ra''s head was pounding, and she felt a wave of anxiety after what Aaron had said.


    "No, just ran into a bit of a situation. I''m heading over now, should be there in about an hour."


    "ra, don''t lie to me."


    His voice had a touch of confusion.


    ra''s heart twisted. "I''m not lying."


    Back in the cozy café, the warmth in Aaron''s eyes faded as he watched ra leave. Turning to the bodyguard next to him, he said, "Find out who her boyfriend is."


    It couldn''t be Dn. Dn should know that ra has someone in her heart. A guy like him wouldn''t stoop to using ra''s amnesia to sneak in as a third wheel, right?


    Aaron chuckled to himself, pretty sure that Dn had something to do with Lincoln''s troubles. Dn was just too sneaky, and no one had caught on yet. But now that Aaron was back in town, he had plenty of time to y this game. And he knew all of Dn''s weak spots.


    A sly grin appeared on his face as he sat back down. This city is about to get interesting.


    *


    ra arrived at the small cottage. It was already ten at night, and the darkness made the ce feel eerie. She was about to ring the doorbell when the door swung open on its own. Inside, it was pitch ck. She reached for the light switch but found nothing.


    "Z?"


    She shut the door behind her, feeling like she''d stepped into an abyss. Relying on her memory fromst time, she made her way to the couch. Suddenly, arms wrapped around her waist, his voice a muffled whisper, "Did you get the gift?"


    ra let out a breath of relief, quickly turning to grab his hand. She couldn''t see a thing in the dark but felt the bandages on his palm. Had he taken care of it himself?


    "I did. Will you guide me to sit down?"


    Z took her hand, and they settled on the couch together. ra noticed something different about him, a faint metallic scent in the air. She gently cupped his face and kissed the corner of his mouth. "Don''t scare me with those jumping threats again."


    This time, he wasn''t having it, turning his face away silently. ra quickly ced two more kisses on his lips. He seemed to soften, his voice rough, "Next time, I really will jump."


    Her hand shook slightly. She wondered what kind of person she had gotten herself tangled up with. She quickly grabbed a box next to her and opened it. "I got you a ring. It''s a matching couple''s ring. Let me put it on you, and you can put mine on, okay?"


    The gift wasn''t expensive, but it clearly meant a lot to him, his tone light with happiness.


    "Really?"


    "Yes, I picked it out just for you."


    ra took out the ring, found his finger, and slipped it on. Then she ced her hand in his. "You put mine on too."


    His breath hitched, and with trembling fingers, he picked up the other ring and slid


    it onto her finger. ra had more to say, but as soon as the ring was on, his


    kisses came crashing down, wild and overwhelming. She was nearly out of breath, feeling his kissesnd on her now-ringed finger.


    He seemed genuinely thrilled, his voice bubbling with excitement. "Have you ever given a ring to anyone else?"


    ra, with her lost memory, truly didn''t know, but now wasn''t the time to kill the mood.


    "No, you''re the first."


    He paused, suddenly serious. "And I''ll be the only one."


    That possessive vibe wrapped around her again, making ra''s skin prickle. Shey against his chest, feeling a bit lost. Sometimes, she wasn''t even sure if she cared for him or was just scared of his crazy side. In the dark, her lips found his over and over.


    On a whim, she asked, "Who''s that mentor you mentioned?"


    All the sweetness vanished in an instant. He froze, and the air turned icy.