The Billionaire Who Forgot His Marriage

Adrian’s POV “Who the hell are you?” The words are out before I can stop them. My throat burns, my voice raw, the sterile scent of antiseptic thick in the air. I blink through the haze of white light, trying to piece together where I am. A hospital room. Machines hum softly beside me, a steady beep marking my pulse. My body aches like I’ve been hit by something hard—because I have. The crash. My car. That much I remember. But the man standing at the foot of my bed? I don’t. He’s staring at me like I’ve just stabbed him. Eyes wide, chest trembling as if he’s holding back a sob. There’s something fragile about him—something too human for the cold, glass world I’m used to. “It’s me,” he says quietly. “Noah.” The name hits me like static. Familiar, almost—but it slips through my mind like water through fingers. I frown. “Noah…?” His lips twitch into a nervous, broken smile. “Your husband.” The room stills. For a moment, I think I misheard. Husband? That’s impossible. I’ve never— “Is this some kind of joke?” My voice sharpens, cutting through the hum of the machines. He steps closer. “It’s not a joke. We’ve been married for two years. You said we’d keep it quiet, at least until things with your family settled. You said—” “I said what?” I snap. The silence that follows is unbearable. His shoulders shake slightly as he exhales, staring at me like he’s searching for something in my eyes. “You said you loved me.” My heart clenches at the word, though I don’t know why. Love. I can’t remember the last time that word meant anything to me. The door opens. My mother, Victoria Wolfe, strides in—tall, elegant, composed in her black coat. Behind her, my brother Damian smirks like a wolf in a suit, and Evelyn, my assistant, clutches her tablet like a shield. The air thickens. “Adrian, darling,” my mother says, her voice sweet but sharp around the edges. “You’re awake. Thank God.” “Mother.” I shift, my ribs protesting. “What happened?” “Your car hydroplaned. You’re lucky to be alive.” Then her gaze lands on Noah, and the warmth drains from her face. “Who let him in?” Noah’s jaw tightens. “I’m his husband.” Victoria’s eyes narrow. “His what?” Damian chuckles softly. “This is new. Adrian, you get married and forget to tell the family?” I glance between them, confusion tightening in my chest. “I don’t remember,” I admit quietly. Victoria steps closer, brushing my hair back like I’m a child again. “That’s because you’ve had a trauma, darling. The doctors said there may be… lapses. Selective memory loss. But don’t worry. We’ll handle everything.” Her eyes flick to Noah—cold, assessing. “Including whoever this man is.” Noah flinches but doesn’t back down. “I’m not some stranger. I know things about him none of you do. The scar on his shoulder from when he fell off his father’s boat. The way he can’t sleep unless there’s music playing. The—” “That’s enough,” Victoria cuts in, voice like ice. “Anyone could’ve read that online.” “I didn’t read it,” Noah says through clenched teeth. “I lived it.” Evelyn clears her throat softly, stepping forward. “Mr. Wolfe, for what it’s worth, we checked your records. There’s no legal marriage license filed under your name.” Noah pulls a folded document from his pocket, hands trembling. “Because he wanted it private. But we registered it abroad. In Italy. Look, this is—” “Forgery,” Damian says smoothly, snatching the paper before Noah can stop him. He glances at it, smirks, and passes it to Evelyn. “Cheap, too.” “That’s not—” “Noah.” My voice comes out quieter now. There’s something in his eyes that makes my chest ache—betrayal and hope tangled together. “If you’re telling the truth, why can’t I remember you?” He swallows. “Because you’ve forgotten me. But that doesn’t mean what we had wasn’t real.” I look away. His voice stirs something in me I can’t name—a ghost of emotion just out of reach. The doctors arrive then, breaking the tension. They run tests, ask questions. I answer automatically. Yes, I know who I am. Yes, I know the date. No, I don’t remember the past two years. When they leave, Noah’s still there—pale, exhausted, like he hasn’t slept in days. Victoria turns to him. “You’ve done enough. Leave my son alone.” “No.” His tone hardens, surprising even me. “I’m not leaving him. You can say whatever you want, but I’m not going anywhere.” Damian chuckles under his breath. “You’ve got guts. I’ll give you that.” Noah ignores him, gaze locked on me. “Please, Adrian. Let me stay. I can help you remember. Just let me try.” I should tell him no. That’s what I’ve always done with people who claim too much of me—cut them out, protect myself. But something in me hesitates. His voice breaks slightly. “You said love was your biggest risk. But you took it anyway… with me.” My breath catches. For a heartbeat, an image flickers—hands tangled in white sheets, soft laughter, the taste of coffee on someone’s lips. Then it’s gone, slipping away before I can grasp it. I exhale shakily, pressing a hand to my temple. “I need time,” I manage. Noah nods, eyes glassy. “Take all the time you need.” But as Victoria escorts him out, I hear her low hiss in the hallway. “Don’t you dare come near him again.” The door closes. Silence returns. I lean back, staring at the ceiling. The world feels off balance, like I woke up in a life that isn’t mine. Two years gone. A stranger who calls himself my husband. A family too quick to bury the truth. And beneath it all, the faint echo of a voice I can’t forget. You said you loved me. The words loop through my mind. By the time night falls, I can’t sleep. City lights spill through the blinds, and somewhere in the dark, I swear I hear his voice again—soft, broken. “Adrian, don’t let them erase us.” I turn sharply, heart racing. But the room is empty. Still, something inside me whispers— What if he’s telling the truth? My hand tightens around the bedsheet. Before I can stop myself, I whisper into the dark, “Then why can’t I remember you?”