Chapter 16 Chapter 16 The heart monitor shrieked a shrill beep. Alexander thrashed violently on the hospital bed, sweat drenching his hospi- tal gown. "Hold him down!" "His pressure's spiking! Sedative now!" Cool liquid flooded his veins, but his mind grew razor-sharp. Forgotten memories surged like tidal waves, dragging him into inescapable nightmares. "Alexander, I can't solve this problem." Seventeen-year-old Sophia leaned over his desk, her hair brushing his arm with the faint scent of gardenias. His fingers tightened around the pen, ink bleeding across the paper. "Can't even handle something this simple?" His voice sounded icy, but his gaze clung to her slightly parted lips. "Teach me?" She tugged his sleeve, eyes sparkling like stars. He bolted upright, chair screeching against the floor, "Check the answer key." He practically fled, terrified another second would betray the hunger in his eyes. The scene shattered abruptly. "Alexander! You're smoking again!" Twenty-year-old Sophia stormed into the study, snatching the cigarette from his fingers and crushing it in the ashtray. Raindrops clung to her lashes, cheeks flushed with anger. "None of your business." His retort came cold, but he couldn't look away from her rain-slicked mouth. 0.0 % 10:54 Ghapter IV "It is my business!" Her hand flew to his forehead. "You had a 39-degree fever last night!" His breathing hitched. He seized her wrist and slammed her against the bookshelf. "Sophia." His voice turned gravelly. "Don't touch men carelessly." She stared blankly, utterly bewildered by her brother's sudden strangeness. Memories warped again. "The DNA results are in. Olivia is our biological daughter." Robert's voice echoed through the parlor. Sophia stood frozen, a fruit platter trembling in her hands. "I'll... pack my things. Her voice shook as she fled upstairs. That stormy night, he kicked her door open. She stood beside a small suitcase. "Running away?" He pinned her against the wall. "Think changing your name will free you?" "Alexander ... you're hurting me..." Tears scalded his knuckles, burning through his chest. "We're not siblings." He leaned close enough to taste her breath. "Call me Alexander now." The ugliest memory flooded in. "Alexander! Have you lost your mind? We're siblings!" 28.1 % 10:54 Chapter 16 Sophia sobbed, shoving the diamond ring he offered. It thudded dully on the carpet. "Not for long." He hauled her over his shoulder and threw her onto the bed, ignoring her fists pounding his back. "We'll register our marriage next week." "No! Let me go!" Her struggle ignited his deeper brutality. He gripped her chin, forcing her to look up. "How have I treated you all these years? Don't you know in your heart? Why do you keep running away?" "Because it's wrong!" She cried, trembling all over. "You're my brother..." "Shut up!" He kissed her lips fiercely, swallowing all her resistance. "Alexander, this bitch stole Emily's necklace!" Olivia's sharp voice pulled him into the next dream.. Sophia was pinned to the ground, her fingers bloody and mangled. And he, after losing his memory, stood coldly in the shadows. "Do whatever you want with her." As he turned to leave, he heard Sophia's faint voice. "Alexander..." The voice carried the complete trust and dependence he once knew best, but he closed the door without looking back. The final scene froze at the wedding venue. 50.9 % 10:54 Chapter 16 "I don't want to." He saw himself abandon Emily in front of everyone, rushing out like mad. But when he rushed to the airport, he only saw a plane streaking across the sky. He turned and appeared on a beach, Sophia barefoot in the waves. Gerald bent down to tie the straps of her sun-protective clothing, his movements gentle as if treating a treasure. "Sophia!" He desperately shouted, but no sound came out. The sea breeze carried their conversation. "What do you want to eat tonight?" "Your pasta, and then, the little dessert I made!" "Patient has arrhythmia!" "Quick! Prepare for defibrillation!" Alexander convulsed violently on the hospital bed, tears mixed with cold sweat soaking the pillow. "Patient is emotionally out of control!" "Increase the sedative dose!" The drugs finally took effect, Alexander's struggle gradually weakening. In the last moment before sinking into darkness, he heard the doctor's lowered voice. "The brain scan shows the hippocampus is abnormally active, seems like he's about to regain his memory..." "It really is a miracle..." 75.6 % 10:5 Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!