Sitting in her swivel chair, Ashley buried her face in her hands, a bitter chuckle escaping her lips. Vera had just handed her the documents she'd requested along with the digital camera, and now they sat on the desk like a loaded gun. Taking a shaky breath, she leaned back, closing her eyes against the weight pressing on her chest.

"Did I really ask for this?" she muttered to herself, her voice barely above a whisper. Her gaze drifted to the envelope. With a dry laugh, she reached for it and pulled out the documents.

Her fingers tightened around the corner of the papers, crumpling them as a lump formed in her throat. Her hands trembled as she ran them through her hair, scoffing in disbelief. "What the fuck?" she hissed under her breath, her eyes scanning the words that felt like a cruel taunt.

"Oh, God," she murmured, her voice quivering. "Vika... Azriel..." Her fingers pressed against her temples as her headache surged, sharp and unrelenting. Closing her eyes, she was bombarded by flashes of fragmented memories—moments she couldn't fully piece together but couldn't ignore.

Her breathing turned shallow and uneven. "Fuck!" she spat, clutching her hair as the pounding in her head grew louder, like the relentless beat of drums echoing in her skull.

"Big bike... white Porsche..." she muttered, fragments of memory slipping through her grasp like sand. "Two people..." Her eyes flew open, panic and realization coursing through her veins. "No way..." she whispered, swallowing hard.

Desperation kicked in. She yanked open the drawer beneath her desk, rummaging through its contents until her fingers closed around a flash drive. Her hands shook as she booted up her computer and plugged it in. "Come on, come on," she muttered, her legs bouncing restlessly as she bit down on the tip of her thumb.

She opened the file manager and clicked on the first file. A video began to play.

"Hey," her own image greeted her on the screen. Ashley's breath hitched as she stared at the recording. "If you're watching this, something has probably happened to you. If you look like me, then you're Ashley Fletcher Amosa. You're a detective, a coffee shop owner, and the daughter of Elena Fletcher and Manu Amosa. Oh, and let's not forget—you're the heiress of your family business, Aegis Global Solutions."

The Ashley in the video raised a picture of Mia, smiling warmly. "If you happen to look like this woman," she continued, "then you're Mia Tran. You're my fiancée—or maybe my wife by now?" The recorded Ashley chuckled lightly, the sound pulling a strangled gasp from the real Ashley as she sat frozen in front of the screen.

"What?" she whispered, her trembling fingers pausing the video. Her eyes darted to the file manager, spotting another video with a more recent timestamp. Her chest tightened as she clicked on it. The screen lit up with a scene so familiar it sent a chill down her spine.

"Hi, sugarplum," her own voice greeted, though she couldn't remember speaking the words. In the video, she sat in the very chair she was sitting in now. Moments later, Mia appeared, leaning over her.

"What are you doing, detective?" Mia teased, her voice soft and playful. She perched on Ashley's lap, her laughter filling the room like a melody Ashley had forgotten she loved.

"I'm recording," the Ashley in the video replied, her tone filled with affection. "Say hi!" She waved at the camera, grinning, as Mia waved back with a playful laugh.

"Mia..." Ashley whispered in the present, her voice cracking. Her eyes stayed glued to the screen as the video continued, showing her and Mia sharing a tender kiss. With trembling hands, she paused the video. Her heart raced, her mind spinning as the truth slammed into her like a freight train.

"Mia... she's my fiancée?" she asked herself aloud, clutching her head as another wave of memories surged. The relentless pounding in her skull forced a groan from her lips.

"Stop," she hissed, her voice breaking. "Please, just stop..." But the flashes wouldn't relent. Faces, places, emotions all collided in her mind—Samoa, Mia, dancing, her mother. Each memory sharpened into painful clarity, leaving her gasping.

"I... I went to Samoa with Mia," she murmured, her back sinking into the chair as tears spilled down her cheeks. Her breathing hitched as realization washed over her like an icy tide.

"Fuck, Ashley," she growled, her voice thick with self-loathing. "How the hell did you forget your own fiancée? How could you hurt Mia like this?" Her hands wiped at her tears, but they kept coming, unbidden and unrelenting.

"She is... she is my fiancée," Ashley whispered, her words were both a confession and a vow.



Mia clutched her phone tightly, her heart racing as Alysse's voice buzzed on the other end of the line. "Is she with you? Ashley hasn't come home, and Vika's frantic," Alysse said, her tone edged with worry.

Mia glanced at the wall clock—midnight. Her stomach churned at the thought of Ashley out in the storm.

"I'll try to find her," Mia replied, her voice steady despite her rising anxiety. "I'll call you as soon as I know something." Ending the call abruptly, she grabbed her jacket. Lightning illuminated the room, flashes of blue and white reflecting on her floor-to-ceiling windows. She rushed to the door, but as she swung it open, her breath caught.

"Ash?!" Mia gasped. Ashley stood there, drenched from head to toe, rainwater dripping from her hair onto the hallway floor. Her chest heaved as if she'd been running, her expression distant and unreadable.

"What the hell!" Mia exclaimed, pulling Ashley inside and slamming the door shut against the pounding rain. "What are you doing out there? Alysse is worried sick—"

Her words were cut off as Ashley grabbed her and kissed her, urgent and unyielding. The warmth of Ashley's lips clashed against the chill of her rain-soaked clothes, leaving Mia breathless. The kiss ended as abruptly as it began, and Mia stumbled back, panting.

"What the heck, Ash?" she stammered, covering her flushed face with her hands. Her cheeks burned despite the cold dampness seeping into her own clothes. "What do you think you're doing?! Do you even know what time it is?" Her hands dropped to her hips, her tone slipping into a sharp, scolding cadence.

Ashley let out a soft laugh, her voice trembling. She tilted her head back, staring at the ceiling as if trying to gather strength. "You nag at me like you're my wife," she said, her voice breaking slightly. "Do you want to be my wife?"

Mia froze, blinking in disbelief. "What?" she mumbled, staring at Ashley. "What are you even saying?"

Ashley lowered her gaze, her composure cracking as tears brimmed in her eyes. Her hands covered her face for a moment, but then she let them fall, her gaze locking onto Mia's. "Mia," she whispered, her voice choked with emotion. Her knees buckled, and she sank to the floor, sobbing. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm so sorry, sugarplum..."

Mia's breath hitched at the familiar endearment, one she hadn't heard since Ashley's amnesia. Her heart constricted painfully. "Ash..." she murmured, swallowing a lump in her throat. "Did you... did you get your memories back?"

Ashley glanced up at her, nodding slowly, her tears falling freely. "I'm so sorry," she said, her voice cracking. "I'm sorry for forgetting you... for everything." Her shoulders shook as she tried to steady her breathing. "I—I remember it all now. I remember you."

Mia knelt in front of her, cupping Ashley's tear-streaked face in her hands. "You... you really remember me?" Her voice trembled as her own tears welled up. "Ashley, is this real?"

"Yes," Ashley whispered, her words filled with quiet conviction. "Yes, I remember you now. You're Mia Tran. You're an actress... my girlfriend... my fiancée." Her voice wavered as she continued, her gaze locked on Mia's. "We went to Samoa together... we were about to—"

Mia didn't let her finish. Her lips met Ashley's in a desperate kiss, pouring all her love and relief into the connection. Ashley's hands instinctively found their way to Mia's back, holding her close as the storm outside faded into the background.

When they pulled apart, both were breathless, their foreheads resting against each other. "You're really back," Mia whispered, a soft smile breaking through her tears.

Ashley nodded, her lips curling into a small, tentative smile. "I'm back," she said. "And I'm never forgetting you again."