?Chapter 798:
Paulina’s breath hitched. Had he figured it out? Had he begun to notice the mismatch between his memory and reality? She didn’t know how to answer.
Paulina recalled Elliana’s warning. The medication for Cole’s Psychephrenia did more than heal his genes—it erased his memory of ever suffering from the condition, shielding him from the immense psychological toll. Cole was still in a delicate recovery phase. It was far too soon to talk about Psychephrenia. The past was off-limits, at least for now, and only Elliana could decide when—or if—he was ready to face it.
Her hesitation was all Cole needed to confirm his suspicion. His face hardened like stone. “Speak!” he snapped.
The suddenmand made Paulina flinch. Still, she feigned confusion. “I don’t understand what you mean, Mr. Evans.”
Cole’s gaze pierced through her, scanning every flicker of emotion, searching for a crack in her mask. And he found it—a sh of panic, quick but telling. He didn’t look away. “Paulina, we grew up together. You’ve always been like a sister to me. Are you really going to lie to my face?”
Paulina managed a faint smile, but it felt brittle on her lips. “I would never lie to you, Mr. Evans. I honestly don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said, her voice tight.
Cole leaned forward slightly. His voice dropped to a whisper. “Is something wrong with my memory?”
Paulina froze. Of course. As sharp and perceptive as always, Cole had finally caught on—something was amiss with his memories. Unable to reveal the truth just yet, she grasped that…
Denying it outright would only fuel his suspicion. And with him staring so intently, she knew she couldn’t keep the lie airtight. Paulina said carefully, “You do. The car ident caused some trauma to your head. The doctors warned us you might experience memory loss and confusion. Nothing serious. They said it should improve with time.”
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Cole studied her, doubt clouding his expression. Was that the full truth?
“It’s true, Mr. Evans.” Hugh jumped in, his voice firm and steady.
Cole fell quiet, turning the words over in his mind. After a moment, he epted the exnation. He remembered most things. His world didn’t feel fundamentally changed. A few missing pieces didn’t mean the whole puzzle was broken. Nothing to make a fuss about.
The tension in his face eased a little, though the shadows in his eyes lingered. His thoughts drifted back to the tattoo—the hummingbird inked on his shoulder.
He hated tattoos. Always had. People with inked skin unsettled him. He kept his distance from them. So why would he get one? And why a hummingbird? He despised the birds.<fn848e> Content originallyes from find~novel</fn848e>
Their frantic pping and high-pitched chirps grated on his nerves. No man who hated them would choose to have one permanently etched into his skin, especially a female hummingbird.
Paulina and Hugh had been with him for years. If anyone knew when it happened, it was them. He looked up again. “And the tattoo on my shoulder? Where did thate from?”
Hugh’s eyes flicked toward Paulina.
Paulina pressed her lips into a line, mind racing. The hummingbird symbolized Cole’s love for Elliana. It was Elliana’s promise—if Cole ever forgot her, the tattoo would be the key to reawakening his memories, his love.
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