One afternoon, Chloe and Caroline arrived with a stack of magazines. "Look, Sarah!" Chloe exclaimed. "I brought you some magazines! Maybe seeing some familiar faces will jog your memory!"
Sarah looked at the magazines, her brow furrowed.
"I… I don't recognize anyone," she said, her voice filled with annoyance. "These people are celebrities; I highly doubt they have anything to do with me."
Chloe sighed dramatically. "It's okay, darling," she said, patting Sarah's hand condescendingly. "I just wanted to entertain you with these." She then picked up a magazine, her gaze landing on a picture of Damien Sterling. A slow smile spread across Chloe's face.
"Look, Sarah!" she said, pointing. "Isn't that Damien Sterling! You know, he's very important. Very wealthy." She paused. "He seems very interested in you." She smiled wickedly, turning to Caroline, who nodded eagerly, already envisioning the financial windfall they could reap.
Sarah looked at the picture, her heart skipping a beat. It was him. The only time she had felt safe after the accident was in the arms of this man. She closed her eyes. The accident. His face, illuminated by the flashing lights, his voice, saying, "Trust me." She remembered him returning the ring, their cheerful breakfast, the hug they shared, and his protection.
"I..." she whispered.
"What's your relationship with Damien Sterling?" Chloe pressed.
"We're strangers brought together by tragic circumstances…"
Caroline then took out ownership transfer papers and told Sarah, "Before the accident, you told me to bring you these, my sweet girl. You wanted to transfer the house William left to my name." Sarah looked at her, confused. Transfer the house?
Chloe: "Because of William's debt, it was in your name. Now that the debt is cleared by our mother, I feel like it's only right for you to return the house to her. It's always going to be the home of the three of us, but it's safer if it's in her name."
Sarah didn't believe that story, but she didn't know how to say no to them. When Chloe placed a pen in her hand, something happened. Sarah felt a strong ringing in her head. She saw Ethan holding her hand and running, some men following them, then the car crash. The scene where she looked at Ethan, he was dead… She struggled, gasping for air, tears falling down her face. Chloe quickly called the doctor, who came over and gave her some tranquilizing pills, and she fell asleep. The doctor warned them not to tire the patient.
Chloe and Caroline's smiles faltered, their eyes gleaming with fear. Did she remember something? The mother and daughter duo, consumed by greed, now thought about hurrying their plans to sell Sarah to the debt collector, Mr. Kang. They weren't sure how long her amnesia would last. They were disappointed Sarah didn't sign the papers.
The Protector's Instinct
Damien had hung up the phone with Marco, the truth about the Walkers and the adoption ringing in his ears. He picked up the phone and called the hospital. He asked to speak to Sarah's doctor, requesting that no one, not even Chloe, be allowed to see Sarah without his express permission. He painted a picture of a concerned friend, worried about Sarah's fragile mental state, omitting any mention of his suspicions about Chloe. The doctor, understanding and sympathetic, agreed to his request.
Ethan's Truth
Just as Mathilda Evans returned home from the hospital, Detective Martin knocked on a weathered front door. Mathilda Evans answered, her face still streaked with tears.
"Mrs. Evans," the detective began. "I'm sorry to bother you at a time like this, but we've found new evidence in your son's case. We've established his death was a murder, not an accident."
Mathilda's hands flew to her mouth, her eyes wide with shock. "A murder? My Ethan..."
She then told him everything she knew—about Ethan's life, his deep love for Sarah, and the shocking reason for his final drive that night: the Walker family was attempting to sell Sarah to a debt collector to pay off their debts. She also told him about Ethan's plan to marry Sarah to save her.
Detective Martin listened intently. He had already confirmed that the car's brakes were tampered with, but this new information about the motive was a game-changer.
He then drove back to the station. He considered going to the hospital to speak with Sarah, but he stopped himself. She had amnesia and wouldn't remember the details he needed. He also realized that Damien Sterling wouldn't like that, and he wasn't going to offend him. Moreover, his conversation with Marco had revealed the CEO's protective stance toward Sarah. Bothering her would most likely anger the influential billionaire, and Detective Martin had no desire to go there. Damien Sterling was too powerful of a figure and nobody wants to get on his bad side. He knew he could get all the information he needed from the Walkers and the debt collector. He would work from the shadows, gathering evidence, and when the time was right, he would make his move. This investigation had a long way to go...