Chapter 2

The cold dread from Edgar's sudden appearance still clung to me, but I pushed it down, deep inside. The game had indeed begun, and I had to be flawless.

"Oh, Edgar," I whimpered, letting my body slump slightly, projecting vulnerability. "My head really hurts. And my face... it stings." I touched my cheek, feigning a fresh memory of the slap. "That woman... who was she? Why did she hit me?"

Edgar's expression softened, a subtle shift I knew was fake. He knelt beside me, his hand gentle on my arm. A shiver of revulsion ran through me, but I forced myself to endure it.

"That was Amelie, darling," he said, his voice laced with a false sympathy. "She's... a little possessive. She believed you were trying to seduce me. A misunderstanding, that's all." He sighed, shaking his head as if frustrated by her childishness. "She's very young, very insecure. But harmless, really."

Harmless. The word tasted like ash in my mouth. Harmless, the woman who had brutally attacked me, triggering the return of my memories. Harmless, the woman who had stolen my entire life.

I looked at him, my eyes wide and seemingly confused. "Seduce you? But... aren't we married? You said we were. Why would she think that?" The innocent questioning tone was hard to maintain, but I managed.

He looked away for a fraction of a second, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes. Guilt? No, not Edgar. Annoyance, perhaps, at having to navigate his own web of lies.

"Of course we're married, Elise," he said, his voice firm, drawing my gaze back to his. "She just... she's had a difficult life. She admires you, you know. Always has. She was just jealous of our happiness."

His words twisted my stomach. Admiration felt like a cruel joke now. He was good at this, I thought. So good at twisting reality, at painting himself as the benevolent protector. But I knew the truth. I remembered our past.

I remembered finding a stack of incriminating documents, proof of his shady dealings, his offshore accounts. I had threatened to expose him if he didn't agree to the divorce and stay out of my life. That must have been why. Why he needed me gone. Why the accident. Why the memory loss was so convenient. He didn't want to lose control. Not of me, not of my family's legacy. He had tried to end me, then he claimed me.

He leaned in, his breath warm on my ear. "Don't worry about Amelie, my love. She's just a child. She needs to be taught a lesson, clearly. I'll make sure she understands her place." He stroked my hair, his touch sending goosebumps over my skin. "You're my wife, Elise. Always have been, always will be."

A bitter laugh threatened to escape me. His wife. While he was married to Amelie. The audacity. The sheer, unadulterated evil. But I kept my expression blank, my body still.

"She needs to understand her place," I repeated softly, my voice still small, but with a subtle new edge that only I could hear. "She hurt me, Edgar. Physically. That's not okay." I looked up at him, letting a single tear trace a path down my cheek. "She shouldn't be allowed to just... hurt people."

He nodded, his jaw tight. "You're right, darling. Absolutely right. I'll handle her." He helped me up, his arm around my waist, guiding me towards the door. The familiar surroundings of the mansion now felt oppressive, each opulent detail a reminder of my gilded cage.

Just as we reached the hallway, a familiar scent drifted towards us. Sweet, cloying perfume. Amelie. She appeared from around the corner, her eyes darting between Edgar and me, a triumphant smirk playing on her lips. She was wearing a silk robe, one of my robes, I recognized the intricate embroidery.

"Edgar, darling!" she cooed, ignoring my presence entirely. "Are you coming? I thought we were going to discuss the designs for the new wing. You know, the one for our master suite." Her gaze flickered to me, a flash of pure malice. "Oh, is she still here? I thought she'd be... resting."

My blood ran cold. The new wing. The master suite. My master suite.

"Amelie," Edgar said, his voice sharp now, a warning. "We were just talking. Elise is quite upset."

Amelie laughed, a harsh, brittle sound. "Upset? About what? That she's not the queen bee anymore? That I am?" She sauntered closer, her eyes gleaming with predatory confidence. "Look at her, Edgar. A shadow of her former self. The great Elise Everett. Reduced to this. It's almost pathetic."

She reached into the pocket of my robe and pulled something out. A silver locket. My locket. The one my mother had given me on my eighteenth birthday. Inside were photos of my parents, young and laughing.

"Is this yours?" she asked, dangling it in front of me, her voice dripping with mock innocence. "I found it. So old-fashioned, isn't it? But Edgar said you used to love it. Funny, how things change." She flipped it open, revealing the tiny, faded images.

My breath hitched. The images of my parents, their faces etched with joy. Now, those faces were gone, victims of a cruel lie. A raw, piercing pain shot through my chest. My locket. My parents.

I stared at the locket, then at Amelie, then back at Edgar. My face remained a mask of confusion, but inside, a volcano erupted.

"What... what is that?" I asked, my voice trembling, tears welling in my eyes. The confusion was real, a mixture of the feigned amnesia and the genuine emotional overload. "Why are you showing me this?"

Amelie smirked. "Oh, she doesn't remember even this? How sad." She turned to Edgar. "See? I told you she was completely gone. She doesn't even recognize her own family heirlooms."

Edgar grabbed Amelie's arm, his grip tight. "Enough, Amelie."

"No, it's not enough!" she shot back, yanking her arm free. "She needs to know her place! She needs to know I am the woman of this house now. I am the one you love. I am Elise Everett!"

I looked at Edgar, letting my confusion morph into a childlike bewilderment. "Elise Everett? But... isn't that my name?"

Edgar's face paled. He looked from Amelie to me, a flicker of panic in his eyes. "Enough!" he roared, his voice echoing in the grand hallway. "Both of you! This is ridiculous." He turned to me, his voice quickly regaining its false calm. "Elise, darling, she's... she's just a little confused. She just wants to be like you. You were her idol, after all."

He turned back to Amelie, his voice a low hiss. "Go to your room, Amelie. Now. We'll talk about this later."

Amelie glared at me, then at Edgar. She stomped off, the silk robe swishing, but not before giving me one last contemptuous look.

I watched her go, my heart thumping. Edgar turned to me, his face a complex mask of frustration and forced tenderness.

"I'm so sorry about that, Elise," he said, taking my hand. His touch was cold, clammy. "She's just... she's very emotional. And she's very protective of me. She misunderstood everything." He sighed dramatically. "Your accident... it was so traumatic for everyone. She took it very hard. She felt so guilty for not being able to protect you."

My mind reeled. He was good. So good. Blaming Amelie, shifting the narrative, twisting the knife. He was blaming the very woman who had orchestrated my downfall, for her guilt.

"But... she said she was Elise Everett," I whispered, my voice still fragile. "But you said I was Elise Everett. I don't understand."

He squeezed my hand. "It's a long story, my love. But the short version is, she's... she's a distant relative. She took your name, as a tribute. After your 'death,' it was... a way for her to carry on your legacy. It was her way of coping with the loss. And a way to keep Everett Industries afloat. The family needed a face, a name. And she volunteered." He smiled sadly. "It was quite brave of her, really. To step into such big shoes."

The sheer audacity of his lies made me tremble, a tremor I disguised as fear. My parents' legacy. Stepping into my shoes. He was a monster. They were both monsters.

"But... she hurt me," I said again, my voice catching. "Why would she hurt me if she admired me? If she was carrying on my legacy?"

He pulled me closer, wrapping his arms around me. I stiffened, fighting the urge to shove him away. "She's afraid, my love. Afraid of losing me. Afraid of losing what she has built. She sees you as a threat. But she doesn't understand. There's no threat. There's only you. My Elise."

He kissed the top of my head, a possessive gesture that made my skin crawl. "I would never let anything happen to you, my darling. Never again."

The words echoed in my mind. "Never again." They sounded like a promise, but I heard a threat. He would never let me out of his sight. He would never let me escape his control.

"I... I don't know, Edgar," I mumbled, pulling away slightly. "I feel so confused. I just want it to stop. All of it."

He looked at me, a calculated look of concern on his face. "I understand, my love. You've been through so much. Perhaps... perhaps it's best if we just focus on us. On rebuilding your memories. On our love."

He leaned in, trying to kiss me. I turned my head, letting my "confusion" be my shield. "I... I'm not ready. My head still hurts." I pushed at his chest lightly, a gesture of gentle rejection that wouldn't provoke him. "And I don't like her. She hurts me. I don't want her near me."

He sighed, a long-suffering sound. "But she's my... she's my family too, Elise. She's the public face of Everett Industries. We can't just send her away." He paused, a wicked gleam in his eyes. "Unless... unless you want to be the public face again? Reclaim your place?"

My heart pounded. Was this a test? Or an opportunity?

"I don't know," I whispered, feigning helplessness. "I just... I just want peace. And for her not to touch me. Or hurt me. Or say those terrible things."

He smiled, a dark, calculating smile. "What if... what if you both stayed? And simply... coexisted? Think of it, Elise. Both of you by my side. You, the true heart of Everett Industries, the woman I truly married. And Amelie, the dutiful public face. Wouldn't that be... ideal?"

My blood ran cold. He wanted both of us. He wanted to keep his stolen empire, his stolen wife, and his prisoner, the true owner of it all. He was truly despicable.

But a new thought sparked. An idea, cold and sharp. This was his weakness. His greed. His desire to have everything.

"I don't know if I can," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "She's so... cruel. She hates me."

"Then she won't be cruel anymore," he promised, his voice firm. "I'll make sure of it. She won't dare touch you again. She won't say anything to upset you. You have my word. As long as you... try to understand her position. And accept that we are all... one big family now."

I looked at him, my eyes filled with feigned uncertainty. "And she won't... she won't pretend to be me anymore? She won't tell people she's your wife?"

He hesitated, then gave a tight, unnatural smile. "She's already in that role, my love. It's too late to change that. But she won't diminish you. I promise. You will always be my Elise." He paused, his eyes gleaming. "So, what do you say? A truce? For me?"

My stomach churned. A truce. With the woman who had helped destroy my life. With the man who had ordered my death. But this was my chance. My only chance. To stay, to observe, to gather evidence.

"Okay," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "But... she has to stay away from me. No more touching. No more hitting. No more calling herself... my name." I made a show of looking away, as if unable to bear the thought.

He nodded, a triumphant look in his eyes. "Agreed. And in return, my love, you will be kind to her. Understand her situation. After all, she did step up when you were... incapacitated."

My hands clenched into fists, hidden from his view. Incapacitated. He meant dead. I agreed with a small, reluctant nod, my jaw tight.

A cold, hard resolve settled deep within me. He thought he had won. He thought he had me trapped. But he had just given me the keys to his kingdom. I would find a way out. I would gather every piece of evidence. I would reclaim my name, my fortune, my identity. And I would make him pay for every single lie, every stolen moment, every drop of blood, every tear. He would regret the day he ever crossed Elise Everett.

This was no truce. This was war. And he had no idea who he was really fighting. I secretly reached for the burner phone still hidden in my pocket, pressing the record button. Every word from now on would be a weapon.

"Good girl," he purred, stroking my hair. "That's my Elise. Always so understanding."

I bit back the bile rising in my throat. Understanding? He would see. He would understand soon enough.