Lucy exhaled a smoke ring. “I want to experiment and see if there are still remnants of your memories


    lingering within you even when experiencing amnesia. By starting from these fragments, perhaps you.


    can expedite the process of recovering your memory.


    “Pay no heed to those voices outside insinuating that Damien doesn’t wish for your memory to return,”


    the woman stared at Cherise intently. “Truth be told, Damien is yearning most fervently for your


    memory to be restored.”


    Cherise pressed her lips together, sensing a warmth in certain recesses of her heart. She managed to


    muster a wry smile. “Is that so?” In her mind echoed Damien’s chilling words from the previous day


    when he had instructed her to regard him as an adversary. She pursed her lips once more. “I haven’t


    noticed.”


    “Of course you haven’t,” Lucy sneered. “Your animosity towards him blinds you, so naturally, you can’t


    perceive it.” Rising from her seat, Lucy utched the window, inviting in the crisp autumn breeze. “I can


    empathize with Damien. It’s not that he doesn’t want you to regain your memories. He simply wishes to


    approach it with greater sensitivity.”


    Cherise regarded Lucy with a puzzled expression. Lucy closed her eyes, relishing the sensation of the


    wind caressing her skin. “Because many memories from your past may inflict pain upon you,” she


    borated. “Look at what’s happening now. Thest time we spoke on the phone, you were blissfully


    unaware of what had happened with your mother or the circumstances surrounding your marriage to


    Damien.


    “But look at you now,” Lucy continued, retrieving a mirror and presenting it to Cherise. “Take a good


    look at yourself. Since waking up this morning, you haven’t washed your face or brushed your teeth.


    You look exhausted, as though you have a lot on your mind. Aren’t you constantly grappling with inner


    turmoil, questioning why things unfolded this way?”


    Cherise scrutinized her reflection in the mirror, her lips forming a tight line. Lucy’s remarks rang true.


    The figure staring back at her bore little resemnce to the Cherise of yesterday. Just twenty-four


    hours prior, she could have easily donned overalls and styled her hair into pigtails, apanying


    ke to the library to catch a glimpse of the girl he admired.


    But now… The image in the mirror seemed to embody years of weariness and uncertainty. With a


    resigned sigh, she pushed the mirror aside. She rose to attend to her morning routine, resolving to


    brush her teeth, cleanse her face, and apply moisturizer in the bathroom.


    “That’s more like it,” Lucy remarked, leaning casually against the bathroom door, observing Cherise’s


    actions. “You’re aging. A twenty-five-year-old woman still needs to prioritize self-care.” She paused.


    allowing her words to sink in. “Now, do you grasp why Damien has always sought to tenderly guide


    your memory recovery?”


    “Transitioning from a carefree state to embracing reality is indeed a journey,” Lucy affirmed. “However,


    Sebastian circumvented this process by divulging the truth prematurely, disregarding your emotional


    well-being. His aim? Simply to drive a wedge between you and Damien. Someone who genuinely cares


    for you wouldn’t exploit your most painful memories to manipte you.”


    Cherise’s hand faltered momentarily as she applied moisturizer. After a contemtive pause, she lifted


    uttered those words yesterday?”


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    “Yes. You might not be aware, but Damien has a personal physician named Jacob Caldwell,” Lucy


    revealed gently. “Since the day of your ident, Damien swiftly dispatched him overseas to confer with


    specialists and devise a strategy aimed at facilitating your memory recovery.”


    Cherise’s lips formed a tight line. “But no one ever informed me,” she murmured, realization dawning


    upon her.


    “Those who genuinely prioritize your well-being often work silently behind the scenes without seeking


    recognition, Lucy exined. “Only those driven solely by self-interest will eagerly step forward to im


    credit. With that, Lucy extinguished her cigarette and settled back onto the edge of the bed. “Your task


    now is to look through these books.”