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Everyone’s attention was still locked on Ethan and the trembling aftermath of Michael’s broken leg. Knox’s breath came fast and shallow, his hands clenched into fists at his sides.

Ethan’s sharp gaze swung toward Knox. “John, make sure the Crimson Serpents straighten out their act. Stop them from stirring up trouble.”

Knox’s face crumpled. “Wait—please, Master Ethan, don’t be too harsh. The Crimson Serpents… we’ve never done anything truly evil. We’ve been on the receiving end of the Delta gang’s bullying for years now. They’re the real threat from the west side.”

John’s expression flickered with uncertainty, but he didn’t say a word.

Knox took a shaky breath, eyes pleading. “We’re barely holding on. The gang’s on the verge of falling apart. That’s why we reached out to the Perez family for help.”

Ethan crossed his arms, considering. After a moment, his tone softened—but only slightly. “If you want our help to deal with the Delta gang, you have to promise one thing: the Crimson Serpen
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  • 78

    The silence after Alice’s declaration was sharp—cutting and full of disbelief. Every breath in the room seemed held, as though even the walls themselves waited to see what would happen next.Her father’s face hardened into stone. But it was her mother who erupted.“You selfish, ungrateful child!” Mrs. Morgan’s voice rose like a whipcrack. “Do you even understand what you’ve just done? Do you realize what’s at stake here?!”Alice didn’t flinch. Her voice remained firm. “Yes. For once, I understand everything perfectly.”Mrs. Morgan’s palm slammed against the table. “Everything we’ve built—everything your father has negotiated, every alliance—thrown away. For what? For a poor, disgraced nobody with no name and no standing!”Ethan stepped forward, calm but unmistakably dangerous. “Careful.”Alice lifted a hand, stopping him without looking. Her eyes were locked on her mother. “You mean everything you built on the backs of your daughter—that I am. You sold me for status. And I’m done. I’m

  • 77

    After Paul’s dramatic exit, the room’s smug energy began to wane. The air shifted, suddenly brittle with tension.Alice stood still.Her expression darkened, her fingers curling slightly around the edge of the teacup she hadn’t sipped from. Her eyes weren’t on the door Paul had exited through, but somewhere distant—lost in flickering fragments of memory.They always did this. Always tried to marry me off to the highest bidder. A pawn. That’s all I ever was. Claire got choices. Belen got praised. Me? I got deals… dowries… decisions made over cocktails and stock prices.She could almost hear it all again—her mother’s shrill negotiations disguised as conversations, her grandmother’s veiled comments about “good matches,” Claire’s mocking smiles. A whole childhood of being groomed for a contract.But… why Ethan? Why had I ever been engaged to him in the first place?Her mind strained. The memory was there, foggy, buried. She had chosen him. Hadn’t she? Somewhere between survival and rebell

  • 76

    Paul, still beaming with pride, didn’t flinch. Instead, he chuckled — low, confident, patronizing. “Nice speech, pauper Ethan. Really,” he said, adjusting his lapel as though he’d just accepted an award. “Very dramatic. Do you rehearse these monologues in front of a mirror? Because that one had all the fire of a rejected soap opera audition.”Mrs. Morgan laughed sharply beside him. “Oh, please. Ethan, must you always be so theatrical? The Bellanos finished? Don’t be ridiculous. That’s a fantasy you tell yourself to sleep better in your shoebox apartment.”Snickers followed. Claire smirked. Belen raised her wine glass in mock salute. Even Alice’s grandmother gave a condescending chuckle as she stirred her tea. Her father Lawrence exhaled heavily, muttering, “This again?” while her uncles exchanged unimpressed glances.Ethan simply shook his head, calm as ever. “You’re all clapping for a circus that’s already gone up in flames.”Then suddenly — buzz.Paul’s phone vibrated in his pocket.

  • 75

    Following all the recent upheaval, Alice’s reputation had begun to spread among the upper class—some in admiration, some in scandal. And her mother, ever the opportunist, was quick to spin the story.In the lavish drawing room of the Morgan estate, Mrs. Morgan’s voice rang out like a bell of triumph.“Don’t look so surprised, Alice,” she said sweetly, brushing a strand of her perfect chignon back. “Paul here has been immensely helpful behind the scenes. The crises that nearly toppled our family name? All managed—quietly—thanks to him.”Alice’s brows drew together. “Crises?” she murmured, her voice unsure, eyes flitting between the faces in the room. She hated this fog in her mind—names she didn’t recognize, events she couldn’t place, emotions that lingered with no memories to anchor them.Ethan stood in the corner, arms folded, expression unreadable. Then he scoffed. “Managed? That’s a generous word for meddling.”Mrs. Morgan’s smile vanished like a candle snuffed out. “You shameless

  • 74

    Alice agreed to let Ethan accompany her back to the family estate. She didn’t say much, just a quiet nod and a murmured, “You can come,” but that was enough for Ethan. His heart clung to that thread of hope as they left the hospital together, her small hand resting lightly in his.They were barely ten minutes into the ride when Alice’s phone began buzzing nonstop on the seat beside her.She blinked down at it. “It’s my mom.”The phone kept ringing—again and again. Alice frowned and finally picked it up.“Hello?”“Alice Morgan!” her mother’s voice blasted through the speaker, sharp and shrill. “Where on earth have you been?! Do you have any idea what time it is?!”“I… I was in the hospital—” Alice began, but her mother cut her off.“You think I give a fuck about where you were? And now you’re running off without telling anyone?! The entire household is in chaos! We have guests, Alice. Important guests. You need to get home right now!”Alice flinched and looked at Ethan helplessly. He r

  • 73

    “What?” The word left his mouth like a breathless gasp. He blinked, shaking his head slightly. “No… no, that can’t be right. She remembers me, right? Me. She remembers us.” The doctor didn’t answer right away.Ethan took a shaky breath, the doctor’s words rattling around in his skull like broken glass. She’s lost part of her memory.He swallowed the rising panic and forced his legs to move, inching toward the hospital bed as if any sudden movement might shatter her completely. Alice looked so fragile lying there, her pale skin ghostly under the fluorescent lights, her head carefully bandaged. His heart twisted at the sight.The doctor stepped aside silently, giving him space.“Alice?” Ethan said gently, his voice barely more than a whisper. He crouched beside the bed and reached for her hand, hesitant, as though afraid she might vanish if he touched her.Her eyelids fluttered.Then slowly, they opened.Ethan’s heart leapt. “Hey,” he said, trying to smile. “You’re awake.”Alice blink

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