Chapter 1: Lost Memories
X
X
X
X
A pair of cerulean blue orbs fluttered open slowly as it tried to adjust to the pale bright light of the sterile surrounding. The first thing that registered in her mind was the white ceiling and the smell of antiseptics that clung to the room. Next, she registered the numerous tubes and needles that were hooked to both of her limbs. Lifting her numbs arms experimentally, she found them just as pale as the rest of the room. Just where in the world was she?
With that thought in mind, her skull immediately burst with pain and she squeezed her eyes close trying to alleviate it. It was not such a wise idea after all yet she could not help but trying to remember what had happened to have put her in such predicament.
The soft knock from the door had her turning her eyes toward the figure in white lab coat and she registered that as the doctor. He was holding a chart in his left arm and he was sporting a friendly smile on his face.
"I see you're finally awake, Mrs. Shields." his tone was soft as he placed his warm hand on her forehead and nodded. "Fever is definitely going down. Your recovering is speeding quite nicely. I would expect that you would be able to leave the hospital within tomorrow." he said as he leaned down to scribbled something on the chart. "Your husband will be notified immediately."
Her blue orbs never left his face and she tried to grasp his meaning. So far he had called her Mrs. Shields, so it meant that she was…is married?
"Excuse me?" her voice was rasp and throaty from thirst. "Can you please tell me where I am?"
The Doctor's pen was poised as he glanced at her and nodded. "Temporary amnesia is expected considered what you've been through."
"Been through?" she echoed. "I'm sorry. I don't think I remembered anything."
The doctor's eyes trained in on her narrowed before he put his pen in his pocket and pulled out a chair from the nearby table and sat by her hips. "Can you tell me your name?"
She shook her head.
"How old you are?" he continued.
Another shake.
"Your family?" he asked with a pursed lips and scowled when she shook her head again. "As I expected. Please rest a little bit longer. You're husband will be here soon." he said before pulling out a syringe from the tray. "This will help you rest up." with that, he injected it into the IV and walked out.
Her eyes involuntarily drifted close on its own accord despite her resistance of staying awake. The next thing, she blanked out.
X
X
X
Darien Shields slammed the car door of his sleek black Range Rover and headed toward the entrance of Tokyo University Hospital. His wife was finally awakened and the first thing that he was going to demand that she does was signing the divorce documents that were currently sitting in his briefcase. His footsteps were heavy and the closer he was to her room, the more angry he became. Who did she think she was to suddenly took off without a word to no one with her secret lover on a cruise that had him almost loosing his mind when he couldn't contact her? Despite their marital issues, she was still his wife and she was obligated to her duties until the divorce was finalized.
Who was he trying to fool? Serena Shields does as she pleases despite whom she hurt in the process. He could have cared less if she suddenly disappear but the flash of cherubic face of Camellia, their daughter was enough to stop him. She was three years old and she had seen the face of the staffs and nannies more than her own mother.
His thoughts drifted back toward the woman in the room in front of him. He schooled his features before knocking. He had never shown her his anger before no matter how hard she pushed, and he certainly wasn't going to give into her wimps now.
Lifting his hand to knock, he was surprised that the door opened by itself and Doctor Yakama exiting from the room.
"Ah, Mr. Shields. Right on time. I have some matter to discuss with you regarding your wife." Doctor Yakama said and Darien rubbed his eyes. His thoughts were along the line of complains from the hospital staffs about his wife's behaviors and rudeness, like always. Such were always the style of Serena Shields.
Nevertheless, he nodded and followed Doctor Yakama to his office. The moderate size office was nothing lavish compared to his but it was presentable and Darien chose the chair opposite of the doctor and sat down.
"I have some news regarding your wife's condition." he began almost hesitantly and Darien nodded his head for him to continue. "She had woken up briefly and might be suffering from temporary amnesia. I suspected that it should not last more than a few weeks. Although…there are always possibilities that it may become permanent."
Darien remained stoic as he registered that piece of information. Loss of memories? He mentally scoff. He had known Serena and she was an excellent actress. He refused to believe it unless he seen it for himself with his own two eyes. She had manipulated many people in the past and he wouldn't put it pass her to pull some stunt like this. "I see. Can she be visited at this hour?"
"I'm afraid not. I had given her some sedative and she's now resting, but she can be released as soon as tomorrow. Of course, it will be your option to have a private nurse tend to her at home." Doctor Yakama stated and Darien nodded.
"Please arrange for a private nurse, and as you know money is of no issues." Darien said as he stood up and Doctor Yakama did the same.
"Of course." he said. "Should I expect her release tomorrow then?"
"Yes. I will be here at nine tomorrow." Darien answered before he exchanged farewells with the doctor and left the hospital altogether. Camellia would be finished with school soon and he drove toward the building to pick her up for some ice cream before telling her about Serena.
X
X
X
She was awake once more and this time, her eyes were trained on the brunette at the foot of her bed she had her back to her and she could see that the woman was muttering something underneath her breath. Sighing softly, she turned to the side and caught sight of the chart on the desk. Lifting her arm, she carefully picked up the chat without disturbing the busy woman. Her eyes scanned the paper and rested on the quickly scrawled of the patient's name.
Serena Shields.
That sounded familiar enough to her. So her name was Serena and she was married. Why did the marriage part sounded so foreign to her ears. Coughing suddenly from her dry throat, she startled the brunette as she heard something dropped.
"Oh excuse me, Mrs. Shields." the brunette said as she bowed her head low without meeting her gaze.
Serena smiled timidly. "No it's my fault. I'm sorry, did I scare you?"
The woman gasped almost with disbelief before nodding her head silently.
"I apologize. I didn't expect to see anyone here this early." Serena continued as she stared at the gaping woman. "Are you okay?"
The woman nodded again before she found her voice again. "Of course Mrs. Shields."
Serena smiled. "You don't have to keep calling me that. Just Serena would be good. What's your name?"
"I…Yuki, ma'am." she stuttered uncomfortably.
"That's a pretty name." Serena replied.
"Your clothes are ready. I brought some stuffs that are your favorites. If you don't like any of them, I'll fetch some more from the mansion." Yuki said still not looking at Serena in the eyes.
Serena scrunched her brows. She eyed the said clothes and they were gorgeous. "Don't be silly. I'm sure I can pick something out from those. They are all lovely." she said before peeling the white blanket off of her and stood on her feet unbalanced. She still felt a little dizzy but nevertheless made her way toward Yuki and picked out a pair of ivory trouser and a navy silk blouse before heading toward the bathroom ignoring Yuki's almost trembling body. How odd. The woman seemed almost scared of her.
Serena found that the bathroom was spotless and it must have been a very expensive room. She deposited the clothes on the counter and looked into the mirror to find a blond stranger staring back at her. The thick locks of shining silvery blonde were unruly yet showed perfectly cut layers. Her fingers lifted toward a thick chunk. No split ends. Next were her eyes. They were the most cerulean crystal blue framed by long lashes a couple of shades darker than her hair, a perfect well shaped nose and a full rosy lips. The natural blush on either side of her cheeks were barely visible but it was there nonetheless.
She continued to stare into the mirror.
"Who are you?" she whispered out softly. Nothing was her answer and she sighed. She felt so lost and alone and regardless of how her life must have been in the past, she found none in her mind. What kind of person was she? Was she well loved by others? What about her family? Her parents and friends? What about her life? With so many questions swimming in her head, she was brought on by another wave of vicious headache that almost knocked her down. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to stand up straight and go through washing her face and brushing her teeth. She'll have time to ask her questions later and who would be more perfect to answer her questions than her own husband?
X
X
X
Darien rubbed his eyes as he waited for Serena in the waiting lobby. Had had taken Camellia to school for the day and had hold off his meetings until later on. He had no doubt that Serena would deliberately made him wait longer just to spite him.
He caught the sight of one of the maid that had came earlier in the morning to get Serena ready. She was shocked and somewhat speechless as she made her way from the room and closing the door behind her gently before walking toward him in a trance like.
"Yuki, where is she?" he asked the maid and she just shook her head before pointing at the room. "What's the matter?"
"It's Mrs. Shields. Something is wrong with her." Yuki stuttered out and Darien narrowed his eyes before striding toward the room. His worst thoughts came to that something had happened to her so imagine his surprise when he saw no one in the room. His eyes went to the bathroom and he heard sounds coming from inside there. He walked towards the front of the door and rasped his knuckles against the wooden barrier.
"Serena. Are you okay?" he asked. The sounds stopped and moments later the door crack opened hesitantly before she stepped out. Darien had looked at her like he'd never seen her before. Her always perfect hair was loose, her face fresh of any make up and he could see her pale skin, but what captivated him the most were her cerulean eyes. They once held nothing but anger and resentment towards him, but now those eyes looked at him with questions and uncertainly.
"Who are you?" her question had him taking a double look at her before his eyes narrowed suspiciously and he smirked.
"Why don't we skipped all these and tell me what the hell you're up to?" he almost sneered at her.
Serena stood her ground. "Up to?" she echoed. "I don't know what you mean."
Darien took a step towards her and unconsciously, Serena took a step back, hitting her back against the cold hard wall. He had such a power around him that intentionally or not, he was making her nervous. The hostility was rolling off in waves and it made her wonder who he was and why had held such hatred for her.
"Dropped the act, Mrs. Shields." he said with a bored tone.
"So you know I'm married. My husband will be here shortly. I suggest you leave sir, before he comes." Serena said with a straight face. She was bluffing since she didn't even know what her husband looks like, but whatever the reason, she felt that by saying that, the man will at least back off.
His dry laugh sounded cruel and for a moment, Serena winced at the sound. "This is precious. Did you practice that line in the mirror? Because really, I'm impressed."
Her throat constricted as she forced herself to stay calm. "You think that we're in some kind of a comedy. I assure you sir, for the last time, that I do not know who you are and why are you being so rude to me. Please leave." her voice was steady but her constant glance at the door confirmed her fear. Serena would have jump for joy at the sight of Yuki's face poking in the room, but her next words had Serena choked on air.
"Mr. Shields? Doctor Yakama is on his way." Yuki said then disappeared again leaving her alone with her apparent husband.
"I know something is up, Serena. For your sake, I hope you are not pretending this predicament." he said softly yet his tone cut her deeply. Serena looked at him in the eyes and almost sigh at his deep azure colored eyes. The man had eyes alright. The kind that could freeze you in mid-step or burn you to ashes. Just what was she thinking marrying a man like him?
Having enough of his arrogance, she firmly shoved him backward with her hand and glared at him. "Stop trying to intimidate me, and I'm not pretending to be anything to fool anyone. As my husband, you should know that."
His chuckled was dark. "I know you alright, but that's what made on guard even more." he said and whirled around. "We'll be leaving shortly after I sign the release form." he said without a backward glance. "Then we'll see how long your charade can last."
X
X
X
Serena stepped out from the sleek black limo and gazed uneasily at the sprawling mansion in front of her. It was huge and made entirely out of glass. Fragile and delicate yet able to withstand so much. She tried to recall any of the time she lived in that very house yet none came to mind.
From what she has gathered so far with the bits and pieces she'd heard, she is married to one of the richest man in the world and the casualness of his spending money was easily the proof of that. The chauffer who had opened the door was looking at her strangely and she gave him a hesitant smile before walking toward the entrance of the house with Darien behind her.
He remained quiet as he observed Serena's reaction. He was a very perceptive individual and caught many things that a normal person would miss. But Serena's reaction was genuinely surprise and confuse. She looked at the house she'd live in for many years as if she'd never seen it before. Her cautious steps were easy to detect and her gaze kept roaming around the area as if waiting for something to pop up.
He had talked with Doctor Yakama and he confirmed that she's suffering from temporary amnesia, and he was starting to believe it to. No matter how good Serena was as an actress, even she could not fake her reaction now.
"This is your house?" Serena murmured softly as she spotted the maids and butlers lining up by the door waiting to greet them.
"Our home." Darien said automatically. "Of course, you spent most of the time decorating and redecorating over and over so its mostly your house."
Serena nodded at his bored tone and climbed the steps to the entrance. The maids and butlers murmured their 'welcome back' and Serena had never felt more awkward. They were virtually strangers to her and she supposed by their initial response of trying to remain invisible, they were not on friendly terms. Serena smiled and murmured a 'thank you.' Whatever she might have done to them in the past, it was all in her attention to correct it now, and that was her goal from now on.
"She's suffering from temporary amnesia." Darien explained patiently as he saw the shock faces of his employees. They nodded mutely and went back to their duties.
When they were gone, Serena turned toward her husband. "They don't like me." she stated plainly and Darien raised a brow.
"You never gave them anything to like about you." he replied with a shrug then walked past her into the mansion. Serena frowned and followed. Inside was even more grander. Marbles covered every inch of space. Antiques furniture and statues decorated the room along with famous paintings of several artists ranging from Da Vinci to Van Gogh. The stereo systems were top of the line and looked very expensive. Giant LCD screen covered almost the entire wall and Serena wondered even though the room was filled with priceless treasures, it still felt so empty. No photographs were hung along the walls like she had imagine. The room was almost like a museum. Priceless but cold.
Her eyes glanced toward every corner of the room expecting to see anything that could tick her off of her old life. Nothing came to mind and she sighed inwardly.
"You must be tired." Darien said as he lead her up the stairs toward the other end of the wing of the mansion. "Your room is at the end of the hall. Yuki will be nearby. If you need her, just press the button by your bed."
Serena took in the sight of the room and hid her wince. It was decorated with silver and blue detailing. Everything was immaculate and superb and very feminine. The giant silver canopy bed stood grandly in the center of the room with crystal chandelier hanging above it. Dark oak wood vanity mirror placed against the wall with many expensive looking cosmetics and antique perfume bottles, but all in all, Serena found the room, like the rest of the house she'd seen so far, to be cold. It surprised her to see nothing of male presence in the room. Serena turned back to meet his brooding eyes. "Are we sharing the same room?" she asked.
His sneer was almost to hard to ignore. "Don't be ridiculous. As you had once stated, you want to be far away from me as possible. My room is at the West wing while yours is in the East wing. It's a five minutes walk from here."
Serena frowned at his tone. She decided that as long as she was still unable to remember the past, the best she could do right now was to be the bigger person, figuratively speaking of course. Facing him, she refused to back down when his eyes narrowed in on her. "Do we really hate each other that much?" she asked plainly.
His answer was pretty obvious as his nasty smirk was back on his face. "Yes, we do hate each other that much." he replied and walked out.
X
X
X
X
Author Note: The plot bunny wouldn't leave me alone until I sat down and wrote this piece out. Let me know what you think. Criticisms are always welcome. Flames go away!!!!!
