Chapter 192: The discovery

Before the rushed wedding, Emily had been out of town for work. The project had kept her busy for days. It left her with little time to properly check in on Lucas aside from occasional messages that strangely went unanswered.

What she didn’t know was that shortly after the wedding plans began, Lucas’s father had secretly instructed Derby to block Emily’s number from Lucas’s phone.

They couldn’t risk Emily interfering. Especially when she had always supported Alex and Lucas’s relationship.

So while the entire wedding arrangement unfolded rapidly, Emily remained completely unaware.

It wasn’t until she returned to town that she heard the shocking news from outsiders instead.

Lucas got married to Derby.

Emily had stood frozen in disbelief after hearing it. “What nonsense is that?” She had muttered angrily because nothing about it made sense.

Lucas had been deeply in love with Alex before the accident. There was no way he would suddenly agree to marry Derby barely weeks after losing his memory.

Unless, her expression darkened immediately. “They manipulated him.”

The thought alone made her furious. Without wasting another second, Emily drove straight to the newly gifted mansion Lucas and Derby were supposedly staying in.

The moment she arrived, something felt off. The house was too quiet. A maid informed her politely that Lucas wasn’t around.

“He stepped out earlier, miss.”

Emily frowned slightly.

At that moment, faint laughter echoed from deeper inside the house.

Curiously, she walked further in.

Then she stopped near the sitting area upon hearing Derby’s voice clearly.

“Honestly, the accident ended up helping us more than we expected.”

Emily’s eyes narrowed instantly.

She quietly stepped back behind the hallway corner without making a sound.

Inside the luxurious living room, Derby sat comfortably beside her aunt, Larrissa, both holding glasses of wine.

Larrissa chuckled softly.

“Well, fate finally sided with us for once. If that accident hadn’t happened, Alex would still be clinging to Lucas.”

Derby smirked proudly.

“Exactly. At least now Lucas is finally away from him.”

Emily’s chest tightened angrily.

Her fingers curled slowly into fists.

So she had been right. They really planned this.

She stayed hidden and listened harder.

“I was honestly scared he’d remember too quickly,” Derby admitted quietly. “Good thing his father pushed for the wedding before that could happen.”

Larrisa nodded approvingly.

“A smart decision. Once marriage is involved, things become harder to reverse.”

Emily felt disgust rise inside her.

Though she didn’t fully understand every detail yet, one thing became painfully clear, they were taking advantage of Lucas’s memory loss.

And worst of all, they sounded happy about it.

As if Lucas were some prize they successfully stole away from Alex.

Emily’s anger burned hotter.

“They’re playing with my brother's feelings...” she thought bitterly. At that moment, she made up her mind.

Alex deserved to know. Before she could think further, footsteps approached. Emily quickly adjusted her expression. Within seconds, the anger vanished from her face and was replaced with a bright smile.

Then she walked openly into the living room as though she had heard absolutely nothing.

“Hello here!” she announced cheerfully. “Where are the newlyweds?”

The two women were visibly startled for half a second before quickly recovering.

Derby immediately stood up with a graceful smile plastered on her face.

“Hello, sister-in-law,” she greeted warmly as though everything was perfectly normal.

Emily smiled back just as sweetly. But beneath that smile, her eyes had already turned cold.

Emily forced a smile when Derby mentioned Lucas might be around the old gardener’s place.

Something about Derby’s expression unsettled her, but she ignored it and went searching through the massive house and compound.

She checked the backyard, the small greenhouse, and even the quiet pathway leading toward the gardener’s shed. Yet there was no sign of him.

With a sigh, she headed back toward the main house.

As she neared the sitting room, voices drifted through the half-open door. Emily slowed her steps instinctively.

“We should hire someone to watch Lucas closely,” Larrisa suggested coldly. “To make sure he isn’t sneaking out to see Alex.”

Derby hummed in agreement. “That’s actually a good idea.”

Emily frowned deeply.

“I’ll speak to Lucas’s father,” Larrisa continued. “I’m sure Gabe knows people who can handle that.”

Emily’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Watch him? By guards?

What the heck were they planning?

Before she could think further, the sound of a car pulling into the driveway interrupted the conversation.

Emily quickly stepped away from the door before they noticed her eavesdropping.

Outside, Lucas climbed out of his car slowly, exhaustion written all over his face. The instant he saw her, his expression softened slightly.

“Hey, Em, you’re back.”

Emily smiled warmly and walked straight into his arms. They hugged tightly, the kind of embrace filled with familiarity and comfort.

When they pulled apart, she lightly smacked his arm.

“Since when did you become such a terrible brother that you couldn’t even tell me about your wedding?”

Lucas let out a tired laugh before rubbing the back of his neck.

“I’m sorry. Everything happened so fast.” His smile faded almost immediately. “Honestly, I don’t even know if my senses were working properly back then.”

Emily’s teasing expression disappeared.

“To tell you the truth,” Lucas continued quietly, “I wish I had never married Derby.”

Emily stared at him in surprise.

“Even now, everything feels confusing.” He exhaled shakily. “I can’t even sleep inside this beautiful house because I keep running away from my so-called wife.”

“What?” Emily asked, stunned.

Lucas nodded bitterly.

“I can’t consummate the marriage because I feel absolutely nothing for her. I couldn't get closer than sitting on the dining table.”

There was frustration and guilt in his voice.

Emily studied him carefully before asking softly, “Have you remembered anything at all?”

Lucas shook his head.

“Nothing.”

The pain in that single word made Emily’s heart ache.

“Don’t worry,” she said gently. “You’ll remember someday.”

“Yeah,” Lucas muttered with a dry chuckle. “That’s what everyone keeps telling me.”

The atmosphere became heavy, so Emily decided to lighten it.

“Well,” she said, crossing her arms dramatically, “how about you buy me dinner as punishment for missing your emergency wedding?”

That finally earned a genuine smile from Lucas.

“Yeah, I will. And I’m really sorry about this whole fucking mistake.”

Emily’s smile faded slightly at the bitterness in his tone.

“After three months, if you’re still unhappy, you can always get divorced.”

Lucas scoffed softly and glanced toward the mansion behind him like it was a prison.

“Three months sounds too long for this hell of a marriage.”

Emily stayed a little longer after their conversation, forcing herself to laugh along with Lucas whenever he cracked dry jokes.   From the outside, everything looked normal and almost peaceful.

But inside, her mind was in complete chaos. The things she overheard replayed endlessly in her head.

Watching Lucas. Keeping him away from Alex. Guarding him.

None of it sounded right.

Eventually, she stood up and hugged Lucas again.

“Don’t forget my dinner,” she warned lightly.

Lucas chuckled. “I won’t.”

She waved at Derby and Larrisa politely as though nothing was wrong. “Bye, everyone.”

The instant she stepped out of the house and the gates closed behind her, her expression darkened completely.

She pulled out her phone immediately and dialed Alex’s number.