The Prank That Shattered Love

ceiling, white sheets, the sterile smell of an

reased with worry. I decided to play a prank, preten

ichols, an intern at his family's company. "She's the woman I love," he said, his voice flat. "But you a

of fury. "Then call it off," I snapped. He grabbed my wrist, panic in his eyes. "If this merger

tic, selfish drama. I was nothing more than a business deal. The witty, pr

oesn't remember a thing. Love me? Of course, she loves me. She's been obsessed with me since we were kids. It' s almost pathetic

pte

sheets, the sterile smell of antiseptic. My head throbbed,

a chair in the corner.

worry, his usually perfect hair a mess. He rushed to my beds

minor one," he said quickly. "You took a nasty

e patch of ice that sent my skis flying. I remembered the world tum

pre-wedding trip, a last getaway before the merger of our two families, England Corp. and Lawrence Ho

unfocused. I stared at

my voice intentionally w

vaporated, replaced by a flicker of con

s brow furrowed. "Do

ng for him to laugh, to call my bluff, to pull me into his arms and tell me he love

omething I couldn't place, something calculating. He glanced toward the d

his voice suddenly flat, stripp

nt a shiver down my spine.

of us. He showed me a picture of a girl I' d never seen before. She was pre

ening as he looked at the picture. "She's an inte

prank died in my throat, choked b

me chilling detachment, "are getting married. Our families hav

oved since we were teenagers, the man I was about to m

. "Then call it off,"

startled, as if he hadn't ex

" I repeated, my hands clenching the s

for a nurse, to call my father. My f

abbed my wrist. His grip was

thought it was because he was afraid of losing me. That maybe hi

, his voice tight. "

of me, C

close to mine. "Hannah... she's very fragile. The stress would destroy her. S

d cold. It wasn't about me. It was never about me.

h drama. A bitter taste filled my mouth. I was nothing more than a business deal. The

my wrist, a flicker of what might have been regret

said, more to himself than to me. "Until things

arming, handsome fiancé again. He left the room without

owned out by the roaring in my ears. I replayed our years together, every shared laugh, every

but I refused to let t

ice from the hallway.

under control. She has amnesia.

she loves me. She's been obsessed with me

dn't break any further, shatte

der tone he'd used when he showed me her picture. "You'r

somewhere safe. She'll be my wife, bu

hot and silent. But they weren't tears of

l fool he could manipulate. He was

my phone on the bedside table. I

ing Cameron. Call o