It had been three long years since Nora's accident.
Despite the passing time, her condition had only worsened. The once fiery, sharp-tongued woman was now childlike—naive, delicate, and unpredictable. She'd often run around the mansion, laugh uncontrollably, cry endlessly when Zayan wasn't nearby, and sleep clinging to a stuffed animal she named "Nana." The memory loss was complete. No matter how much Zayan, Neal, Rex, Maverick, Damian, and Kiernan researched—every effort to bring her memory back had failed.
Zayan had married her.
He hadn't waited for her to "recover." He made the decision when it became clear she might never remember him, or herself. He gently pressed her thumb onto the marriage certificate. Now, she was his wife—legally, emotionally, and in every possible way.
That morning, the mansion was oddly quiet. His mother was out of the country, Aveline and her daughters had returned to their estate, and the boys were tied up with work. When Zayan returned from the office early, he found Nora asleep on the bed, her delicate frame curled into the blanket. Her cheeks were flushed—too red. He touched her forehead.
She was burning up.
"Darling…" he whispered, brushing the hair from her face.
Nora stirred slightly, murmuring something unintelligible, her lips dry.
He didn't wait. He dressed her quickly, whispering soothing words as she half-slept in his arms, her head limp against his shoulder. He couldn't trust anyone else to take care of her now. Not like this. So he carried her to his office.
As they stepped out of the elevator, all eyes turned to them.
She looked… breathtaking. Even in her fragile, childlike state, her beauty had bloomed over the years into something almost unreal. Her aura—soft, broken, yet glowing—drew everyone's gaze. The whispers started immediately.
"Is that… his wife?"
"She's so gorgeous…"
"She had an accident, right? Poor thing…"
Zayan ignored them all, tightening his grip on her hand and walking straight to his office. His assistant followed behind, and at his command, a hammock was set up inside his office within minutes. He laid her down gently. She blinked sleepily and smiled.
Then came the meeting.
Zayan's attention was divided. He kept checking the monitor feed to his office, where Nora rested. Meanwhile, Hazel, Lisa's assistant, kept staring at him—lingering gazes, subtle smiles. Lisa, another CEO, was more composed, but even she noticed the inappropriate glances Hazel kept throwing at Zayan.
After the meeting, he asked Lisa to stay behind. But Hazel slipped away—straight into his office.
Only, she wasn't expecting what came next.
There, in the center of the room, Nora was awake… and angry.
Hazel barely had time to scream. Nora had grabbed a gold iron decorative rod and, in a swift motion, slammed it across Hazel's head. Hazel dropped to the floor, blood trickling down her temple, her screams echoing through the hallway.
Zayan and Lisa rushed in.
What they saw was chilling.
Nora stood over Hazel, holding her hair in a tight fist, the golden rod glinting in her other hand. Her expression was eerie—childlike, yet… ancient. Dark. Her eyes were wide, her voice high-pitched but cold.
"Didn't your mommy teach you manners?" she sang, tilting her head.
"Nana always said… naughty girls get punished."
Her voice… shifted. For a moment, it wasn't the childish Nora they'd known for years. Her tone deepened, something real slipping through the cracks.
"Now I'll punish you."
Flashes sparked in her mind—blood, pain, betrayal, fire, tears.
"N-N-Prelove…" Zayan whispered as he stepped closer. "Baby… please… let her go, okay?"
Nora's eyes locked on his. Then slowly, she turned back to Hazel and grinned.
"Apologize."
Hazel, sobbing, nodded frantically. "I-I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"
Nora finally released her, letting the iron fall with a loud clang. Then, like a switch, she dropped to the floor, sat down, and whispered:
"Z…"
Zayan knelt beside her. "Yes, darling?"
She touched her forehead. "My… my head hurts. It feels like… I've done this before."
"You've done what before?" he asked softly.
"This," she whispered, looking around. "All of it… It feels real, but also… not real. My head hurts so much…" And then, she broke down in tears.
Zayan gently cradled her, whispered soothing words, and gave her medication. She cried until she fell asleep on the hammock again.
Lisa stood frozen, tears in her eyes. "She didn't even recognize me. Three years… and she still doesn't remember anything."
Zayan nodded slowly, staring at the woman who was once his storm and now his fragile peace.
Lisa cleared her throat. "My brother is a specialist. He might be able to help. Bring her to him. He's helped patients like this before."
Zayan didn't even hesitate. "Thank you."
That evening, Zayan gathered Neal, Asher, Maverick, Damian, and Kiernan. He showed them the security footage.
Silence followed.
"Damn," Neal muttered. "Did you see that look in her eyes?"
Maverick leaned forward. "She's close. Something triggered it."
Damian looked at Zayan. "She's remembering."
"I hope so…" Zayan whispered.
Later that night, Zayan lay in bed with Nora curled beside him. Her breathing was soft, her fever slowly fading. She whimpered once in her sleep, and he held her tighter.
"I'm here," he whispered into her hair. "I'm always here, my devil maid."
And as they both drifted off, the shadows of the past stirred in Nora's mind, one piece at a time beginning to fall back into place.