The Billionaire’s Forgotten Vow

✨ The past unfolds—and love begins again. ✨ Rain-Soaked Highway, Seattle | Night ✨ Some storms start on the inside—before the rain even falls. ✨ Headlights blurred through sheets of rain. The sound of tires slicing through water echoed in the dark, storm-drenched highway. Alexander "Xander" Reyes gripped the steering wheel tighter, knuckles white, eyes fixed ahead despite the haze of memory and frustration clawing at the edges of his mind. Victor's voice snapped through the Bluetooth speaker—sharp, angry, calculated. "You think you're in love, Alexander? You think this—this fantasy with her—is more important than your legacy?" "I'm not discussing this with you anymore," Xander muttered, jaw clenched. His voice trembled beneath the surface, raw from too many fights, too many rejections. "Then don't call me when it all comes crashing down." "I won't." Lightning split the sky in a jagged streak, illuminating the wet road for a blink. A blaring horn. A sudden swerve. Screeching tires on asphalt. Then—darkness. ✨ One blink—and everything vanished. ✨ Seattle General Hospital | Hours Later "BP's dropping. We need to intubate now—" "Pupils reactive, but possible frontal lobe trauma. Prep neuro." Beeping machines. Frantic voices. The cold glint of surgical lights. The world slowly pulled into focus, a tunnel of muted light and sound. Xander's eyes fluttered open, dazed and disoriented. Everything felt tilted—like the universe had slipped sideways. "Mr. Reyes? Can you hear me?" The nurse's voice barely registered. Nothing did. Not the pain, not the fear—only a profound sense of something missing. Someone missing. A single thought broke through the fog: I'm supposed to be somewhere else. But where? Private Waiting Room | Same Time Belle Cruz-Reyes sat curled in the hospital chair, her body stiff, fragile like porcelain left too long in the cold. Her arms were wrapped tightly around her middle, as if trying to hold herself together. In her hands, a photo of a smiling baby girl crinkled at the edges—its corners soft from sleepless nights and whispered prayers. Her gaze stayed locked on the hallway. Down that corridor, behind that glass, the man she married lay fighting a battle she couldn't see. She hadn't been allowed to hold his hand. Victor—his ever-watchful father—stood at the door like a sentinel. "He's awake," a nurse whispered to another. Belle rose, her heart leaping—until she caught Victor's sharp glance through the glass. He said nothing, just shook his head. Not now. Not you. ✨ She remembered every heartbeat he forgot. ✨ She stood frozen as a wave of pain crashed over her. Her hand lifted to the window, palm pressed against the glass as if her touch could bridge the gap. Xander turned in bed, blinking at the ceiling, awake... but empty. He didn't see her. Didn't know her. ✨ He opened his eyes. But not to her. ✨ And that, somehow, hurt worse than anything. Xander's Hospital Room | Later Victor leaned over the bed, wearing that too-practiced look of concern. "You've been in an accident. There's memory loss. You're safe, Xander. I'm here." Xander turned his head slowly, brows pinched. "How long...?" Victor hesitated. "Doctors say you've lost about two years. But it's temporary. They think your memory will return." Two years. A void. A blank slate where life should have been. Faces and names swirled in his mind, none of them staying long enough to anchor. The world felt distant, like he was watching it through frosted glass. Then a whisper floated up, unbidden. "Where's Belle?" Victor stiffened. "Who?" Xander blinked, confused. "Belle. Belle Cruz... Cruz-Reyes?" Victor's tone shifted, casual but too sharp. "She was a temporary employee. You must've overheard the name. Don't stress your mind trying to chase ghosts." ✨ The mind can forget. But the heart remembers. ✨ Ghosts. But the name tasted like truth. A strange ache filled his chest. His fingers twitched unconsciously, as if remembering the weight of a hand that no longer reached back. There was a scar over his wrist—a thin line of pink that had no context, but his heart skipped when he noticed it. Why did it feel like love had lived there? Hospital Lobby | Moments Later Clarisse Delgado swept through the entrance like she owned it. The heels, the tailored coat, the perfect shade of crimson on her lips—every piece calculated. She found him propped up in bed, awake but distant. "Xander," she cooed, taking his hand before he could pull away. "You scared me half to death." He studied her. She looked familiar. Familiar like a magazine ad you've seen a hundred times. "I heard we were... close?" he asked carefully. Her smile grew. "Very." But it rang false. Or maybe he was too hollow to tell. She leaned in to kiss his cheek. He didn't flinch—but neither did he lean in. ✨ She was everything polished. But not everything true. ✨ He felt like a man borrowing someone else's life. Hospital Chapel | Same Time Belle knelt in a pew, her shoulders hunched. Tears ran silently down her cheeks. Her wedding ring glinted under the soft chapel lights. "God," she whispered, "I don't know how to walk away from someone who doesn't remember choosing me." Her hands tightened over the photo of Hope. "I can't stay... not if I'm erased." She drew in a sharp breath, clutched the ring tighter. "But I'll fight. Just... show me how." ✨ How do you fight for someone who no longer knows they were yours? ✨ Flashback: Lakeside Chapel | Two Years Ago The sky was a canvas of stars. Lanterns floated on the lake. No guests. No spectacle. Just Belle, Xander, and a minister who smiled as they read vows written with trembling hands. "No matter the world," Xander said, voice raw, "you'll always be my home." ✨ No fanfare. No crowds. Just vows written in stars. ✨ Tears spilled from Belle's eyes as they kissed. It was the kind of love that wasn't loud but lasted. Hospital Room | That Night Xander's sleep was restless. Dreams laced with laughter, rain, and a voice he couldn't name. Belle. When he opened his eyes, the room was empty. Victor sat by the window, phone in hand, already orchestrating. The woman's voice from the dream lingered. Soft. Familiar. Loved. But gone. ✨ She lived in his dreams. But nowhere in his waking world. ✨ A soft ache bloomed in his chest. He didn't know her face. But her absence was the loudest truth he'd ever known. END OF CHAPTER ONE