CHAPTER FOUR
1488 Words
Noah’s POV
For a second, I think I misheard him.
> “No one touches him.”
Adrian said it like a command — calm, cold, the same voice he used in boardrooms when someone challenged him.
But his eyes… his eyes were different. Fear and confusion tangled together, like he was protecting something he didn’t yet understand.
Victoria freezes. For once, her perfect control cracks — just a little.
“Adrian, you don’t know what you’re saying.”
He steps forward, placing himself between me and her guards.
“I said no one touches him.”
The two men glance at each other, uncertain. No one ever defies Victoria Wolfe — not even her sons.
Her voice sharpens. “Adrian…”
“I’m tired,” he interrupts. “Take them out.”
For a moment, I think she’ll fight him. Then she exhales, mask sliding neatly back into place.
“Very well. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
She turns on her heel, the guards trailing her out.
Silence floods the garden again.
I stare at Adrian, heart pounding. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“Yes, I did.” He doesn’t meet my eyes. “You shouldn’t be here. But if she touched you…”
He hesitates. “I don’t know why, but I couldn’t let her.”
My chest tightens. “Because you remember.”
He shakes his head. “No. But something in me reacted. Like muscle memory.”
“That’s how love works,” I whisper.
He looks away. “Stop saying that.”
“I can’t. Because it’s the truth.”
He exhales, rubbing a hand over his face. “You don’t understand. Every time I look at you, I feel something — but it doesn’t make sense. It’s like standing in a room I know I’ve been in before but can’t find the light switch.”
I take a step closer. “Then let me help you find it.”
He doesn’t move when I reach out. My fingers brush his sleeve. The warmth of his skin through thin fabric sends a jolt through me.
For a second, his eyes close. Then he steps back.
“Noah, if my mother finds you here again, she’ll destroy you. You know what she’s capable of.”
I let out a humorless laugh. “She already tried.”
His brow furrows. “What do you mean?”
“She called my lawyer. She’s trying to prove our marriage is fake. If she succeeds, I could lose everything — including my license.”
His eyes darken. “She wouldn’t…”
“She would,” I cut in. “You know she would.”
He doesn’t argue. That’s answer enough.
I steady my voice. “Adrian, you married me because you wanted to be free of her. You said we’d build a life where no one could reach us. Don’t let her take that away now.”
He looks at me, pain flickering behind his calm. “I don’t remember saying that.”
“But it’s still true,” I say softly. “Even if you’ve forgotten.”
The wind shifts, carrying rain and the faint scent of antiseptic. He’s so close — and yet miles away.
Finally, he says, “You need to leave before they come back.”
“I can’t keep running, Adrian.”
“Then let me handle this,” he says. “I’ll figure out what’s real.”
“And what if she convinces you it’s not me?”
He hesitates. “Then I’ll still find the truth.”
It’s not the promise I want, but it’s something. I nod slowly. “Okay.”
He walks me to the edge of the garden, stopping by the gate. His hand brushes mine — brief, almost unintentional — but it’s enough to make my heart ache.
“Be careful,” he says quietly.
“You too.”
I leave before the guards return, slipping into the shadows.
---
By morning, my phone won’t stop buzzing. Messages. Missed calls. One unknown number again.
> You should have listened.
No name — but I know it’s her.
I ignore it and drive to the small architecture firm I used to work for.
Mark, my boss, greets me with a strained smile. “Noah. I heard about the accident. How’s Adrian?”
“Recovering,” I manage.
“Good. Listen…” He shuts the office door. “We got an email this morning — from Wolfe Industries’ legal department. They’re questioning your credentials. Implying you falsified your degree.”
My blood runs cold. “That’s not true.”
“I know,” he says softly. “But they’re powerful. I can’t risk a lawsuit.”
“You’re firing me?”
He looks genuinely sorry. “You’re talented, Noah. But until this blows over…”
I nod numbly. “I get it.”
Outside, the city feels heavier.
They’re not just erasing our marriage.
They’re erasing me.
By the time I get home, my hands shake so badly I can barely unlock the door. Inside, everything reminds me of him — the coffee mug he always stole, the sketchbook he doodled in when he thought I wasn’t watching.
I pull out that sketchbook now, flipping through until I find the page that matters.
A small house by the sea.
Underneath, his handwriting: Our place someday.
I trace the words, remembering how serious he looked when he said, If the world ever turns against us, we’ll disappear there.
Maybe it’s time to find it.
I pack a bag, shove the drawing into my pocket, and head out. But before I can leave the city, my phone rings again.
It’s Teresa.
“Noah,” she whispers urgently. “Something’s wrong.”
My heart skips. “What happened?”
“They moved Mr. Wolfe out of his room this morning. Private facility, they said. But it wasn’t scheduled. And when I asked where… no one answered.”
“What do you mean, moved?”
“I mean he’s gone.”
The phone almost slips from my hand. “Gone?”
“Yes. Mrs. Wolfe came in early. She signed the transfer herself.”
I feel the blood drain from my face. “Do you know where they took him?”
“I tried to check the system. The file’s locked. I’m sorry, Noah.”
I close my eyes. “Thank you for telling me.”
When I hang up, I just stand there in the street, the noise of cars and voices fading into nothing.
He’s gone. Again.
Victoria didn’t waste time. She must’ve realized he was starting to remember.
---
I drive straight to the Wolfe Tower downtown. It’s late evening, the lobby almost empty. The security guard recognizes me instantly.
“Mr. Reyes,” he says awkwardly. “You can’t be here.”
“I need to see Mrs. Wolfe.”
“She’s not in.”
“Then I’ll wait.”
He shifts uneasily. “You can’t wait here.”
Before he can stop me, I head for the elevator. He calls after me, but I don’t care. The doors close. The air feels too thin.
When I reach the top floor, the lights are low. The offices are dark. Her door is half-open.
I step inside.
Victoria sits behind her desk, composed, sipping tea — as if she’d been expecting me.
“Noah,” she says smoothly. “Persistent, aren’t you?”
“Where is he?”
She sets her cup down. “Safe.”
“Tell me where.”
Her eyes glint. “Why would I? You’re not part of his life anymore.”
“I am his husband.”
She smiles faintly. “You were his mistake.”
Anger flares through me. “You can forge papers, threaten my job, hide him from me — but you can’t erase the truth.”
“The truth,” she says slowly, “is whatever I decide it to be.”
I take a step closer. “You’re scared. Because he’s remembering.”
Her expression hardens, though she doesn’t move. “He’s confused. You’re exploiting that.”
“He’s my husband.”
The words echo against the glass. For a second, even she seems startled by the force in my voice.
Then she leans back. “You want him so badly, Mr. Reyes? Fine. Let’s see how far you’ll go to find him.”
“What does that mean?”
She walks to the window. The city lights burn behind her like fire.
“It means,” she says softly, “your love is about to be tested.”
I narrow my eyes. “What did you do to him?”
She turns, that same icy smile curving her lips.
“Let’s just say…”
She pauses, enjoying it.
“…by the time you see him again, he might not love you anymore.”
- Writer
