Since 1998

The Rebel's Lost Memories

South Carolina, 2006

Devin, at nineteen, was already drowning in the heavy workload of a medical student. On campus, he was a total loner, keeping his head down and refusing to let anyone close.

That made him famous among girls. He just didn’t care.

"Hey! You coming or not?"

Sam leaned out of the window of his silver BMW 325i. Despite both owning their own vehicles, the two had spent the last three years carpooling, bound by a strict pact of brotherhood.

Devin climbed into the passenger seat, immediately met by the familiar scent of expensive leather and Sam's heavy cologne.

"Morning," Sam said, shifting into gear. He squinted at his friend through his sunglasses. "You look like hell. Didn't sleep again?"

"Don't start, Sam.”

Sam knew better than to push, but he couldn't help but worry. He knew Devin's nights were spent staring at the ceiling or writing letters he would never dare to mail. Sam was about to hit the accelerator when a slender figure stepped directly into their path.

"Leaving without me? Harsh, boys."

Cathy didn't bother waiting for an invitation. She threw the back door open and slid into the leather seat, leveling a piercing stare at Devin that made him instantly turn to look out the window.

"You have a perfectly good Mercedes sitting in the driveway, sis," Sam grumbled, checking his rearview mirror.

Leaning forward between the two front seats, Cathy kept her eyes fixed firmly on Devin's profile. "What's wrong with you? Are you alright?"

Devin kept his gaze locked on the passing marshlands. He gave a single, tight nod.

"Aw, look at that. Cold as ice, as usual.”

Sam snorted, gunning the engine. "Give it up, Cath. The guy's allergic to girls. I've seen him turn down the homecoming queen without blinking."

Cathy rolled her eyes, sinking back into her seat. "Fine, whatever.”

Spain

At seventeen, Allison had grown tall, becoming more ethereal and sweet. On the surface, she was the perfect high-society daughter; everyone loved her bright blue eyes and her warm, effortless smile.

Beside her, Anna had blossomed into a radiant, wild beauty, with her Spanish heritage, sharp eyes, and a tumble of unruly curly hair.

"What's your full name again?"

Allison's sudden question made Anna reminisce about the lost years behind Allison's eyes.

Allison did not notice her friend. She was replying to her mother's text messages. Lauren would book their flight back to the US.

Since Lauren and Alex were already back in South Carolina establishing their return, Allison and Anna were scheduled to follow soon. With tight security suddenly swarming the villa, Allison often wondered why her parents felt the need to guard her like a prisoner.

Something isn't adding up. Allison closed the window curtain and sat back on the bed.

But Anna knew the truth. Anna remembered the night Allison had executed the rival politician, and how her exposed face on the CCTV footage had shattered the family's illusion. When Alex discovered his daughter had been trained by a mafia syndicate, he used every ounce of his political connections and blood money to scrub the footage, silence the truth and take her back by force.

Anna remembered the choice she made. She was supposed to leave her, but she was all that was left for Allison.

She had watched Allison's family send her to a facility that alters memory. It was horrifying.

In the end, the doctors successfully erased the dark years during which Allison had become a lethal weapon. It had been two years of agonizing psychiatric sessions, and watching Allison hollowed out like that had broken Anna's heart. She had only forgotten about the underworld and that boy she loved, but Devin's memories stayed untouched.

“Anna!? Hello?”

Anna snapped back to her senses, shaking off the dark memories. She placed her hands on her shoulders. "Seriously, Ali? We've survived years of chaos together, and you still don't know it? It's Anna Maria Elizabeth Rodriguez."

Allison burst into laughter. "I knew it! I can't help it, your ancestors must have been crazy."

"I knew you'd turn my identity into a joke."

The sudden ring of the villa's doorbell cut through the air.

"The mail!" Allison bolted down the corridor. Moments later, she skidded back into the bedroom, breathless. "Anna... It's here. His letter. His last letter!"

"Last? Of course it is. The poor guy has no idea his pen pal is about to appear out of thin air right in his hometown. God, Ali."

"Shut up, Anna. I learned my dramatic flair from you."

"Oh, come on. I'm loving every second of it. As your mentor, I'm proud," Anna giggled, flopping over on the bed. "Now, open the damn thing!"

Allison began to tear the wax seal, then suddenly stopped, pressing a hand to her chest. "Wait. My heart... It's racing. It's dancing."

"For God's sake, Ali, your heart doesn't have feet. Open that damn thing!"

Allison let out a nervous, high-pitched laugh as her fingers finally slid the contents out. This time, it wasn't just a handwritten page; something thick and glossy slid out with it.

A photograph.

Anna let out a literal scream, scrambling across the mattress. "Oh my God, Allison!"

Allison hesitated, staring at the print, but Anna impatiently snatched it from her hands. "What the hell, Allison? Look at this face!"

Allison stared over her shoulder at the glossy paper. There was no way. He looked like every prince from fairy tales.

"Why are you so calm?!" Anna leapt off the bed, nearly knocking Allison over. "Look at him! Allison, he's dangerously hot. He looks like he belongs on a poster in every girl's locker!"

"Locker?" Allison blinked, her cheeks flushing.

"Oh, come on, don't tell me you're jealous…"

"Why would I be?"

"You're so naive."

Later that night, the villa fell completely quiet. Allison curled up on her bed under the pale moonlight, her eyes locked onto the photograph.

"His eyes..." she whispered to the empty room. "They're hypnotizing. If he stands in front of me like this... I think I'll completely freeze."

"I knew it."

Allison jumped, nearly dropping the photo directly onto her face. "You're still awake?!"

Anna smirked from the opposite bed, her eyes glinting in the darkness. "I didn't know I was sharing a room with a pervert. You've been staring at that picture for twenty minutes straight."

"Shut up!"

"Sure, Ali. You're looking at it like you're about to marry it. Just admit it."

Allison hurled a pillow across the room, unable to stop the massive smile spreading across her face. Suddenly, she sat bolt upright in bed. "I have a plan."

Anna let out a sigh, pulling the duvet over her head. "Oh no... here we go again."

"I'm not replying to this letter. He thinks I'm still stuck across the world. When we get back to South Carolina... I'll pretend to be a stranger. It'll be fun."

Anna peeked out from under the heavy blanket. "Go to sleep, Allison. You're losing your mind."

"What? It's a great plan!"

"Yeah, yeah. Just try not to kiss the photo to death before morning. Good night."

Allison smiled, slipping the glossy picture safely under her pillow, feeling the cool edges against her palm. "Good night."

🔅🔅🔅

The heavy steel gates of the Hollingsworth estate swung open. From the edge of the paved driveway, Rafael spotted Olivia walking alongside Alex and Lauren Ainsley, deeply caught up in the corporate small talk of billionaires.

"Oh, shit."

Rafael froze. He was trapped. And upstairs, Daniel was currently in his bedroom with a naked girl riding him, completely unbothered, a burning cigarette clamped tightly between his fingers.

Mr. Pendleton, the Hollingsworth butler, met Rafael with a warning. “This is what I told him, but he never listened…”

Rafael tapped him on the shoulder. “I'll handle this Mr. Pendleton. Don't worry, just tell Daniel upstairs to stop what he's doing.”

“Was he high or something?”

But Rafael didn't answer. He went straight to meet Olivia and her visitors.

"Mrs. Hollingsworth! Sorry, they're just my visitors, we're actually leaving," Rafael said quickly, sprinting over to intercept Olivia before she could look too closely at the pool area. The courtyard was swarming with wild teenagers, mostly scantily clad women.

Lauren and Alex Ainsley stood stunned by the chaotic sight, a scene entirely unusual for their strict, upper-class world.

"Oh... they're just Rafael's friends," Olivia lied smoothly, her voice tight as she tried to save face in front of her guests.

"Who is that boy?" Lauren asked.

"A distant relative," Olivia replied through a forced smile. "I'm so incredibly sorry, I think this is a terrible time. He says Daniel isn't home right now."

"It's alright. We'll just see you at the family dinner," Alex replied, giving a polite nod as he began to steer Lauren back toward their car.

The exact second the Ainsleys turned their backs, Olivia’s polite smile vanished into pure rage. She marched straight into the house and up the stairs, heading directly for Daniel's bedroom. Rafael lunged forward to stop her, but he was a second too late.

She slammed the door open.

The girl inside was caught mid-shout, completely unbothered until Olivia marched across the room, grabbed her tightly by the hair, and yanked her straight off the bed onto the hardwood floor.

Daniel didn't flinch. He just let out a low chuckle, casually pulling the silk sheets up to cover his waist.

"Get out!" Rafael muttered frantically, tossing a stray towel over the terrified, naked girl as she scrambled to her feet and bolted out the door.

"Are you completely out of your mind?!" Olivia hissed, spinning on her son, her voice trembling with rage. "This is too much, Daniel. Your formal engagement with the Ainsleys is right around the corner, and here you are messing around with some w***e!"

"Mom, it's your fault," Daniel said, his lips curling into a stubborn, mocking grin as he clamped his hands over his ears. "I told you already…I don't want to get married."

He finally stood up, wrapping a sheet securely around his waist. Stepping forward, he wrapped his arms tightly around his mother, attempting to charm his way out of trouble.

"Mom, please. I'm sorry," Daniel murmured, dropping a gentle kiss onto his mother's forehead. "But I still don't want to get married."

SLAP!

Olivia struck him hard across the face, the sound echoing through the room.

Both Pendleton and Rafael watched in horror, but neither felt sorry for Daniel.