Chapter 53
1018 Words
_Dorian's POV_
Lyla walked ahead of me. Her steps were light and unhurried. She didn’t even glance back. The distance between us was more than just physical.
It was as if I didn’t exist to her.
Something twisted deep in my chest. I had hurt her, yes. I had failed her when she needed me the most. But this—this was something else. This wasn’t just anger. This wasn’t just a broken heart.
It was like she didn’t even remember me.
The corridor was quiet except for the soft tapping of her footsteps. My own heartbeat felt deafening in my ears. I couldn’t take it anymore.
“Why are you acting like this, Lyla?” I asked, my voice breaking the silence.
She didn’t stop walking. Didn’t hesitate.
I clenched my fists, stepping closer. “I know you’re angry at me. I know I hurt you. But at least acknowledge me. At least look at me.”
Lyla finally turned around. Her face was unreadable, her golden eyes calm. Too calm.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Alpha Dorian.” Her voice was smooth, detached.
A sharp pain shot through my chest. No. This wasn’t right.
I grabbed her shoulders. My grip was firm but not too harsh. “Lyla, it’s me. Dorian. Your ex-mate.” My voice was desperate now. “You really don’t recognize me? How is this possible?”
Lyla’s expression didn’t change. She reached up, removed my hands from her shoulders with surprising ease, and stepped back.
“You should not cross your limits,” she said coldly. “Don’t think that because you are a guest, you can do whatever you want. I have not given you permission to touch me.”
I felt like she had punched me straight in the gut.
This wasn’t her. This wasn’t my Lyla.
I exhaled shakily, forcing myself to take a step back. “I’m sorry,” I said, my voice low.
She nodded slightly, as if my apology meant nothing, and turned to continue walking.
But I wasn’t done.
“If Aaron is threatening you,” I said quickly, “there’s no need to be afraid. You can tell me the truth. I’ll help you, Lyla. But you need to talk to me.”
She stopped again, just for a moment. Then she turned, her face still completely neutral.
“Aaron treats me like a queen,” she said, her tone light but firm. “He loves me very much.”
I swallowed hard.
“He would never hurt me,” she continued. “Please stop inventing things, Alpha Dorian. Whatever past you think we had—it doesn’t exist.”
I stared at her, my breathing uneven.
She was lying. She had to be.
Was he controlling her? Was she under some kind of spell?
Or worse—had he changed her?
We walked in silence after that. My mind raced, searching for answers, searching for something—anything—that would make sense.
We reached a room at the end of the hall. It was a changing room, and inside, a large closet stood against the wall. Lyla opened it and stepped aside.
“You can choose something from here,” she said, her voice polite but distant. “I’m sure you’ll find something that fits.”
I barely glanced at the clothes.
Lyla stood by the door, her posture poised. She wasn’t looking at me, but she wasn’t leaving either.
I clenched my jaw. I had to try again.
“This isn’t you, Lyla.” My voice was quieter now, almost pleading. “I know you. I know your scent, your soul, your heartbeat.” I stepped closer. “Tell me the truth.”
Lyla finally looked at me. Her golden eyes were unreadable, but there was something—something flickering beneath the surface.
A hesitation. A moment of doubt.
But then she blinked, and it was gone.
“I have told you the truth, Alpha Dorian,” she said smoothly. “Aaron is my mate. I belong here.”
I inhaled sharply. “No, you don’t.”
She lifted her chin. “Who are you to decide that?”
My fists clenched at my sides.
“You used to love me,” I said, my voice raw. “Do you really not remember? Do you really not feel anything?”
She hesitated. Just for a second.
Then she sighed. “Love?” she echoed, tilting her head slightly. “I don’t think I’ve ever loved you.”
Her words felt like knives slicing through my chest.
No. No, this wasn’t real.
I took another step closer, lowering my voice. “Lyla, I don’t believe you.”
She exhaled sharply, shaking her head. “You don’t have to.”
I was losing her.
No. I had already lost her.
I ran a hand through my hair, frustration bubbling beneath my skin. “What has Aaron done to you?”
“Aaron has done nothing but care for me.”
Her voice was smooth. It sent a chill down my spine.
“You are the one who left me, Alpha Dorian,” she continued. “You are the one who rejected me.”
Guilt slammed into me.
“I made mistakes,” I admitted. “But I never stopped loving you. I never stopped thinking about you.”
Lyla smiled faintly. “How unfortunate.”
I sucked in a breath.
She turned to the door. “Jason will escort you outside once you’re done changing.”
And then she was gone.
I stood there, staring at the empty doorway, my heart pounding.
This wasn’t real.
This wasn’t my Lyla.
She was someone else.
It was as if another personality had taken over her body. As if she had been rewritten, her memories wiped away.
What was happening?
What had Aaron done to her?
I swallowed hard. I had to find out the truth.
Lyla wasn’t safe here.
She needed to come back home with me.
But how could I bring her back when she didn’t even remember who she was?
- Writer
