16: The memory she buried

Serena stared at the photograph.

Her fingers had gone cold.

YOU FORGOT, SERENA.

Three simple words.

Yet they had awakened something inside her that she couldn't explain.

She turned the photograph over again.

Nothing else.

No name.

No date.

No explanation.

Just those three words written in black ink.

She sat slowly on the edge of the bed.

"Who wrote this?"

Her mind raced through every person she had trusted five years ago.

Her old colleagues.

Her former manager.

Damien.

But one face kept appearing in her memory.

A woman.

Victoria Hale.

Serena's former supervisor.

Victoria had been the one who hired her fresh out of university.

She had taught Serena everything she knew about financial analysis.

She had also been the person who introduced Serena to the company whose accounts were now connected to Project Glasshouse.

Serena hadn't spoken to Victoria in years.

Not since shortly before her wedding.

Why would Victoria have anything to do with this?

She looked back at the photograph.

Then another memory surfaced.

A rainy afternoon.

A locked office.

Victoria standing behind a desk.

And that black folder.

Serena had been holding it.

She remembered that much.

But everything after that remained blurred.

Why?

Had someone deliberately made her forget?

She shook her head.

"That's impossible."

A soft knock sounded.

Serena quickly shoved the photograph beneath the others.

"Come in."

Damien opened the door.

He stopped when he saw the photographs scattered across the bed.

"What are you doing?"

"Looking through old memories."

His eyes moved toward the pile.

For one terrifying second, Serena thought he had seen the photograph.

Then his expression changed.

"Why?"

She watched him carefully.

"I found something interesting."

Damien swallowed.

"What?"

"A photograph."

His face remained carefully blank.

"Of what?"

"Our wedding."

He forced a smile.

"That's hardly suspicious."

"You're right."

Serena smiled faintly.

"Maybe I'm just nostalgic."

Damien walked toward her.

"Serena..."

She looked up.

"What?"

He sat beside her.

"I know things haven't been easy."

"That's an understatement."

"I want to make things right."

She almost laughed.

"Can you?"

"I don't know."

His honesty surprised her.

"But I want to try."

Serena studied him.

For a moment, she almost saw the man she married.

The man who used to bring her flowers.

The man who stayed awake when she was sick.

The man who held her hand when Lily was born.

Then she remembered the hotel.

The other woman.

The lies.

Her heart hardened again.

"You had years to make things right."

Damien looked down.

"I know."

"Why didn't you?"

He didn't answer.

Instead, he reached into his pocket.

"I bought something for you."

He placed a small velvet box in her hand.

Serena frowned.

"What is this?"

"Open it."

She hesitated.

Then lifted the lid.

Inside was a delicate necklace.

A small diamond pendant hung from a silver chain.

"It's beautiful."

"I saw it and thought of you."

She stared at him.

"Why now?"

"Because I realized something."

"What?"

"You don't need expensive gifts."

He looked at her.

"You need honesty."

Serena's chest tightened.

"Then give me that."

Damien's eyes filled with pain.

"I can't."

She closed the box.

"Then I don't want the necklace."

---

The next morning...

Serena woke to a strange feeling.

She couldn't explain it.

Something was missing.

She walked downstairs.

Damien was already gone.

Lily sat at the kitchen table eating cereal.

"Mommy!"

Serena smiled.

"Good morning, sweetheart."

"Where's Daddy?"

"He went to work."

Lily frowned.

"He didn't say goodbye."

Serena froze.

"Did he leave early?"

Lily nodded.

"He was angry."

"Angry?"

"He was talking on the phone."

"What did he say?"

Lily shrugged.

"I don't know."

Serena crouched beside her.

"What did Daddy say?"

Lily thought for a moment.

Then whispered,

"He said he couldn't give them something."

Serena's blood ran cold.

"Who?"

Lily shook her head.

"I don't know."

Serena stood slowly.

The necklace suddenly felt heavy in her handbag.

She had the strangest feeling that Damien hadn't given it to her simply because he loved her.

Maybe...

It was an apology.

For something he hadn't done yet.

---

At Blackwood Global...

Ethan stood in front of a wall-sized screen.

A map of the city covered it.

Red markers appeared across different locations.

Helen stood beside him.

"We traced the financial accounts."

"And?"

"Several companies connected to Glasshouse are still active."

Ethan's expression hardened.

"How many?"

"Twenty-three."

"Owners?"

"Hidden."

"Directors?"

"Fake identities."

Ethan turned away from the screen.

"What about Serena?"

Helen hesitated.

"We found something."

She handed him a file.

Ethan opened it.

Inside was an old employment record.

SERENA HART

Five years ago.

Financial analyst.

Department: Corporate Accounts.

Ethan's eyes narrowed.

"She worked here."

"Not here."

Helen pointed to the company name.

"One of the Glasshouse subsidiaries."

Ethan stared at the document.

"She doesn't remember."

"Apparently not."

"Why?"

"We're investigating."

Ethan closed the file.

"Don't tell her yet."

Helen looked surprised.

"Why?"

"Because if someone deliberately erased part of her memory..."

He looked toward the city.

"...we need to know what they're afraid she'll remember."

---

That evening...

Serena returned home to find a package waiting on the doorstep.

No name.

No address.

She picked it up cautiously.

Inside was a small voice recorder.

Her hands trembled.

She pressed Play.

Static.

Then...

A woman's voice.

Serena froze.

She knew that voice.

She had heard it hundreds of times.

Victoria Hale.

"Serena, if you're listening to this..."

The recording crackled.

"...then something has gone terribly wrong."

Serena's heart pounded.

Victoria continued.

"I don't know how much you remember."

A pause.

"But you cannot trust Damien."

Serena's eyes widened.

Then came the words that changed everything.

"Five years ago, you didn't find the Glasshouse file."

"You created it."

The recording suddenly stopped.

Serena stared at the recorder.

Her mind went blank.

"What?"

She pressed Play again.

Nothing.

Only static.

Then the device beeped.

A second recording appeared.

This one was only three seconds long.

A man's voice.

Deep.

Cold.

Familiar.

«"She remembers."»

The recorder shut off.

Serena slowly looked toward the street.

A black SUV sat across from her house.

Its windows were tinted.

She couldn't see the person inside.

Then the vehicle started moving.

Serena stood frozen.

Her phone rang.

She answered without looking at the screen.

"Ethan?"

There was silence.

Then his voice.

"Serena, listen to me carefully."

His tone was unusually serious.

"Leave your house."

Her heart stopped.

"Why?"

"Because I just received information that someone is coming for you."

Serena looked toward the dark road.

"Who?"

Ethan paused.

"We don't know."

Another sound came from inside the house.

A door closing.

Serena's blood ran cold.

She hadn't left anyone inside.

"Ethan..."

"I'm here."

Her voice trembled.

"Someone is in my house."

The line went silent for one terrifying second.

Then Ethan's voice became sharp.

"Get outside. Now."

Serena dropped the recorder.

And ran.