Unraveling Secrets

Lucas and Anna had finished eating and now lounged in the living room, soft music playing in the background. A bottle of red wine sat between them, half-empty, their glasses reflecting the warm glow of the city lights outside.

Anna swirled the wine in her glass, watching how the deep red liquid caught the light. It was the first time she had ever tasted wine, but Shane's tongue recognized the flavor—familiar, practiced, like this wasn't the first time she had indulged in a drink like this.

She took another slow sip, letting the taste linger before setting her glass down. "So, we met because I caught you kissing a man… and since you didn't want anyone finding out about your sexual preference, you decided to befriend me?"

Lucas smirked, leaning back into the couch. "Yeah. I mean, you basically blackmailed me into friendship," he teased, taking a sip of his wine. "Not in a mean way, but you made it very clear that if I didn't want people knowing, I better start hanging out with you."

Anna raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't sound like a great way to make friends."

He chuckled. "It wasn't that bad. You didn't actually threaten me or anything—you just… made yourself my best-kept secret. And in return, I became yours." His gaze softened slightly. "And honestly, I didn't mind. I think we were both hiding something back then."

Anna tapped her fingers against her glass, thinking. If Shane had something to hide, then that meant her life was filled with secrets. But just how deep did those secrets run?

Lucas suddenly tilted his head at her. "You don't remember any of this?"

Anna sighed. "Not even a little."

Lucas studied her, then exhaled and leaned forward. "I also saw how you tried to hide this place from your family," he added.

Anna frowned. "Hide? What do you mean? Did they not know about this penthouse?"

Lucas gave her a knowing look before shaking his head. "Nope. Your father, those two evil stepsisters, and Patricia… they knew you lived in this building, but they thought you were staying in an apartment on the fifth floor. Not here."

Anna's confusion deepened. "Why would I go through all that trouble to hide it?"

Lucas shrugged. "That's something only you would know. But I do know that you never let them find out about this place. You were very careful about it." He paused, then smirked. "Which, by the way, made me think you were running some kind of double life."

Anna let out a small, humorless laugh. "Maybe I was."

Lucas watched her closely, swirling the wine in his glass. "You were always careful about keeping certain things private," he said more seriously. "And now, seeing you like this… it's weird."

Anna met his gaze. "Weird how?"

"You're different." He took another sip before setting his glass down. "Before, you were always guarded. You acted like you didn't care about anything, like the whole world could burn and you'd just watch. But now…" He tilted his head, eyes narrowing slightly. "You actually seem like you care. Like you want to know things. And I don't know if that's just because of your amnesia or…" He trailed off, watching her carefully.

Anna felt a lump in her throat. Because it's not really Shane anymore, she thought. But she forced a small smile instead.

"Maybe change is a good thing," she said, taking another sip of wine.

Lucas studied her for a moment longer, then leaned back with a sigh. "Yeah… maybe it is."

But there was something in his eyes—something unreadable. Like he wasn't entirely convinced.

Anna took a deep breath, trying to piece together the fragments of information she had gathered. She had learned something, but it still wasn't enough to paint a full picture of Shane's life. There were too many gaps, too many unanswered questions.

Her grip tightened around her wine glass as she met Lucas's gaze. "About Patricia threatening you… how did it happen?"

She noticed the way Lucas hesitated, his fingers idly tracing the rim of his glass before he took a slow sip. When he finally spoke, his voice was careful, as if choosing his words mattered.

"I don't know exactly how it started," he admitted. "But we were at the mall that day. You were… acting strange. Off, like something was already bothering you before we even ran into Patricia."

Anna leaned in slightly, her heart beating a little faster. "Then what?"

Lucas exhaled, his expression darkening as if recalling something unpleasant. "She saw us. And you—you were different that day. It was the first time I ever saw you fight back." He paused, shaking his head. "You usually let them say whatever they wanted, let them treat you however they pleased. But that time, you snapped. You got into an argument with her, and…."

He stopped, looking uncertain.

Anna felt her stomach twist. "And what, Lucas?" she pressed, her voice almost a whisper.

Lucas hesitated again, his jaw tightening before he finally met her eyes. "And then she said something that changed everything."

Anna swallowed hard. "What did she say?"

Lucas sighed, setting his glass down on the table. "She told you that if you kept running your mouth, she wouldn't just make your life hell—she'd destroy you. And she said it like she meant it. Like she knew something that could ruin you."

A chill ran down Anna's spine. "Did Shane react to that?"

Lucas nodded slowly. "You went pale. I remember that much. Whatever she said… you believed her."

Anna knew she should stop asking, that maybe some things were better left unknown, but she couldn't. She needed to understand Shane's life—the life she was now living.

"What happened next?" she pressed, despite the uneasy feeling creeping into her chest.

Lucas exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "You left me at the mall." His voice was quieter now, tinged with something that sounded a lot like guilt. "I kept calling you over and over, but you never answered. Then, the next thing I heard… you had passed out in the middle of the street. Someone called an ambulance, and you were taken to the hospital."

Anna's breath hitched. "I— passed out?"

Lucas nodded. "When I found out, I was scared as hell. I wanted to go see you right away, but before I even got close to the hospital, Patricia found me." His jaw clenched, his grip tightening around his glass. "She threatened me. Said if I even tried to visit you, she'd make sure my family's company lost its contract with your father's business."

Anna felt something heavy settle in her chest. "And you believed her?"

Lucas let out a bitter laugh. "Of course, I did. You know the kind of power your father holds. And Patricia… she wasn't bluffing. When she wanted something done, it happened." His voice dropped lower, laced with frustration and regret. "So, I stayed back. I hated myself for it, but I couldn't risk my family."

He exhaled sharply, rubbing the back of his neck. "But you never called me, Shane. Not once. I had no idea if you were okay or not. And you never even asked why I didn't visit." His gaze flickered with something unreadable—guilt, disappointment, maybe even a hint of hurt. "It was like you just erased me from your life."

Anna swallowed hard, her throat dry. She could feel Shane's emotions buried somewhere deep inside her, like an echo of something familiar yet unreachable. The betrayal, the isolation… Was this one of the reasons Shane had hidden so much of herself away?

"I was in a coma for a month," Anna said softly. Her gaze met Lucas's, filled with an emotion she couldn't quite name. "And I'm sorry… I didn't remember you."

Her apology was genuine. It wasn't just her own regret—she was apologizing on Shane's behalf, for the memories that had slipped away. Shane should have remembered him. But Anna was here now, in Shane's body, and the past felt like a puzzle she wasn't meant to solve.

Lucas blinked, his expression shifting from confusion to outright shock. "Wait, what?" he repeated, his voice slightly louder. "You were in a coma?"

Anna nodded, watching as disbelief flickered across his face. He sat back, running a hand down his face. "You're telling me you were unconscious for an entire month, and no one told me?" His voice was a mixture of frustration and hurt.

Anna hesitated before answering. "I… I guess so." The weight of it all settled heavily in her chest. "I woke up with no memories, and Mr. Jing told me to take things slowly. But it's hard when everything feels like it doesn't belong to me." 

Lucas was silent for a moment, processing everything. Then he let out a heavy sigh, shaking his head. "Damn it, Shane…" His voice softened, the frustration giving way to something more vulnerable. "No wonder you've been acting so different."

"I actually feel different," Anna admitted, her voice steady but laced with truth. Because she wasn't Shane—at least, not really. But she wasn't sure if she could tell Lucas that. Not yet.

For now, she needed him to understand that she wasn't the same person he once knew. That the old Shane—the one who hid, who endured silently—was gone.

She met his gaze, choosing her words carefully. "It's like… I'm no longer the Shane everyone knew. Like I'm someone else entirely. Everything feels new, yet familiar, like I'm living a life that doesn't quite belong to me."

She paused, her fingers tightening around her wine glass as emotions swirled within her. "And realizing just how much I've suffered at the hands of my own family…" Her voice faltered, the weight of those words pressing down on her. "It's… overwhelming. Like I was drowning this whole time, and I never even realized it."

Lucas didn't hesitate. He set his glass down and pulled her into a firm but gentle hug. "I'm really sorry, Shane." His voice was soft, filled with regret, with an unspoken understanding.

For the first time since she woke up in Shane's body, Anna felt something shift inside her—something she hadn't even realized she was longing for. She had been heard. Not questioned, not dismissed, not doubted. Just heard.

And for now, that was enough.