8. The Awakening Of Memory.

ROSE — POV

The sound of my phone buzzing wakes me.

For a moment, I just lie there, staring at the ceiling, wishing yesterday was only a nightmare.

But the ache in my chest, the bruises on my heart, and the faint scent of him still clinging to my skin tell me it wasn’t.

I reach for my phone, expecting more silence, maybe another email reminding me I’m unemployed.

Instead, my eyes widen.

Subject: URGENT — Employment Reinstatement

From: HR Department

I sit up quickly and tap it open.

Dear Miss Carter,

We sincerely apologize for the misunderstanding that occurred yesterday. After reviewing your record and skills, we’ve decided to reinstate your position effective immediately. You will be required to handle today’s presentation with Wolfe Enterprises. If successful, you’ll receive a double performance bonus.

Please accept our apologies once again.

— Management.

My mouth falls open.

“Double… bonus?” I whisper. “Wait, what?”

My heart races. I should be overjoyed — I got my job back! But even through the surprise, a shadow of confusion lingers.

Because there’s no way my company suddenly grew a conscience overnight.

Someone must’ve said something.

Someone like… him.

Adrian Wolfe.

The name alone sends a jolt down my spine. The same man who saved me. The same man who destroyed me.

And, apparently, the same man who just saved my career.

I throw the blanket off and get to my feet. “Okay, Rose,” I tell my reflection in the mirror. “You’re going to work, you’re going to do that presentation, and you’re going to pretend nothing ever happened.”

My reflection stares back with puffy eyes and messy hair.

“Nothing,” I repeat with a sigh.

I shower quickly and get dressed in my best navy-blue suit. As I brush through my hair, though, my mind refuses to quiet.

Everything feels heavier now that I know the truth … that there are creatures in the world hiding in plain sight. Vampires, werewolves… and somehow, I got tangled in their world.

And I lost my virginity to one of them.

To him.

To the Alpha.

I pause mid-brush, staring at myself again. “What am I even doing?”

But then I exhale slowly. “No. Stay positive. You’ve already survived worse.”

A little makeup, a deep breath, and I’m out the door.

The office feels the same …polished floors, glass walls, the faint hum of printers. But everyone’s eyes follow me as I walk in.

Whispers trail behind me.

“She’s back?”

“Didn’t she get fired?”

“Guess she has connections…”

I ignore them and head straight to the conference hall, where my laptop is already connected to the big screen.

My manager rushes over, looking both relieved and terrified. “Rose! Thank goodness. Wolfe Enterprises is already on their way up. Please, just… do your best.”

I smile tightly. “I always do.”

As I arrange my slides, I can’t shake the nerves. My palms are slick with sweat. Every click, every breath, feels too loud.

Then the elevator dings.

And he walks in.

Adrian Wolfe.

Tall. Composed. Cold.

A black suit sharp enough to cut glass. His expression unreadable, but his presence pulls all the air out of the room.

Caleb walks beside him, flashing that easy grin that doesn’t reach his eyes. The employees stand like soldiers as they pass.

My pulse stutters.

I force my gaze down to my slides, pretending not to notice, but I feel his eyes.

That same magnetic stare ….hot, heavy, and impossible to ignore.

The meeting starts. I walk to the front, my heels clicking softly against the floor.

“Good morning,” I begin, voice trembling slightly. “I’ll be presenting the proposed terms for the joint marketing campaign between our companies.”

I avoid looking at him. I can’t.

Not when I can feel his gaze burning through me.

My slides flicker across the screen … data, charts, numbers. I focus on them like they’re the only thing holding me together.

But with every passing second, I feel it.

That energy again. The pull.

Adrian doesn’t move, doesn’t speak, but his eyes follow every motion I make … every breath, every turn of my head.

It’s suffocating and intoxicating all at once.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Caleb glance sideways at him, eyebrows raised. When Adrian doesn’t blink, Caleb subtly kicks him under the table.

Adrian’s jaw clenches.

The kick must’ve worked because he finally looks away, rubbing his temple as if trying to steady himself.

I finish my presentation with shaking hands but a steady voice.

“…and that concludes my report. Thank you for your attention.”

The room claps softly.

Adrian stands. The room goes quiet.

“We’ll proceed with the partnership,” he says smoothly. “Good work.”

My heart leaps … relief, pride, confusion all tangled together.

But then his gaze cuts to me again, and I know this isn’t over.

Not yet.

ADRIAN — POV

I shouldn’t have come…maybe send Caleb as my representative here.

The moment she stepped to the front of that room, my control slipped like sand through my fingers. Her scent …the same sweet warmth that healed me that night …hit me like a storm.

And there she was.

Standing in front of everyone, trying to act professional, pretending nothing ever happened between us.

Every word she spoke made my inner wolf restless.

Every nervous glance made me want to go to her, touch her, remind her how her body fit against mine like it was made for it.

I nearly growled when one of the men leaned close to hand her a file.

Caleb’s shoe slammed against my leg.

I shot him a glare.

He smirked. “You’re welcome,” he mouthed.

When it was over, I forced myself to stand and end it fast. “We’ll proceed with the partnership.” My voice came out colder than intended. It was the only way to stay sane.

But as I turned to leave, she said it.

“Mr. Wolfe,” she began quietly, “I’d like to speak to you privately.”

My heart skipped.

I didn’t respond … just nodded and walked toward the exit.

She followed.

And Caleb, of course, followed me.

Always the shadow.

CALEB — POV

I could practically smell the tension between them.

By the time we reached the parking lot, the air was thick enough to cut with a knife. Adrian stopped by the car, trying to keep his expression blank, but his shoulders were tight — the kind of tight that meant trouble.

Rose caught up, her heels clicking sharply against the pavement. “Mr. Wolfe,” she said, her tone low but steady. “I know who you are.”

Adrian froze.

Oh, this was about to be good.

He turned slowly, his eyes narrowing. “What did you just say?”

She crossed her arms. “You heard me.”

I bit back a laugh. She had guts … I’ll give her that.

Adrian’s gaze darkened. “Get in the car.”

Her brows knitted. “Excuse me?”

“You want the truth?” he said, voice dropping an octave. “You’re coming with me.”

Before she could argue, he opened the back door, and somehow … maybe because of that strange pull between them …she obeyed.

I sighed and got into the front seat with the driver. “Here we go again.”

ROSE — POV

I don’t know why I got in the car.

Maybe because his voice wasn’t asking. It was commanding …deep, certain, impossible to refuse.

We drove for a long time, the city blurring into green forests.

The further we went, the heavier the air felt. The trees grew taller, denser, and soon, the roads disappeared altogether.

Then, like magic, the forest parted. I remember this part.

And there it was … his mansion.

Even though I’d seen it before, it still took my breath away. Towering marble spires, ancient symbols etched into the gates, guards standing with quiet strength.

The whole place shimmered faintly, like sunlight bending wrong around it. I realized it was magic … a barrier hiding it from the human world.

“This is impossible,” I whisper, trying to remember completely.

Adrian doesn’t answer. He parks and steps out. Caleb follows, muttering something about “drama in the daylight.”

When I step out, the air feels charged, alive. Every instinct in me screams that this place isn’t meant for humans.

I barely take a step before Adrian turns sharply and grabs my wrist, pulling me inside the massive entrance hall, ignoring the looks from his workers.

“Adrian!” I snap, jerking my hand back. “What’s your problem?”

His eyes flash … not with anger, but something deeper. “You said you know who we are. How?”

I swallow hard. “Because I remember.”

His entire body stiffens.

Caleb stops near the doorway, watching carefully but saying nothing.

“I remember the night of the accident,” I continue, my voice shaking. “I remember the vampires. I remember you saving me. And I remember you…”

I pause, my voice breaking. “…wiping it all away.”

Silence.

The chandeliers above us hum faintly, the air thick with power.

Adrian’s jaw tightens, his golden eyes glowing faintly. Caleb glances between us, sensing something dangerous brewing.

Then I take one step closer, my voice trembling but firm.

“Tell me the truth, Adrian.”

My heart pounds.

“Did you wipe my memory?”

The words hang between us like thunder, and the world seems to stop.