Chapter 4

Today is old Mrs. Morgan's birthday, Jack must be swamped.

And because the old lady refused to let Lisa attend, she had the time to kidnap me.

Even though I knew it was a deliberate test, a flicker of hope still ignited in my heart.

Hoping Jack would drop everything to save me.

"I'll call him three times. If he doesn't pick up, you can't blame me if you die here today. That's just fate."

A cold sneer played on Lisa's lips, her eyes devoid of their usual tenderness.

The first time, no answer.

The second time, still a busy signal.

In that moment, my heart leaped into my throat.

The third time, after a long wait, Jack's voice finally came through.

Lisa pressed the phone to my ear, while fiercely gripping my arm.

I fought back the pain and choked out, "Jack, save me, I've been... kidnapped."

There was a pause of a few seconds on the other end, followed by an ice-cold reply:

"Elena, if you've been kidnapped, call the police. What good is calling me? I'm busy! After Grandma's birthday, I still have to take Lisa to her prenatal appointment."

Then, the line went dead.

My heart completely died.

Lisa doubled over laughing, pointing at me, speechless for a good while.

"Elena, if I were you, I'd want to just die right now.""Since it's come to this, I'm not afraid to tell you: Jack lost his memory because I gave him some kind of South American herb."

"From the very first day I saved him, I knew he was the Morgan family heir. From that moment on, I was plotting to marry into money and live like a real-life princess."

Lisa pocketed her phone, then smashed it to smithereens right in front of my face.

"Beat her. Beat her half to death! Elena, don't blame me. Dead men tell no tales, you know."

Clubs rained down on my body, but I could hardly feel the pain.

Maybe the pain was just too much. I started to black out.

Until the sealed warehouse door was suddenly kicked open, and I saw the figure I'd been desperately waiting for burst in.

But he didn't run to me, he ran to Lisa.

I clutched my ribs, a mouthful of blood welling up.

Even though I was the victim, Jack still chose Lisa without a second thought.

Oh, Jack... I really gave my heart to the wrong man.

When I woke up, the sharp smell of antiseptic filled my nostrils.

I saw Jack standing at the head of my bed, his back to me, his voice icy:

"This whole thing was Lisa's fault, and I've already punished her."

"But I hope you won't blow this out of proportion. To make it up to you, I'll move back to the Beverly Hills mansion tomorrow."

His offer to move back home... that was his idea of a grand gesture, the greatest favor he could bestow.

I lay there in the hospital bed, tears streaming uncontrollably down my face.The pain searing through my entire body was nothing compared to the wound his words dealt.

Looking back now, Lisa had been worried over nothing.

Even if I knew the truth, even if I told Jack, he still wouldn't choose to believe me.

His heart had belonged to Lisa for a long, long time.

Afterwards, Jack did indeed stay with me at the hospital, meticulously attending to my every need.

But the kinder he treated me, the more it only proved how deeply devoted he was to Lisa.

[Your immigration application has been fully approved. Flight details have been sent to your email.]

I stared at that message, the one signaling my departure, the whole night through.

That day, Jack didn’t go back to Lisa’s.

Meanwhile, he and Lisa were on the phone constantly.

"Didn't I arrange for someone to take you to your obstetric examination?"

"Stop crying, okay? I'm heading over right now."

Jack looked torn as he walked over to me.

"I..."

"Go on."

My voice was so calm, it even startled me. Jack faltered for a moment, as if a storm of emotion was about to break free.

"Wait for me."

The moment Jack left, I packed my bags and went straight to the airport.

Before leaving, I called Grandma.

"Grandma, I’m so sorry. I didn’t get to see you one last time."

"Thank you for always being there for me all these years. It’s just… with Jack… I truly can’t wait any longer."

"Goodbye, Grandma."

Tears choked both of us on either end of the line, finally bringing those five ridiculous years to a close.The cab hit a traffic jam at the intersection, it was total chaos up ahead.

The driver kept honking the horn, cussing under his breath every now and then.

"Looks like there was a car accident up ahead."

For the past five years, those two words—'car accident'—were my absolute biggest fear. I practically jumped, slamming the car window shut.

Sitting in the airport departure lounge, memories of all the little moments with Jieke flashed through my mind.

The strange thing was, they didn't feel sweet anymore.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed – a new message and a video.

[Elena, you don't have to go.]

[Jack's got his memory back!]