Chapter 1

After they declared me recovered, I was finally released from the psychiatric facility.

My family stood outside the clinic gates, nervous, holding their breath.

"Are you... still going to look for Lucas?" Julian, my older brother, asked gently.

I tilted my head, eyes wide with innocent confusion. "Who is Lucas?"

Instantly, the tension evaporated. My family threw me a lavish welcome home party, showered me with affection, and quickly arranged dates with high-society bachelors. Everything seemed so warm, so perfect.

Everyone swore that Lucas Sterling never existed. They told me I had suffered a severe psychotic break and fallen in love with a ghost of my own imagination.

Playing along was the only way I could leave that hellhole. The only way I could buy my freedom.

But I knew the truth.

Lucas was real.

I was going to find him, and then I was going to run.

"How is Summer’s mental state right now?"

"She’s doing well. Very stable. But doctor, we’re terrified she’s just faking it. Is there any chance she still remembers that imaginary man?"

On the speakerphone, the doctor’s tone was cold and absolute:

"Impossible. I subjected her to the most aggressive neurological treatments. Every single memory except for her immediate family was wiped clean. A fictitious persona cannot survive that level of trauma."

"Just remember: do not let her come into contact with any triggers. It could ignite residual memories."

"Understood. Thank you, Doctor. The wire transfer to your offshore account will go through tonight."

Click.

Julian ended the call.

Through the crack of my bedroom door, I heard him let out a long, relieved sigh. "Finally. It’s done."

His heavy footsteps approached. I quickly turned and slipped silently through the dark back to my bed, my heart hammering against my ribs.

It was true. My family had paid off the doctors to strip away my entire past. My mind was an empty canvas, filled only with vague memories of my parents, my brother, and an incident two years ago when I supposedly went crazy on the street, stabbed a stranger, and was committed.

Everyone was lying to me.

Everyone except my past self.

I couldn’t remember the torture in that hospital, but behind the heavy desk in my old room, I had carved three lines into the drywall with my own bloodied fingernails:

"Conspiracy! Summer, your family bought the doctors. They’re here to break you..."

"I’m losing my mind. My memories are fading. But remember this: Lucas Sterling is real. Find him in New York. He is your only ticket to freedom..."

"The iPhone 7. The red high heels. They are gifts from Lucas. They are the proof that he exists..."

Fewer than fifty words, smeared with dried, dark blood.

Just reading those jagged, frantic scratches made the terror and desperation of past-me sink deep into my bones.

"Knock, knock, knock."

A sudden rap on the door snapped me out of it.

I froze, realizing I hadn’t killed the lights. I walked over and pulled the door open.

"Summer? Why are you still awake, sweetie?"

It was Julian.

He looked at me with tender, protective eyes. It made my stomach turn. A cold chill ran down my spine.

I didn’t know why they were drugging me. I didn’t know what they wanted from me.

Julian was the CEO of a multi-billion-dollar corporation. My parents were retired elites with immense social pull. Meanwhile, I didn't even know who I was.

I couldn't fight them head-on. My only choice was to smile, play dumb, lower their guard, and wait for the chance to run to New York.

I forced a sweet smile. "Mom’s birthday is tomorrow. I was just agonizing over what gift to give her."

"Don't worry about that."

Julian reached out, affectionately ruffling my hair. "You know what Mom and Dad really want. They want to see you settled down. The guy we set you up with tomorrow is brilliant, ambitious, and handsome. Promise me you’ll give him a real chance, okay?"

The match was Nicholas Thorne—heir to the massive Thorne Group.

Polished, wealthy, charming, and impossibly sweet.

Over the following weeks, I acted like I was completely falling for him.

In front of my parents, I constantly brought up Nicholas, gushing about how thoughtful he was.

My parents were ecstatic. They eagerly organized a formal dinner so both families could discuss our future.

Nobody mentioned Lucas Sterling anymore. It was as if he had vanished into thin air.

Julian even stopped having guards trail my every step. At the very least, whenever I went on dates with Nicholas, the shadows behind me faded.

By Thanksgiving, our families officially gathered.

The atmosphere was dripping with warmth and luxury. Amid clinking champagne flutes and a passionate kiss between Nicholas and me, the wedding date was set for three months later.

I smiled until my cheeks hurt and drank until I pretended to pass out.

Julian carried me upstairs and tucked me into bed.

Believing I was dead to the world, they gathered in the hallway, their voices hushed with triumph:

"Whew. It worked. He completely wrapped Summer around his finger."

"Just three more months, and this nightmare is finally over."

I lay beneath the duvet, staring blankly into the dark.

So that was it.

They erased my mind just to turn me into a compliant pawn for a corporate marriage alliance?

I rolled out of bed, reached deep beneath my dresser, and pulled out an old storage box.

Inside lay a battered iPhone 7 and a pair of designer red high heels.

My eyes hardened.

"Lucas," I whispered into the quiet night. "Wait for me. I'm coming."