The Disappearance

Camilla's phone rang once before falling silent.

She looked at the screen, where Drew's name briefly lit up before disappearing. A deep sense of unease settled in her chest. Something was definitely wrong. She could feel it.

He wouldn't just disappear on her again.

Grabbing her coat, she hurried out the door.

Leo's voice was urgent on the other end. "He's gone."

Camilla halted at the hospital entrance. "What do you mean, gone?"

"He's not in his room. The nurses said two men in suits took him about an hour ago, claiming they were moving him to a private facility. Orders from his fiancée."

"Tanis."

"I'm already reviewing the security footage."

Camilla's thoughts raced. "Where could she have taken him?"

Leo sighed. "If she's desperate, somewhere no one can find him."

Camilla tightened her grip on the phone. "Then we have to locate him. No matter what it takes."

Drew sat in the back of a sleek black SUV, flanked by two large men wearing mirrored sunglasses. He longed to call Camilla again, but they had taken his phone.

"Where are we headed?" he asked.

Silence.

"Who are you people?"

The man on the left finally replied. "We work for Ms. Harper. She's worried about your safety."

"I didn't ask for her concern."

"Doctor's orders. You're not in the right state of mind to make those decisions right now."

Drew let out a bitter laugh. "How convenient. I start to remember things, and suddenly I'm deemed too unstable to choose for myself."

Neither man said a word.

He gazed out the tinted window. Something was falling apart, and Tanis was at the center of it.

Camilla paced in Leo's office as the footage loaded on his screen.

"There," he said, pointing. "Two men. No hospital badges. No official escort. They just walked in and took him."

She watched the video, her heart racing. Drew appeared confused and hesitant. He didn't look like someone being protected, he looked like someone being abducted.

"They're not hospital staff."

"Private security," Leo affirmed. "I've begun facial recognition scans. If we identify them, we can track where they're taking him."

Camilla's tone was tense. "She's isolating him, stripping away everything familiar until she's the only one he hears."

"Then we'll provide him with another voice."

Leo handed her a flash drive. "I gathered everything you two shared, photos, voice messages, videos. I need you to record a message. Something genuine. Something heartfelt. We'll find a way to deliver it to him."

Camilla accepted the drive, her eyes shimmering with tears, but her voice was resolute. "She may have him now, but I'll remind him of who he is. Of who we are."

Drew's new room felt nothing like a hospital. It was sleek, quiet, and devoid of warmth, more akin to a luxury prison than a healing space.

Tanis arrived fifteen minutes later, clad in a cream silk jumpsuit, sunglasses resting on her head like a tiara.

"You look better already," she said sweetly, entering as if she owned the place.

Drew's jaw clenched. "Where am I?"

"Safe."

"I didn't consent to this."

"You were confused. You still are. The doctors believe this is for the best."

He stood and moved to the window, gazing at a garden that seemed too perfect to be real.

"I was starting to remember," he said. "And you stopped it."

Tanis approached him, wrapping her arms around him. "No, darling. I'm protecting you. From false memories. From those who want to exploit your vulnerability."

He pulled back. "From Camilla?"

Tanis tensed. "She's not who you think she is."

He faced her. "Interesting. You're not either."

Her eyes narrowed. "I've sacrificed everything to be with you. I was there when you woke up. I treated your wounds. I held your hand. And this is how you repay me?"

"You want gratitude?" he replied. "Or control?"

She slapped him again.

He didn't flinch.

"I need you to forget about her," she spat.

"I believe that's the main reason you're keeping me here."

She turned sharply and walked away, her heels clattering in the corridor.

Camilla was seated in front of her laptop, the flash drive connected. Leo had set up a video link.

Taking a deep breath, she prepared herself.

The camera light turned red.

"Hi, Drew," she started, her voice gentle. "I don't know where you are or what she's told you. But I know this, you love me. You chose me."

She opened the ring box, revealing its contents.

"You said you wanted forever. That no matter what happened, we would always find our way back to each other. So here I am, fighting for us."

She picked up a picture of them joyfully splashing in the rain.

"This moment? You called it the happiest day of your life. You made me dance in the storm, saying you wouldn't need sunshine if I smiled like that."

Her voice trembled.

"You might not remember me now, but your heart does. I believe it does. And I'll wait. I'll fight. I'll destroy her lies if necessary. But I won't let you go."

She pressed stop.

Leo took the flash drive. "I'll make sure it gets to him."

Camilla stood up, wiping her tears. "And I'll find a way to reach him."

---

Tanis sat in a dimly lit office, observing the security footage from Drew's new room. He was becoming stronger, sharper, and less compliant.

She opened a drawer and retrieved a syringe.

Just a small dose. A light sedative. Enough to cloud his mind. Easy to manage.

"Sorry, darling," she murmured. "But I can't lose you now that I'm so close."

She slipped the syringe into her purse and stood up.

Just then, her phone vibrated.

A text message.

UNKNOWN: He'll remember. You can't prevent it.

She froze.

Taking a shaky breath, she typed back.

TANIS: Who are you?

No reply.

The following morning, Drew discovered an envelope hidden under his pillow.

It had no labels or fingerprints.

Inside, he found a flash drive.

He paused, glancing around for any visible cameras.

He connected it to the tablet next to his bed.

Suddenly, Camilla's face appeared on the screen.

He was taken aback.

She looked stunning, both strong and vulnerable.

He absorbed every word, image, and feeling.

And something shattered within him.

A wall.

A barrier.

Memories flooded back, her laughter, her touch, the tears she shed when he confessed his love.

He gasped, "Oh my God."

He recalled everything.

Drew stood up, snatched the tablet, and rushed to the door.

It was locked.

"Hey!" he yelled. "Let me out!"

Silence.

He pounded on the door.

"Let me OUT!"

Footsteps approached.

Tanis appeared, feigning concern with wide eyes.

"What's the matter, sweetheart?"

He raised the tablet.

"I remember everything."

She blinked.

Then, a smile spread across her face.

"Well then," she said smoothly. "Looks like we'll need to start over, won't we?"

She pulled the syringe from her pocket.