Chapter 1 Murderer

"Open your eyes and look at the murderer breathing easy!" Ethan's voice shattered the silence inside the hospital's VIP ward. He grabbed Caleb by the shoulder and pointed toward the woman lying behind the sterile glass. "Chloe was reduced to ashes, while she walked away with nothing but a few scratches!"

Caleb pulled Ethan's hand away, trying to hold him back. "Calm down, Ethan. The police are still reviewing the CCTV footage."

"The footage already proves everything!" Ethan jerked his arm free. His jaw locked tight. The veins in his neck stood out as he struggled to contain his fury. "That woman's black car chased Chloe. She forced Chloe's car toward the edge of the cliff!"

"We still don't know her motive. You can't attack a coma patient who just regained consciousness."

"She's not a patient. She's a murderer!" Ethan strode around the hallway table, ignoring the anxious stares of the nurses. Every step radiated an intimidating chill.

"Ethan, wait!" Caleb hurried after him, blocking the door to the hospital room. "Use your head. Hatred won't bring Chloe back."

"Move, Caleb." Ethan's dark eyes bored into him. "Or I'll consider you to be on her side."

Caleb let out a heavy sigh and slowly stepped away from the doorway. He knew better than anyone that once revenge consumed Ethan's mind, nothing could stop him.

Ethan shoved the door open so hard it slammed against the wall. The sharp bang startled the woman lying in the hospital bed.

Her eyes flew open, filled with raw terror. Her face was as pale as paper, marked by a healing cut along her right temple. An IV line was taped to the back of her hand.

Without hesitation, Ethan approached. Dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit, he stood over her bed, his towering figure casting a shadow across her fragile body.

"Do you know who I am, Ashley?" Ethan's voice was low, carrying the weight of a death threat.

The woman curled into herself. Her dry lips trembled but remained tightly shut. Her fingers clutched the white hospital sheets.

"Answer me!" Ethan roared, gripping both bed rails as he leaned down until only inches separated their faces. "Why were you chasing her? What did you want from Chloe?"

"I..." Her voice caught in her throat. Her eyes darted wildly, staring at the furious stranger looming above her. "I don't know... I don't remember anything."

A mocking laugh escaped Ethan's lips. A cold, scornful smile spread across his handsome face. "Amnesia? What a cheap trick. Do you really think pretending to have amnesia will save you from prison?"

"I'm telling the truth!" Tears streamed down the woman's pale cheeks. "I don't even know my own name... Why are you calling me Ashley?"

Ethan seized her wrist, ignoring her cry of pain and the IV needle that shifted dangerously. "Stop pretending! You murdered my fiancée on our wedding day. You burned her alive at the bottom of that cliff!"

"Let go! You're hurting me!" The man before her was far too strong. Pain shot through her wrist, mixing with the confusion pounding inside her head. "I'm not a murderer! I don't know what you're talking about!"

"You know exactly what you did!" Ethan flung her hand aside, sending it crashing onto the mattress. He straightened up and calmly adjusted the sleeve of his suit with calculated precision. "The police investigation is nothing more than a formality. The real judgment is in my hands."

"Mr. Ethan, please step outside!" A plainclothes police officer entered with a doctor. Detective Miller quickly stepped between Ethan and the hospital bed. "The patient has only just survived the critical stage. Any legal questioning must follow proper procedure."

Ethan slowly turned to face Detective Miller, his expression completely devoid of emotion. "Your procedures are too slow, Miller. This woman claims she has amnesia."

Detective Miller sighed as he glanced at the medical report in his hand. "The doctors confirmed she suffered a severe blow to the head. Major trauma can trigger retrograde amnesia."

"I don't care about your medical terminology," Ethan cut in sharply. "Compensate me for the business I've put on hold this past week. Bring Chloe back to life. If you can't do either, don't lecture me about procedure."

The doctor approached the bed and checked the patient's vital signs, which had spiked dramatically from panic. "Sir, her emotional distress could trigger another brain hemorrhage."

"Good." Ethan's voice dripped with contempt. He stared at Ashley as she sobbed behind the doctor's back. "Dying in this bed would be too easy for her. I want her to experience a real hell."

"Ethan, let's go." Caleb placed a hand on his friend's shoulder and guided him toward the door. "Let the police do their job."

This time, Ethan didn't resist. He turned and walked out of the room without looking back.

Caleb stayed close behind him. "What's your plan now?"

"Pull every investment from this hospital if they release that woman," Ethan said flatly, his eyes fixed straight ahead.

"You can't control the police, Ethan."

"I can control everything with my money and influence." Ethan stopped in front of the elevator and jabbed the down button with unnecessary force. "Revoke Ashley's bail eligibility. Make sure she doesn't get a lawyer."

"What if she really has lost her memory?" Caleb asked hesitantly. "The CCTV footage only shows two cars chasing each other. We don't know who started it."

"No one cares about a murderer's memories." The elevator doors slid open. Ethan stepped inside, then turned to face Caleb. "Whether she remembers or not, her life belongs to me now. She'll pay for every second of suffering I've endured."