Chapter 53

“Who are you?” The words didn’t sound real at first. They hung in the air softly, harmless, but they hit me like a brick on the face.

I blinked, waiting for him to correct himself. Waiting for him to laugh, to smirk, to reach for me and say my name like he always did. But he didn’t. He just looked at me with those same eyes I’d fallen in love with, except now they were empty.

“It’s me,” I whispered, taking a slow step closer. “Emerald.”

He frowned slightly, his brows knitting together. “I… don’t know you.” My heart thumped loudly against my chest so hard that I could hear it through my ears.

“Dan, please. Don’t do this.” My voice shook as I pleaded, unable to accept what was happening. “You know me. You have to know me.”

He looked around the room like he was seeing it for the first time. His breathing grew shallow.

“Where am I?” he murmured. “Why am I here?”

“Home,” I said softly, trying to steady my voice. “You’re home. With me.”

Behind me, I could feel Victoria’s stare burning into the back of my head. She didn’t speak; she just watched and said nothing. Why hasn't she said anything? She always has something to say. Luca shifted uncomfortably by the door, his knuckles white where they gripped the frame.

Dan’s eyes darted between them and me, panic starting to edge into his voice. “What’s happening? Who are you people?” I shook my head, tears welling up. “Dan, stop. You know Luca, you know your mother.” His gaze flicked to Victoria. His eyes softened for half a second in recognition. “Mother…” he whispered.

Victoria stepped closer, her voice trembling just slightly. “Yes, it’s me, Daniel.” And just like that, my heart shattered. How could he remember the witch that fought hard to break our marriage and not remember me, his pregnant wife?

He remembered her. He remembered Luca when he glanced past him a moment later, nodding faintly. But when his eyes came back to me, they were strangers again. I took a step back, my throat burning. “You don’t remember me.” He didn’t answer; instead, he continued staring at me as if he were studying me.

I felt the tears spill over. “You’re my husband,” I whispered. “We’ve been through everything together. You—” My words broke as I brushed my stomach. “You are my baby's father,”

Dan stared, his expression torn between confusion and disbelief. “I’m… married to you?” Luca took a step forward. “Emerald, maybe you should give him some time—”

“Don’t,” I snapped, glaring at him. “Don’t tell me to calm down.” Victoria’s tone was sharp but calm. “He’s confused, Emerald. Pushing him will make it worse.”

“Worse?” I spun toward her. “How much worse can it get? He doesn’t even know who I am!” The air in the room thickened. "You are the people that he should not remember! Not me." I could feel the heat rise beneath my skin, fire stirring in my veins. I tried to control it, tried to breathe, but the grief and fury churned together until sparks danced along my fingertips.

Victoria noticed. “You need to calm yourself.” I turned away from her, clutching my stomach. The baby kicked a sharp, aching reminder of what was at stake. “I can’t,” I whispered. Dan’s voice broke through the silence. “Why… are you crying?” I froze, the question so genuine, so lost, it made my chest ache.

“Because,” I said softly, “you promised you’d never leave me again.”

He said nothing. Just stared, like I was speaking a language he couldn’t understand.

Victoria touched his shoulder gently. “Daniel, rest. I’ll handle things from here.” Dan nodded slowly, lying back against the pillow. His eyes drifted closed, leaving me standing there with my heart in pieces.

I waited until his breathing evened out before turning to her. “What did you do?” Victoria met my glare, her calm mask slipping for just a moment. “I didn’t do this.”

“You expect me to believe that?”

“His mind isn’t broken, Emerald,” she said, her voice dropping to a low, icy tone. “It’s protected. Something or someone sealed away his memories of you.” Luca frowned. “Protected from what?” Victoria’s eyes flickered with something that looked almost like fear. “From her.”

My stomach turned. “From me?”

Victoria nodded. “Whatever bond you two share, it’s not ordinary. When you connected through your power, something inside him reacted. His body must have protected itself the only way it knew how by erasing what could destroy him.” I shook my head, disbelief crashing into panic.

“You’re saying he forgot me because of me?”

“I’m saying you ignited something ancient,” she said softly. “And now it’s burning both of you.” I backed away, covering my mouth. My hands trembled, faint heat flickering under my palms again.

Luca stepped forward carefully. “We can fix this, Em. We need to—”

“No,” I said, cutting him off, my voice cracking. “You don’t understand. If she’s right, I did this. I made him forget me.” I looked toward the bed. Dan was still, peaceful again, too peaceful for my liking.

I wanted to scream. I tried to shake him awake, force him to see me, to remember the nights, the laughter, the love. Instead, I whispered, “I’m sorry.” Victoria turned to leave. “You should be.” Her footsteps faded down the hallway, leaving silence in her wake. "She did this, I just don't know how to prove it, but it's her."

Luca placed a hand on my shoulder, but I shrugged it off. “Don’t,” I said. “Just… don’t.” He nodded, stepping back. I walked to the window and stared out at the moonlit garden, the reflection of my face blurring through tears.

Behind me, the candle on the table flickered and went out, snuffed out by a cold, unseen wind. And in the reflection, for just a second, I thought I saw another version of me staring back, a shadow, eyes burning with fire.