Chapter 8 Who... is he, really

"I don't... I don't remember any of this," she whispered again, her voice barely audible.

"That's okay," Ethan said, his voice too soothing, too rehearsed. "You've been through a traumatic event. It will take time. But I'm here to help you remember. I'll take care of everything."

His words were like a cage closing around her. The room suddenly felt smaller, the air felt heavier. She could feel the weight of his presence pressing down on her, suffocating her. She didn't know this man. She didn't trust him. Yet, he was claiming to be her husband, speaking for her, as though he controlled her life.

Ava's chest tightened with fear. She felt trapped, helpless, like a prisoner in her own body, in her own life. And as she looked into Ethan's cold, calculating eyes, a flicker of doubt ignited inside her, which grew stronger with each passing second. Something wasn't right.

'He was lying.. he had to be.' She murmured to herself. And that terrified her even more.

Next day...

The daylight streamed through the wide hospital windows, casting long shadows across the sterile room. The soft hum of the machines monitoring Ava's vitals was a constant reminder of her fragile condition. Everything still felt foreign to her. The bed beneath her, the dull ache in her muscles, the quiet whispers of doctors and nurses who came and went. But nothing was more alien than the man sitting beside her.

Ethan Cole.

Ethan looked every bit the part of a devoted husband. His well-tailored suit clung to his frame with precision, his cool and composed demeanor was in its absolute perfection. He sat close, his eyes never leaving her, as if afraid she might vanish if he looked away for too long. Every once in a while, he would reach out, brushing her hand with his hand , a soft smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

"You've been through so much," he said, his voice a low murmur. "But I'm here now, and I'll help you remember everything. We've built a life together, Ava. A life you have loved once, I promise you, you will get it all back."

Ava's fingers trembled slightly, still unsteady from the years spent in an unconscious slumber. She stared at him, desperately trying to latch onto something.. anything.. that would spark recognition.

But all she found was emptiness. The memory of their supposed life together remained elusive, wrapped in the same darkness that clouded her mind since she woke up."I wish I could remember," she whispered, her voice strained, barely audible. It felt like the words themselves were a betrayal of her instincts, though she couldn't understand why. "It's all... so blurry. I can't seem to piece anything together."

Ethan's grip on her hand tightened, his calm exterior masking an intensity she couldn't quite place. "That's okay," he reassured her, though there was a firmness in his tone that made her uneasy. "You don't need to push yourself. Your memories will come back in time."

But as he spoke, a beat dropped in her chest. The details of their life, their supposed love, felt wrong.

The man sitting next to her might be handsome, attentive, and patient, but the way he spoke about their life didn't align with the gnawing unease deep inside her. His words painted a picture of happiness, of a loving, committed relationship. And yet, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong.

A nurse, Elena Maroni, entered the room quietly, her eyes darting between Ethan and Ava with caution. She moved around the machines, making subtle adjustments as she checked on Ava's condition. There was something different about Elena, an unspoken tension in the air when she was around Ethan.

Ava felt like Elena seemed to know something, even if she was lost in her amnesia, could sense it.

"How are you feeling today, Ava?" Elena asked, her tone soft but probing. "Any flashes of memory coming back?"

Ava shook her head slightly, wincing as the movement sent a dull throb through her skull. "No... nothing. Just... more confusion." Her gaze drifted back to Ethan, who watched the exchange with calculated calmness, as though making sure he was in control of every word spoken.

Elena's eyes lingered on Ethan for a moment before she shifted her attention back to Ava. "It's normal for things to feel strange. Waking up after so long... it's going to take time."

Ethan's phone buzzed, and he glanced down at the screen, irritation flickering across his face. He stood abruptly, tucking the phone into his pocket, his composed mask slipping momentarily as the pressing demands of his world outside this hospital room intruded. "I have to take this," he said, his voice low, but firm. "Work never stops." He leaned down, planting a brief kiss on Ava's forehead before turning to Elena. "Don't tire her out," he said, his tone more a command than a request.

And then, with a final glance at Ava, he left the room, the door closing behind him with a soft click.

The air shifted immediately in his absence, the tension loosening, but something darker settled between the two women.

Ava exhaled slowly, her eyes drawn toward the window where sunlight spilled in, mocking the confusion that clouded her thoughts.

Elena moved closer to Ava's bedside, her face softened, though a trace of concern lingered in her expression. "I'm sure this is all overwhelming for you."

Ava turned her head toward her, her voice barely a whisper. "Who... is he, really?" The question had gnawed at her ever since she woke up, but she hadn't dared ask it until now. Something in Ethan's controlled demeanor kept her from pushing too hard, from questioning too much.

But now, alone with Elena, she couldn't hold back. "I don't remember him at all. Not a single thing about him."

Elena hesitated, glancing at the door as though afraid Ethan might walk back in at any moment. Her fingers fiddled nervously with the edge of her clipboard before she lowered her voice, her eyes locking onto Ava's with a softness that hinted at hesitation.

"He's your husband... and he has been taking care of you since the accident. For three years." Elena's words hung in the air. The tension between them thickened, and Ava felt a pang of dread in her chest.

Ava blinked, her mind swirled with questions.`wa`