Chapter 3

Out in the hospital hallway, Liam leaned against the wall and pulled out his phone to call Kai.

There was a strange mix in his voice—a hint of urgency, but also a kind of relieved lightness. "Kai, Lena's been hurt. A flower pot fell on her head. The doctors say she's got an amnesia. Might have memory loss."

"What?" Kai's voice shot up, thick with alarm. "How bad is she? Which hospital?"

"Central. She'll be fine. Just the memory thing," Liam replied.

And Liam added, "Listen, I need you to do me a favor. Pretend you're her boyfriend and look after her for a month. I want to use this time to really give things a shot with Sophie. She makes me feel different."

On the other end of the line, Kai's heart skipped a beat.

He'd been secretly in love with Lena for eight years. Ever since he first saw her in high school, he was drawn to that girl whose eyes curved when she smiled.

But she was Liam's childhood friend, the girl his best friend liked. So he could only bury his feelings deep inside and stay by her side as a friend, quietly watching over her.

All these years, he'd watched her with Liam—seen her happy, seen her hurt. He'd wanted to tell her a thousand times that Liam didn't deserve her, that she should get out of a relationship where she wasn't cherished, but he never had the courage.

And now, the chance had just fallen into his lap. Kai gripped his phone tighter, forcing his voice to stay steady even as his heart raced. "What if she gets her memory back and finds out the truth?"

"She'll definitely forgive me," Liam replied with absolute confidence. "We've been together three years, plus fifteen years of history. She can't leave me. Once I sort things out with Sophie, I'll go back to her. We'll be fine."

"Okay, I'll do it," Kai said.

He hung up, his eyes full of complicated emotions—joy, heartache, disappointment in Liam.

He knew Lena better than that. She seemed soft, but she had pride. Once you broke her heart bad enough, she'd never look back.

Liam's arrogance was going to cost him everything.

Half an hour later, Kai showed up at the hospital with fruit and a food container. He hurried through the door, and when he saw Lena lying in that bed, pale as a ghost, his heart clenched like a fist was squeezing it. He softened his footsteps as he approached, his voice gentle as water. "Hey, Lena. How are you feeling? Does your head still hurt?"

I looked up at Kai. He was Liam's best friend. I'd known him for over a decade, too. He'd always been good to me—like an older brother. When Liam and I fought, he'd talk me through it. When I got sick, he'd show up with medicine and kind words.

But now, he was the one Liam sent to pretend to be my boyfriend.

I forced down all the emotions inside and pretended to be confused, staring at him. "Who are you?"

Kai blinked, then caught on. He played along with my fake amnesia, a warm smile spreading across his face. "Baby, it's me, Kai Blaze. You usually call me Kai. I'm your boyfriend. We've been together for three years. It's been good. That flower pot gave you a concussion, and the doctors said you might lose your memory for a while. But don't worry—I'll help you remember."

"Kai?" I echoed, following his lead, my eyes a little confused and innocent.

"That's right, baby." His smile reached his eyes. He reached out and gently patted my head, so tender it almost hurt. "Are you hungry? Thirsty? I brought your favorite—yam and pork congee."

He opened the food container, and the familiar scent of yam and pork congee washed over me. It was my favorite—savory, with just a touch of ginger to mask the pork's flavor, the meat so tender it practically fell apart, and the congee thick and creamy.

For the past three years, Liam always brought me this yam and pork congee, saying he'd learned to make it because he knew I loved it.

But now, as Kai carefully scooped up a spoonful, blew on it to cool it down, and held it to my lips, I suddenly realized—this congee tasted exactly like the one Liam used to cook for me.

"Lena, open up. I made it just the way you like it," he said, his voice so gentle it could melt the coldest heart.

I took a bite. The familiar taste spread across my tongue, and my eyes welled up with tears.