He reached out and gently pulled me into his arms.

This time, I didn't struggle. I stood there in a daze, as if I had lost the capacity for thought.

"I..."

"It’s alright. It wasn't the kind of harm you're imagining."

"Clara, I swear, I will never let anyone hurt you again."

I tried to say something, but the words were lodged in my throat, refusing to surface.

Clara...

In this moment, I no longer resisted the name, the identity... or the husband standing before me.

Perhaps, at the moment of my "death," he truly had been in agony.

Maybe I shouldn't be so fixated on the things I’ve forgotten.

Since I didn't want to remember them anyway, why try?

And I was no longer a person without family or roots; that was a good thing, and I ought to accept it.

"I..."

I lifted my eyes to meet his, which were as deep as dark pools. The words remained stuck in my throat.

Finally, I looked down to avoid his gaze, bit my lip, and said, "Give me some time. I will accept this."

Upon hearing this, Xavier’s thin lips curled into a beautiful arc, and he seemed to let out a breath of pure relief.

"Um..."

A question suddenly occurred to me, and my cheeks flushed slightly.

I didn't know if asking this would make me look stupid.

But the answer was very important to me.

"Do you... do you love me?"

Xavier seemed caught off guard by my directness.

He froze for a moment, and his gaze turned complex, filled with swirling emotions.

He didn't answer immediately, falling into a brief silence.

Seeing his reaction, I felt a wave of embarrassment and regret. Why did I have to ask such a stupid question?

But in the next heartbeat, Xavier let out a low, soft chuckle—a sound tinged with genuine joy.

I looked at him in confusion. Why was he laughing?

Did he find my question hilarious?

Suddenly, before I could react, Xavier leaned down and pressed a warm kiss between my brows.

The sudden intimacy made my heart leap.

Then, he whispered, every word thick with lingering tenderness:

"You are my wife. In this life, I love only you."

—In this life, I love only you.

That night, I tossed and turned, unable to sleep as those words echoed in my mind.

The space where my heart beat felt restless, fluttering with an inescapable palpitation.

I didn't know how I was supposed to feel upon hearing that.

I supposed... it was only natural for a husband to love his wife.

But why, aside from the fluttering, did I also feel a faint, aching discomfort?

I hoped I was just overthinking things.

Early the next morning, Celine arrived at my room carrying breakfast.

"Sister!"

Celine’s vibrant smile was incredibly infectious.

I nodded. The unpleasantness of the previous day had vanished completely.

It was time to try and connect with people from my past.

After all, they were my family.

While we ate, Celine prodded curiously, "Sister... have you still not accepted all this? You really don't need to think so much. Xavier won't demand anything from you; he just hopes you won't avoid him."

I took a small sip of my porridge, my eyes darting around before landing on Celine. "Last night he told me that the reason I fell into the sea was because... I was kidnapped. Is that true?"

Celine suddenly choked up, looking hesitant as if she didn't know how to respond.

She hurriedly took a sip of milk, intentionally avoiding my gaze.

Seeing her silence, I frowned in confusion and asked again, "Isn't that how it happened?"

Celine immediately nodded. "That’s right. At the time... the situation was very complicated. You were pushed into the sea by those people, and we’ve been looking for you ever since."

"Sister, no matter what happened in the past, you just need to remember that Xavier loves you very much now... For all these years, we thought you were dead. My brother became obsessed to the point of madness. He actually had those remains cremated and kept the ashes by his side at all times. He never let them out of his sight."

I was struck with instant shock.

"Remains?!"

It sounded so terrifying. Whose remains were they? Was Xavier even a sane person?

Oh, right—the rumors said he had gone mad over the last few years.

"Yes. At the time, the police recovered a set of remains from the sea, and we all thought... it was you. My brother refused to accept the truth, so he used that extreme method to keep 'you' near him."

Now, everything made sense.

No wonder the outside world called Xavier a madman. But this man had gone mad for me.

Did he truly love me that much?

If so, then it seemed... I shouldn't refuse him anymore.

"Sister, coming back with us won't actually affect your current life. You can still be a model, do whatever you want, and I'm sure Xavier will support your career."

Nothing would change—it was the best possible ending, wasn't it?

I couldn't deny she was right. Reclaiming my identity didn't have to change the way I lived.

Finally, I nodded.

Celine beamed.

When Mrs. Hannigan heard that I was willing to return to being Clara, a smile spread across her face.

"I’m glad you’ve come around. I can see that President Riverton truly loves you."

I nodded.

"Yes, I know."

I could feel it. He loved me deeply, even though there seemed to be a trace of inexplicable guilt within that love.

But... I wouldn't think about that. As long as I lived in the moment and was happy, that was enough.

Chapter 18

I told Xavier that I was willing to go back with him and try to reconnect with the places where I used to live.

A smile touched the corners of his lips.

Mrs. Hannigan stayed in Paris temporarily to handle the aftermath of my work before returning home to plan the next steps of my career.

And so, I followed the Riverton siblings onto a plane heading back to our home country.

Once on the plane, I felt incredibly anxious.

Even though this wasn't the first time I had flown since my amnesia, the thought that I was going to my former home made my heart flutter uncontrollably.

Part of that fluttering was a deep-seated sense of dread and trembling.

I didn't know what kind of mood I would be in when I faced the person I used to be.

"Sister, your seat is next to my brother’s," Celine’s voice interrupted my thoughts.

I looked at her blankly, then glanced at the man already seated in the front row—Xavier.

Weren't there plenty of empty seats? Did I... have to sit next to him?

Suddenly, I didn't really want to.

"I think I’ll just sit here—"

"Come here."

Before I could finish, the man in the front row spoke. His voice was low and soft, yet it carried an undeniable tone of authority.

My eyelashes trembled. My feet moved involuntarily toward him, and I sat down obediently.

Strange. Why was I listening to him so easily?

Even if he was my husband, shouldn't I put up a little resistance?

As Xavier watched me sit down with a hint of displeasure, the curve of his lips moved upward.

I was still afraid of him—afraid of the man the "old me" had known so well.

It wasn't something that could be changed overnight, but he looked like he was willing to wait for me to slowly accept him, and the person I used to be.

The Riverton Villa.

I stepped out of the car and stood before the luxury estate, instinctively frowning.

Was I really going to live here?

The house was far too large; it looked like it could hold hundreds of people.

"Did I live here before?"

Why did it feel so foreign? Logically, if I had lived in such a massive house for years, I should have some small shred of memory of it.

Hearing the question, Celine fell silent.

Xavier’s eyes darkened, a flash of agonizing pain crossing his features.

"You will live here from now on."

With that, he put his arm around my waist and led me into the villa before I could react.

Inside, a crowd of servants called out in unison, "Welcome home, Madam!"

The display took me completely by surprise.

Xavier leaned down toward me, his cool breath lingering near my ear.

"Welcome home, Mrs. Riverton."

My eyelashes fluttered. I looked around at the unfamiliar environment; it seemed nice enough, I suppose.

I bit my lip and gave a small nod.

"Where is my room?"

A servant immediately stepped forward to take my luggage and led me to the second floor.

I watched as they pushed my bags into a bedroom.

Standing at the doorway and looking at the decor, I realized... this was Xavier’s room.