ra strolled through the mall, picking out a simple gift she hoped Z would like. Just as she was about to head out, two bodyguards stepped in her path.


    "Ms. ra, our young master would like to have a coffee with you," one of them said.


    She frowned, ncing over at the café where she spotted a man she didn''t initially recognize. But it clicked soon enough-he looked a lot like Lincoln. This was Aaron, Lincoln''s brother, recently back from abroad and rumored to be looking into Lincoln''s disappearance.


    ra was about to say she was busy, but the bodyguard spoke up again. "Our young master prefers not to use force."


    She sighed, her mood darkening, and walked over to Aaron. Unlike Lincoln''s broody vibe, Aaron was all warmth and sunshine. The Fergusons were all blessed with good looks, but Aaron wore his effortlessly.


    As ra sat down, Aaron shed a smile. "ra, it''s been a while. Simon mentioned you lost your memory and have been hanging out with Dn a lottely."


    He slid a ss of juice her way, his voice calm and easy. "It''ste. Let''s skip the coffee and go with juice."


    ra left the juice untouched, suspicious it might be tampered with. "So, what''s up, Mr. Simon?"


    "Nothing much. I just got back to town and thought I''d catch up with old friends. You might not remember, but we were pretty close back in the day."


    ra wasn''t buying it and was about to fire back when her phone buzzed. It was another message from Z, showing a fresh cut on his palm, a silent threat if she didn''t show up.


    Her expression shifted instantly, and she quickly dialed his number. He didn''t answer, letting the phone ring out.


    Realizing she had no time to waste, ra got up abruptly. "Sorry, Mr. Simon, I really have to go. Let''s catch up another time."


    She was just a few steps away when Aaron chimed in. "Was it Dn messaging you? Makes sense. You used to hate him, and now that you''re finally warming up to him, he wouldn''t want you to remember the old days and the person you truly loved."


    ra halted, her mind spinning. The person she truly loved? Everyone knew she''d chased after Simon for years. Wasn''t he supposed to be her one true love?


    Aaron smirked slightly, ying with the ss in front of him. "ra, I know why you hated Dn before. Trust me, if you get too close now, you''ll regret it when your memoryes back."


    ra hesitated, puzzled. "Why are you so sure it was Dn who texted me?"


    Aaron put his ss down with a thoughtful look. "Just a feeling. He knows what I''m up to and wants you to keep your distance."


    She couldn''t help but think of how Dn had taken her to Azure Shores, right when Aaron returned. Anxiety bubbled up inside her, making her head throb. She couldn''t remember any beef with Dn, just that since she lost her memory, he''d seemed like a genuinely nice guy. If that incident on the ind hadn''t happened, she wouldn''t have quit; he was a great boss.


    Aaron stood and walked over to her. "ra, not everyone knows, but I do. The person you really cared about wasn''t Simon. It was..."


    His sentence was cut short by the shrill ring of her phone. ra nced at the caller ID and quickly cut him off.


    "Sorry, I really have to meet my boyfriend now. It wasn''t Dn messaging me; we''re not that close. Apologies."


    With that, she picked up the call and headed out. On the line, Z''s voice was low and tense. "Are you lying to me again?"