As ra left, she felt a noticeable lightness in her step. Back home, she settled


    on the couch, wide awake. Instead of tossing and turning, she grabbed herptop to get some work done.


    Then, the doorbell rang, breaking the quiet. With a hint of annoyance, she went to see who it was and found Eli standing there. His features were delicate, almost feminine, but now marred with serious injuries. He nced up at her, surprise flickering in his eyes before he quicklyposed himself.


    "Ms. Bradford, my car crashed downstairs."


    ra was startled but stepped aside to let him in. She had a first aid kit ready, and since Eli was one of her artists now, she couldn''t risk him getting disfigured— he was a key part of her business.


    Eli bore scratches on his face and his arm was streaked with blood. ra grabbed the first aid kit and motioned for him to take a seat on the couch.


    To her surprise, he plopped down on the floor instead, tearing away the fabric on his arm. "I''ll sit here; I''m too dirty to ruin your couch."


    ra opened the kit and began cleaning his wounds, stopping the bleeding. Still curious, she asked, "How did you find my ce? Was the car badly damaged? Where''s your brother?"


    "He wasn''t in the car. It''s been towed, nothing serious. These are just minor injuries. I got your address from someone and thought I''d drop by."


    Once she finished with his arm, she moved on to his fingers. Eli''s striking looks contrasted with his calloused fingertips, hinting at a history with weapons. But given his recent move from the mountains, she wondered how he encountered such things.


    After ten minutes of bandaging, ra sighed in relief. Eli, however, didn''t budge. He leaned against the wall and asked, "Ms. Bradford, can I crash here tonight?"


    Typically, it wouldn''t be appropriate for a man and woman to share a space like this, and ra knew she should refuse. But seeing him so worn out, she couldn''t bring herself to say no.


    "Alright, you can sleep on the couch."


    She cleared herptop from the coffee table and retreated to her bedroom. Alone


    in the living room, Eli rubbed his eyes, finally letting his exhaustion show.


    His phone buzzed-it was Seth. "You alright?"


    "Yeah, I''m fine."


    "Eli, I told you to stay away from her. That guy is dangerous. Do you really think he won''t kill you?"


    Eli felt a pang in his chest, his hand clenching at his side. "Are you just going to let him push you around? That guy''s insane. I only wanted to see ra. What''s his problem?"


    Seth rxed, knowing Eli was safe. "Don''t argue with a madman. Keep quiet in front of ra. She doesn''t remember anything, and it puts us at a disadvantage. If he decides to act, none of us will make it out."


    Eli considered lighting a cigarette but held back, respecting ra''s space. "Rx, I''m with ra now. The people after me have backed off; she''s safe."


    The lunatic clearly didn''t want ra to suspect anything.


    Seth paused, then warned again, "Don''t do this again. It''s not worth your life. He''s only holding back because of ra."


    Eli winced as pain red in his chest. Those people hadn''t held back, wishing he''d


    beid up in the hospital for months. "Once ra gets her memory back, I''ll make sure that lunatic pays."


    ra wasn''t his property, after all.


    Seth was exasperated on the other end, rubbing his temples. "You need to


    change your reckless attitude. From what I hear, ra and he get along since she lost her memory."


    "It''s all a show."


    Eli''s eyes darkened as he nced at the bandage on his arm. "Everything I''ve enduredtely, I''ll make sure he pays it back."


    ra slept soundly but dreamt of a beautiful, Western-style estate. The gardens and fountains were enchanting. When she woke, she remembered it vividly, wondering if it was linked to her past.


    Her instincts told her the estate was significant.


    The next morning, she headed to the office, busy until lunchtime when an unexpected email popped up on her screen. It was a scheduled email from her past self, sent years ago.


    It contained a single picture and a brief sentence: "Are you happy with your mentor now?"


    The picture was of the estate from her dream. Although not very clear, she immediately recognized it. There was that word again-mentor.


    This email was a message from her own past. She rubbed her temples, uploading the image online, hoping to locate the estate.


    But nothing matched.


    Finally, she sent the picture to Z. He''d been with Nightshade for ages, surely he''d know something.


    But there was no response.