Chapter 6

Audrey Wallace POV:

The world swam in a haze of pain and medication, a surreal landscape of half-formed thoughts and fleeting images. I drifted in and out of consciousness, and each time I surfaced, fragments of my past flickered behind my eyelids like an old, damaged film reel.

My first love. Elliot Noel. He wasn't just a prominent figure; he was the sun to my moon, the solid ground beneath my feet. We grew up side by side, our childhoods intertwined, our families sharing summer vacations and holiday dinners. He was the quiet, compassionate heir to a respected philanthropic foundation, and I was the bright-eyed girl who saw past his wealth to the kind heart beneath.

In college, our friendship had seamlessly deepened into something more. It wasn't a dramatic explosion of romance, but a gentle unfolding, like petals in the morning sun. We were each other's entire world. Of course, we had our silly arguments, our dramatic "breakups" over trivial things, as young lovers do. Once, I threatened to leave him for a semester abroad, just to see his face fall. He' d chased me to the airport, begging me not to go. But I always came back.

Until senior year. A different kind of argument. My stubborn pride. His quiet frustration. I broke it off, convinced I needed to "find myself" away from his shadow. I left for Europe, eager to prove I could stand on my own, to become the strong, independent woman I always dreamed of being.

Two years later, I met Jake. The pre-amnesia Jake. He was brilliant, charismatic, and utterly captivating. I was older, wiser, or so I thought. I had learned how to love, how to nurture a relationship, how to value intimacy. All the lessons I'd learned, sometimes painfully, from my time with Elliot, I poured into Jake. The guilt I carried for hurting Elliot, for leaving him, somehow morphed into an intense devotion to Jake. I gave him everything. My heart, my future, my very being.

Elliot, ever the loyal friend, ever the silent guardian, had even attended our wedding. He represented my family, standing by my side, a stoic witness to my new beginning. He' d given me a lavish dowry, a gesture of his enduring affection, a blessing for my happiness. I had told myself it was a sign of his moving on, his acceptance.

My little dove.

The voice was close, achingly familiar. It resonated deep within my soul, stirring something long-dormant.

"Audrey," the voice pleaded, thick with anguish. "Please, wake up. Don't leave me again." His hand, warm and gentle, stroked my hair. "I'm so sorry, little dove. I'm so sorry I wasn't there sooner."

My eyes fluttered open, heavy and crusted. The world was a blurry white. A sterile white. Not the dark, damp basement. Not the blood-stained lobby. A hospital room.

Elliot. He was there, his face etched with worry, his hand clasping mine. His eyes, usually so calm, were red-rimmed.

A wave of relief, so profound it brought fresh tears to my bandaged eyes, washed over me. He was real. He was here.

Elliot saw me stir. A sob escaped him, quickly replaced by a radiant smile. He squeezed my hand, then turned frantically. "Nurse! Doctor! She's awake!" He pulled out his wallet, a thick wad of bills appearing in his hand. "Thank you. Thank you for everything. Whatever it takes."

Just then, the door opened again. My parents. My quiet, unassuming parents. My mother's face, usually so serene, was a mask of worry. My father, typically reserved, looked grim.

"Audrey, my precious girl!" My mother rushed to my bedside, tears streaming down her face. "You're awake! We were so worried!"

My father patted my hand, his eyes burning with a fierce protectiveness. "My darling, you gave us quite a scare." He squeezed Elliot's shoulder. "Thank you, son. For everything."

"Three days, sweetheart," my mother whispered, her voice trembling. "Three long days and nights you've been unconscious. We didn't know if you'd... oh, my poor girl."

My father's jaw tightened. "Jake Foster will pay for this," he growled, his voice low and dangerous. "He will pay dearly. He thought he was playing a game with a little wellness retreat. He hasn't seen what happens when he touches my daughter. My overseas operations alone could cripple his entire tech empire."

I blinked, surprised by the raw power in his voice. My father, a quiet family man, always dressed in sensible suits, always speaking in measured tones. He had always presented himself as a comfortably upper-middle-class businessman, enough to provide for us, but never flaunting immense wealth.

"He married into our family, thinking he was doing us a favor," my father continued, his voice laced with contempt. "He thought he was the tech mogul, the visionary. He didn't realize that every 'investment' he made in your little wellness retreat, every expansion, every profitable venture, was actually being strategically guided by us through shell companies. We let him think he was superior, let him take the credit. It was all a test, a way to see if he was worthy of you. He was not."

He fixed me with an intense gaze. "We're taking you far from here, my dear. As soon as you're strong enough, we're moving all of us abroad. You will never have to see that monster again." He stroked my hair, his touch infinitely gentle. "From the day you were born, we swore no harm would ever come to you. And look what that bastard did."

Suddenly, the large flat-screen television on the far wall caught my attention. A news channel was on, and the anchor's somber voice cut through the room.

"-social media influencer Jada Floyd, tearfully addressed the public today, detailing the horrific attack on her infant child at the hands of the retreat owner, Audrey Wallace. Ms. Floyd stated that her child may suffer permanent disfigurement due to the vicious assault, an act she believes was fueled by jealousy and professional rivalry."

The screen showed Jada, her face a mask of sorrow, tears streaming down her cheeks as she cradled a bandaged infant. "My poor baby," she sobbed, "she's so innocent. How could anyone do this? My child's face... it may be scarred forever."

A cold, mirthless laugh escaped my stitched lips. The sound was guttural, broken, but it was a laugh nonetheless. Scarred forever? I thought. She used acid on her own child. She had sacrificed her own child' s face to frame me. The sheer depravity of it.

I looked at my parents, my eyes burning with a new, fierce resolve. "Father," I rasped, my voice barely audible through my stitched mouth. "I appreciate your plan. But before we go... I have a few things to take care of here. I'm not leaving until I clear my name. And make sure everyone who hurt me, pays."