The Billionaire Who Borrowed a Wife

Chapter 1: I’m Not Married “The happiest day of my life ended with my husband looking into my eyes… and telling me he’d never seen me before.” The crystal chandeliers bathed the grand ballroom in golden light, their reflections dancing across polished marble floors. Laughter drifted through the air, mingling with the soft melody of a live orchestra as the city’s wealthiest elites celebrated another glamorous charity gala. I should have been paying attention to the speeches. Instead… My eyes searched the crowd for only one man. And then I found him. Standing near the center of the ballroom, surrounded by powerful businessmen, was Damien DeLuca. Tall. Devastatingly handsome. His perfectly tailored black suit hugged his broad frame, while the tattoos disappearing beneath his sleeves hinted at the dangerous man hidden beneath his polished exterior. Even among the most influential people in the room… He commanded attention without saying a single word. My husband. A smile spread across my lips before I could stop it. No matter how many times I looked at him, my heart still raced like it had the first day we met. I picked up one of the elegant black masquerade masks from a silver tray and slipped it over my face. Tonight was supposed to be simple. Spend a few hours together. Enjoy the gala. Go home. I had no idea this night would change my life forever. With a smile, I walked toward him. The moment I stepped into his line of sight, his conversation came to an abrupt end. His cold expression softened instantly. The corners of his lips lifted. His eyes… They only saw me. I slipped my arms around his neck. “Hello, husband.” His hands settled naturally around my waist as though they had always belonged there. “Good evening, wife.” His deep voice wrapped around me like warmth on a cold night. His gaze traveled slowly over my emerald evening gown before returning to my eyes. “You look dangerously beautiful tonight,” he murmured. I laughed softly. “We’re at a charity gala, Damien.” “I know.” His lips curved into a teasing smile. “That’s exactly why you’re making it so difficult for me to behave.” Heat rushed to my cheeks. I lightly smacked his chest. “You have absolutely no shame.” “Only when it comes to you.” I rolled my eyes, unable to hide my smile. Being with Damien had always been effortless. Peaceful. Safe. He leaned closer, brushing a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “I missed you.” A laugh escaped me. “We had breakfast together this morning.” “I know.” His smile remained… But something behind it disappeared. Something I couldn’t quite explain. “I just…” he said quietly. “…wanted to hold you a little longer tonight.” I frowned. “Is everything okay?” Instead of answering immediately, he looked around the ballroom. For the first time that evening… I noticed it. His bodyguards weren’t relaxed. Neither was he. His jaw tightened. His eyes scanned every exit. Then he looked back at me. “I don’t know why…” His voice was almost a whisper. “But I can’t shake this feeling.” “What feeling?” He held my hand tighter. “As if…” He hesitated. “…this might be the last time I ever see you.” The smile disappeared from my face. “Don’t say that.” I squeezed his hand. “Nothing is going to happen.” His eyes searched mine for several seconds before a faint smile returned. “I hope you’re right.” Before I could say another word… He cupped my face. Then kissed me. Slowly. Tenderly. As though he wanted to memorize every part of me. For those few seconds… The music disappeared. The crowd disappeared. Nothing else existed except us. When he finally pulled away, I rested my forehead against his and smiled. “You worry too much.” “I hope I do.” I wrapped my arms around him. “We’ll always have each other.” He hugged me tighter than usual. So tightly… It almost felt like he was afraid to let go. Then— BANG! A gunshot exploded through the ballroom. The deafening gunshot shattered the music. For a heartbeat, no one moved. Then came another shot. BANG! A woman’s scream pierced the stunned silence. The ballroom erupted into chaos. Guests scattered in every direction, knocking over tables and champagne glasses as panic spread like wildfire. “Get down!” “Run!” Someone crashed into me, but before I could lose my balance, Damien pulled me firmly behind him. “Stay behind me,” he ordered, his voice calm but commanding. I gripped the back of his jacket, my heart pounding wildly. “Damien…” His security team reacted instantly. Hidden beneath their formal attire, they drew their weapons and returned fire. The elegant ballroom became a battlefield. Bullets tore through glass displays, shattered chandeliers, and sent terrified guests scrambling for cover. I had never seen this side of Damien before. His sharp eyes scanned every corner of the room, calculating every possible threat. It was as though he’d been preparing for this moment his entire life. Another gunshot echoed. This one was different. It came from the balcony overlooking the ballroom. A sniper. “Damien!” I screamed. He turned at the sound of my voice. Too late. Bang! The bullet slammed into his chest. His body jerked violently. For a split second, disbelief filled his eyes. “No!” I cried. Before anyone could react— Bang! A second bullet struck him. His legs gave way. “Damien!” I lunged forward just as he collapsed, catching him before he hit the marble floor. The impact forced both of us down. His head rested against my lap. Blood spread rapidly across the front of his white dress shirt. “No… no…” My hands trembled as I pressed them against the wound, desperate to stop the bleeding. “It’ll be okay,” I whispered, though I didn’t believe my own words. “It has to be.” His breathing grew shallow. His skin turned frighteningly pale. I cupped his face with shaking hands. “Damien… look at me.” Slowly… His eyes found mine. He tried to smile. Even now. Even while dying. His lips moved weakly. “I… love…” The words never came. His eyes closed. “Damien!” I shook him desperately. “No! Open your eyes!” Tears blurred my vision. “You promised we’d always be together!” “Please…” “Please don’t leave me.” Around us, the gunfire finally ceased. Damien’s security team had eliminated the attackers. Several guards rushed toward us. “Boss!” One immediately knelt beside him. “We’re losing too much blood!” “Call the hospital!” “Move!” Within seconds, they carefully lifted Damien into their arms. Another guard helped me to my feet. My legs felt too weak to stand. Everything around me blurred. The only thing I could see… …was Damien. ⸻ The drive to the hospital felt endless. Every second stretched into eternity. I sat beside Damien in the back seat, clutching his cold hand while the medical team fought desperately to keep him alive. “Pulse is dropping!” “Pressure’s crashing!” “Stay with us, Mr. DeLuca!” I couldn’t stop praying. Please… Not him. Take anything else. Just don’t take him. ⸻ The hospital doors flew open the moment we arrived. Doctors rushed Damien toward the operating room while nurses held me back. “I’m his wife!” I cried. “Please!” “I need to be with him!” “Ma’am, let us do our job.” The operating room doors slammed shut. A bright red light flashed above them. SURGERY IN PROGRESS And just like that… The man who had promised to spend forever with me disappeared behind a pair of closed doors. Hours later… I sat alone outside the operating room. The white hospital walls felt suffocating. The smell of antiseptic clung to the air, making my stomach churn. I stared at the red light above the operating room doors, silently begging it to turn off. Every passing second felt like another piece of my heart was being torn away. What if I lost him? What if the kiss we shared at the gala had been our last? His words echoed relentlessly in my mind. “I have this feeling… this might be the last time I ever see you.” “No…” I whispered, shaking my head. “You’re going to prove yourself wrong.” “You promised we’d grow old together.” “You promised.” A tear slipped down my cheek. Then another. I buried my face in my trembling hands and cried. Not caring who saw me. Not caring how broken I looked. Because the strongest man I had ever known… Was fighting for his life. ⸻ The operating room doors finally swung open. I shot to my feet so quickly the chair behind me crashed onto the floor. “Doctor!” I hurried toward him, my voice shaking. “How is my husband?” The doctor removed his surgical mask, exhaustion written across his face. “We managed to remove both bullets.” My heart lifted. “But…” The hope lasted only a second. “He lost a significant amount of blood.” The doctor’s expression grew solemn. “One of the bullets narrowly missed his heart. Another caused severe trauma.” He paused. “For now, we’ve stabilized him.” I released a shaky breath. But before I could thank him, he continued. “The next twenty-four hours are critical.” “If his condition worsens…” He hesitated. “…there may be nothing more we can do.” The hallway seemed to spin. “No…” I stumbled backward. This couldn’t be happening. Not Damien. Anyone but him. The doctor gently placed a hand on my shoulder. “I know this is difficult.” “But we need you to stay strong.” He handed me a prescription. “These medications are urgently needed.” I looked down at the paper. Without another word… I ran. ⸻ Nearly thirty minutes later… I rushed back into the hospital, clutching the bag of medication so tightly my fingers had turned white. My heart pounded against my ribs. Please… Please let him be okay. I pushed open the door to his private room. Then froze. Damien was awake. Relief crashed over me so suddenly that tears blurred my vision. “Damien…” I breathed, my lips trembling into a smile. “You woke up…” But before I could reach him, I noticed someone sitting beside his bed. A man dressed in a tailored charcoal suit. Damien’s lawyer. He immediately rose to his feet. His eyes narrowed as they settled on me. “Excuse me,” he said politely but firmly. “Who are you, and why are you in Mr. DeLuca’s room?” I barely acknowledged him. Nothing else mattered. I crossed the room and gently took Damien’s hand in mine. It was warm. Thank God. A tear rolled down my cheek. “I was so scared,” I whispered. “I thought I’d lost you.” I lifted his hand and pressed a soft kiss against it. The next second… He slowly pulled his hand away. I blinked. His brows furrowed as he looked at me. “I’m sorry…” “…who are you?” For a moment… I simply stared at him. Waiting for him to smile. Waiting for him to tell me he was joking. But he didn’t. Instead, he looked at me the way a stranger would. Carefully. Cautiously. As though we’d never met. A nervous laugh escaped my lips. “Damien…” “Stop it.” “This isn’t funny.” I reached for his hand again. “It’s me.” “My name is Vivian.” He continued staring at me blankly. Nothing. “You call me Vivi.” His brows knitted together. “Should I know that name?” A chill ran down my spine. I forced another laugh, desperate to convince myself this was some cruel joke. “Enough.” “You scared me half to death already.” “I’ve been crying for hours.” “Please don’t joke like this.” I squeezed his hand. “I’m your wife.” His expression froze. “Wife?” He slowly turned to look at his lawyer. “What is she talking about?” The lawyer looked equally confused. “I…” He hesitated. “I don’t know, sir.” Panic tightened around my chest. “Damien…” I stepped closer. “Look at me.” “We got married.” “You promised we’d stop hiding our marriage one day.” “You promised we’d spend the rest of our lives together.” His eyes searched mine. For one brief, desperate second… I thought I saw recognition. Hope filled my chest. Then… It vanished. He gently pulled his hand from mine. “I’m sorry.” His voice was calm. Gentle. But every word shattered another piece of me. “I think you’ve mistaken me for someone else.” “No…” I whispered. “Please…” He shook his head. “I’ve never seen you before.” I felt the room spin. Tears blurred my vision. I shook my head over and over. “No…” “This can’t be happening.” I reached for him again. “Damien…” “You love me.” “I’m your wife.” His forehead creased with confusion. “Wife?” A humorless laugh escaped his lips. “I’m not married.” Silence. My heart stopped beating. He pressed a hand against his temple and winced. “The last thing I remember…” His voice trailed off as another wave of pain crossed his face. “…I had just finalized a business deal.” “I was heading back to the office.” The lawyer’s face drained of color. “Sir…” He swallowed hard. “That was…” “…six months ago.” Silence. The room suddenly felt too small. Too quiet. I couldn’t hear the steady beeping of the heart monitor anymore. Couldn’t hear my own breathing. I stared at Damien, waiting for him to smile. Waiting for him to tell me this was all some terrible joke. But he didn’t. He looked at me the same way he would look at any stranger. With confusion. With caution. Without love. My chest tightened until it hurt to breathe. “No…” I whispered, shaking my head. “This can’t be happening.” Damien pressed a hand against his temple, wincing. “The last thing I remember…” he said slowly. “…I had just finalized a business deal.” “I was heading back to the office.” His lawyer’s face drained of color. “Sir…” He swallowed hard before continuing. “That was… six months ago.” The color left Damien’s face. “What?” “You were shot during the DeLuca Charity Gala,” the lawyer explained carefully. “You underwent emergency surgery and have been unconscious ever since.” Damien stared at him in disbelief. “Six months?” His voice was barely above a whisper. “I… I don’t remember any of it.” I took a shaky step toward him. “Damien…” “You don’t have to remember everything right now.” I reached for his hand. “I’ll help you.” “I’ll remind you.” “We’ll get through this together.” For a brief moment, he simply looked at me. There was kindness in his eyes. Compassion. But there was no recognition. No warmth. No love. “I’m sorry,” he said softly. “I wish I knew who you were.” The words shattered the last piece of my heart. Tears streamed down my face. “No…” I stumbled backward. “This isn’t real.” I turned and ran out of the room. “Doctor!” My voice echoed through the hallway. “Doctor!” The nurses looked up in alarm as I rushed toward them. “The patient in Room 307…” “Something is wrong.” “He doesn’t remember me.” Within seconds, the doctor hurried into Damien’s room with two nurses. I stood frozen outside the door. Praying. Begging. Hoping. Please… Please let him remember. Please… Several agonizing minutes later, the door finally opened. The doctor stepped outside. His expression alone told me everything. The lawyer immediately walked over. “Doctor?” The doctor removed his glasses and let out a weary sigh. “I’m afraid the gunshot caused significant trauma to Mr. DeLuca’s brain.” He paused. “Our examination confirms that he is suffering from retrograde amnesia.” I felt my heartbeat stop. “What… does that mean?” My voice trembled. “It means the trauma erased part of his memory.” “He remembers his childhood.” “His family.” “His business.” “But the memories from approximately the last six months…” He paused before finishing. “…are gone.” The paper bag slipped from my trembling hands. Medicine bottles scattered across the polished floor. I couldn’t hear them. I couldn’t hear anything. The doctor’s next words were the only ones that reached me. “Anyone who became a part of his life during those six months…” His eyes met mine. “…he no longer remembers.” Everything around me faded into silence. Damien had forgotten… The day we met. The first time he held my hand. The night he told me he loved me. The day he slipped a ring onto my finger. The vows we exchanged. The promises we made. He had forgotten… Our love. Our marriage. Me.