The Day I Woke Again
CHAPTER 1
The Day I Woke Again
Charlotte POV
“Hold her tight!”
“Stop struggling!”
I tried to break free, but their grip was strong. My hands flailed, but it was useless. My vision blurred, the world twisting around me, spinning into darkness. Panic surged through my chest, I was unable to breathe. For a moment, I couldn’t tell where I ended and the shadows began.
And then… silence.
I opened my eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling, white and spotless. I blinked, forcing myself to take in the room. Sheets wrapped around me, warm and solid, grounding me to the here and now. My body felt heavier under the sheets. My heart pounded like a drum against my ribs, and a cold, sinking thought slithered through my mind.
Something about this place… I had seen it before.
No. That wasn’t possible.
And yet, deep down, I knew… Damian would walk through that door any second.
The door creaked open.
My stomach tightened. Footsteps followed. Slow. Deliberate. Heavy, but quiet enough to make me strain to hear them. Each step made my chest squeeze.
He was taller than I remembered. Broad shoulders. Lean but strong. Black hair falling over his forehead just right, giving him a dangerous edge. Everything about him said “don’t mess with me.”
I froze. My heart skipped a beat.
Charlotte, behave, I whispered to myself.
But I couldn’t stop noticing him. His sharp jaw. The scar above his brow. His lips… full, slightly curved, with a perfect cupid’s bow. I shook my head. I wasn’t supposed to be staring. I tried to focus, but it was impossible.
“You’re awake,” he said. His voice was low, husky, calm, but it carried a weight I couldn’t ignore. His blue eyes—cold and sharp—locked on mine like he was reading every secret thought in my mind.
“Yes,” I whispered, barely able to form the word.
He held out a cup of water. Our fingers brushed, just for a second, but I felt it everywhere—like electricity. My eyes wandered over him again, and I caught every detail again—the scar, the shape of his lips, the way his muscles moved under the shirt.
“f**k,” I murmured.
“What did you say?” His eyes flicked toward me, piercing.
“Nothing,” I said quickly. Heat spread across my cheeks. How does he always hear everything? I wondered. Then I asked, trying to sound calm, “How long have I been… asleep?”
“Three days,” he replied. His voice even, like saying it was no big deal.
Three days. That was… a long time. My body felt weak. My legs ached, but the fear of what just happened to me was stronger than the pain.
“Oh… okay,” I said quietly.
He gave me a small nod, then turned toward the door. “Rest well,” he said, and left.
I watched him go, every step perfect, every movement controlled. My chest tightened again. I couldn’t understand why I noticed all these things about him now. Why had I never seen him like this before?
And then it hit me.
Everything… this… all of it… had happened before.
I staggered to my feet. My body wobbled, but I gripped the edge of the bed and steadied myself. My mind raced. Clothes, walls, the faint hum of the air conditioner—everything was the same. But something inside me had changed.
I stepped outside, letting the morning sunlight hit my face.
There he was. Damian. Standing at the other side of the courtyard, tall, cold, and unreadable. His blue eyes locked on me, sharp and calculating. I forced a smile, unsure if he even noticed.
“You can leave now,” he said as he walked toward me.
My old self would have obeyed. My old self would have turned and walked away. But I wasn’t that person anymore.
“I don’t want to leave yet,” I said, stepping closer.
