Chapter 1 Rainey

Shit!!

Pain. That was the first thing I felt. A sharp pain stabbed my left shoulder every time I took a breath. It was centered on my collarbone, which felt like it had been crushed by something heavy.

The smell of medicine filled the air, mixing with the beeping of a heart monitor.

I opened my eyes. A white hospital ceiling. I knew this was a hospital. I knew how the IV needle stuck in the back of my hand worked, and I understood what the green line on the monitor meant.

But when I tried to remember my own name, there was nothing.

Where did I live? Who brought me here? Trying to think was like pushing through thick fog. Fear slowly crept in because I didn't even know what I had lost.

The door pushed open. A male doctor in a white coat walked in with a nurse.

"You're awake," the doctor said, checking my eyes with a small flashlight. "Don't move too much yet. Your left collarbone is badly broken, and you have a severe concussion."

"W-where am I?" my voice sounded rough. "Who am I?"

The doctor looked at me with pity. "You were in a very bad car accident. The hit to your head caused retrograde amnesia. This is usually temporary, but the memories you lost include your past."

"How long was I unconscious?"

"Three days."

"Who brought me here? Did the police come? Where are my things?"

The doctor hesitated for a moment. "The police have handled your accident report, and your family has been contacted."

"Family?" I narrowed my eyes, studying his face. "Who exactly do you mean by family?"

Before the doctor could answer, the door slid open. A man stepped inside.

His presence instantly took over the room. He was tall, strongly built, and wore a perfectly tailored dark suit without a single wrinkle. His hair was neat, his jaw was sharp, and he was very handsome—but there I noticed… his eyes were as cold as ice.

"Let me explain it to her, Doctor," the man said. His voice was deep.

The doctor nodded obediently and signaled the nurse to leave.

I stared at the stranger, holding my breath as he walked to the side of my bed.

"Who are you?" I asked suspiciously.

The man stood next to the bed, looking straight at me without blinking.

"I am Julian Montgomery. I am your husband."

The word husband hit me harder than the news of the accident itself.

I studied him. Every detail of his face, his relaxed hands by his side, his sharp gaze. I looked for even a tiny sign of emotion: doubt, worry, or love. Nothing. He stood there as if I wasn't his beloved wife.

"Husband?" I said sarcastically. "I have absolutely no memory of you."

"You were in an accident," Julian answered without pausing. "Your long-term memory is affected. That is normal. But facts don't change just because you can't remember them. You are my wife, and we are going home today."

He didn't ask if I remembered him, or how I felt. What kind of husband was that?!

"Show me proof," I demanded.

A basic instinct inside me took over immediately.

"ID card. Marriage certificate. Anything to prove you're not just some random stranger walking into my hospital room."

Without changing his expression, he reached into his inner suit pocket and pulled out a thick document with an official stamp. He handed it to me.

I took the paper with my right hand. An official marriage certificate. My name was clearly printed there: Rainey Montgomery, right next to his name, Julian Montgomery. The date, the legal stamps—everything looked completely real.

But as my eyes read the name over and over, I felt nothing in my heart. Seeing his name next to mine actually made my stomach turn. 

"Doctor!" I called out loudly when the nurse walked past the door again. The nurse stopped and looked in. "Did this hospital verify this man's documents? Are you sure he is my husband?"

The nurse looked awkward. "Mr. Montgomery has handled all your paperwork since you were admitted, Ma'am."

That answer made me feel cornered.

Julian took a step closer, blocking the way between me and the door. "Enough, Rainey. This hospital is no longer safe for you."

"What do you mean?"

"Your car was hit on purpose. It was an attempted murder," Julian said calmly. "Someone wants you dead, and they know you are in this hospital. My private medical team will take over your care at home."

I tensed up. "Then call the police. I want to speak to the detective handling my case."

"The police can't protect you in an open room like this," Julian cut in quickly. "Every minute you stay here, you make yourself an easy target for the person who hit you. You can choose to stay here and gamble with your life, or come with me."

He gave me a choice, but it sounded like a threat. 

I tried to move my legs to the edge of the bed, planning to stand up and walk out on my own. But the pain in my shoulder stabbed me so hard.

In the few quiet seconds while Julian called his guards, I closed my eyes. I racked my brain, looking for any tiny memory of this man. His voice, his smile, his touch, our wedding... nothing. Empty.

When Julian stepped closer to help me sit up, my body naturally tensed up hard, pulling away from him before my brain even told it to.

Julian noticed my reaction, but his face stayed perfectly cold.

Two strongly built men dressed all in black entered the room. They kept a close watch on the hallway while Julian helped me into a wheelchair.

We moved down the hospital hallway toward the back exit. I paid attention to every corner: security cameras, where the guards stood, and how Julian positioned himself between me and any open areas. 

Shit, what is actually going on?

Outside, a black SUV with dark windows was waiting. A guard opened the door, and Julian helped me into the cabin, which was filled with security monitors in the front.

I leaned back, taking breaths to endure the pain in my chest. The car started driving down the street.

Suddenly, Julian reached out and held my fingers in my lap. Maybe he meant to calm me down, or he wanted to show that he was my protector.

But the moment his skin touched mine, a cold shiver ran down my spine. My brain might have forgotten who he was, but every cell in my body screamed in panic. The fear I felt was an instinctive fear of someone dangerous.

I stared out the window, watching the hospital slowly disappear behind the dark glass. I had just left the only place that had witnesses. I didn't know who tried to kill me, or why the man sitting next to me felt like the biggest threat in my life.

One thing was certain as this car kept driving into the darkness: I would not believe a single word that came out of his mouth.