Chapter 55

Mariah's hand trembled as she reached out to touch Mason's shoulder. Her voice, barely a whisper, called his name into the air, a mixture of hope and fear hanging in the space between them. Mason slowly turned, his face shrouded in shadow.

As he turned around, Mariah's breath caught in her throat. It was Mason, but not the Mason she remembered. He looked different, he had a scar on his forehead.

"Mason?" she called out tentatively, her voice barely audible over the din of the street.

Mason turned around, his eyes widening in astonishment. He recognized Mariah instantly, and a mix of emotions flickered across his face—surprise, happiness, and a tinge of sadness. He couldn't believe his eyes, he never thought he'd be seeing her again like this.

"M...Mariah," Mason said, his voice filled with surprise.

Mariah's voice quivered as she spoke, her eyes never leaving his face. "You're....you're alive. We thought you were gone. How... how is this possible?"

"We can't talk here, we need to go somewhere else. I'll explain everything then."

Mariah and Mason left the crowded train station and were now sitting on a bench inside a quiet park.

Mason sighed, his gaze becoming distant as he recalled the events of that tragic day. "After the explosion, I was badly injured, but I managed to crawl out of the building just before it collapsed completely."

Mariah's mind struggled to process the information. The friend she had mourned for years was standing before her, alive and well but what about Adam, where was he. Questions flooded her thoughts, but amidst the confusion, she was hoping to hear a news that would change her world.

"I just...can't believe you're here," Mariah said, her voice choked with emotion. "We mourned you, Mason. We thought we had lost you along with Adam. Why did you never contact anyone of us."

Mason placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, his eyes filled with empathy, "Mariah I know this is going to be very difficult for you, but you need to understand everything I'm going to say."

Mariah's heart raced as Mason revealed the astounding news, "Adam is alive".

Her emotions were a tumultuous whirlwind - a strange mix of disbelief and confusion. She couldn't believe that Adam was still alive. Her mind struggled to process this revelation, and her first thought was of Ella.

"I...I don't understand," Mariah whispered, her voice choked with tears.

"He didn't die that night. I was able to het us both out of the building before it collapsed. Adam had been shot by Ariak and he was bleeding too much, yet he survived, it was a miracle."

"Where's he now?" Mariah asked, her voice trembling.

Mason sighed, his gaze heavy with a weight Mariah couldn't fully grasp. "Adam is safe, Mariah. But...," Mariah's eyes searched Mason's for answers. "What is it? What happened to Adam?"

Mason took a deep breath, his words measured, his eyes reflecting the pain of the truth he had to bear. "Nurse Sophia did everything she could, but the trauma, combined with the injuries... it took a toll on him, Mariah. He woke up days later with no recollection of his past, of us, of you."

"Mariah, I had no choice" he continued, "He lost his memories, all of them."

Mariah stood there, her mind unable to comprehend the enormity of what Mason was saying. "He... he doesn't remember anything?"

Mason nodded solemnly. "He didn't even remember his own name when he woke up. And in that moment I had no choice but to protect him. I kept him hidden to protect him from those who still seek to harm him.

"But why did you keep him hidden from me? Why?" Mariah broke down, her heart was aching.

"The underworld was shook after what happened, with Ariak and Adam gone, it stirred chaos among everyone. But some of them weren't going to sit still even after knowing what had happened that night, I knew they'd still try to find Adam. They'd still want him back even if he was dead. They were keeping an eye on you, waiting for the right time to attack. I couldn't put all of us in danger. And that's when I decided to keep everything hidden from Adam, everything he endured, all the pain he felt of losing his loved ones, I couldn't come to tell him all of it."

Tears welled up in Mariah's eyes as she struggled to fathom the extent of the loss. The man she loved, the father of her child, was still alive but now a stranger to his own memories.

Mariah's tears fell like raindrops, each one carrying the weight of years of longing, hope, and despair. Her voice, laden with grief, broke the heavy silence that hung between them.

"All these years, I thought Adam was gone. I believed he never got to see his own child, that he never got to experience any of it," Mariah whispered, her words echoing the ache in her heart. "Now, he's alive, but he doesn't remember anything. Fate has always been so cruel to us."

Mason held Mariah close, offering her the solace of his presence. His voice was soft, carrying the weight of shared sorrow. "I'm sorry Mariah, I did what I thought was right at the time, but now I think he needs you. He might not remember anything, but even after all these years he deep down longs for you and I've seen it in his eyes. Life's twists and turns are beyond our control, Mariah. We can only face them with the strength we muster."

Mariah's eyes searching Mason's face for answers. "But how do I face him? How do I look into his eyes, knowing he doesn't remember the love we shared, the life we planned together?"

Mason sighed, his gaze filled with empathy. "Love is a force that transcends memories. It's more profound than the recollection of shared moments. It's in the way your hearts beat in unison, the way your souls recognize each other even in the absence of memories. Love is not confined to the past; it's a living, breathing entity that can be nurtured anew."

Mariah wiped her tears, her resolve strengthening. "I won't let go of the love we had. Even if Adam doesn't remember, I'll make him feel it. I'll show him the life we dreamed of, the family he always wanted. I'll be there for him, every step of the way."

A profound sadness washed over Mariah as she imagined what Adam was going through, his mind a blank canvas of forgotten moments, their love erased from his memory. But deep down, she knew that the love they had shared wasn't so easily erased.

"I need to see him, Mason. I need to be with him," Mariah said with unwavering determination.

Mason nodded, understanding the depth of her love. "I'll take you to him. But you need to be very careful Mariah, he has no recollection of his past and the trauma of knowing the truth can endanger his life."