Bella didn't even realise how fast her feet had carried her until she was already at Chris's door, knocking with growing desperation. She needed answers. Pieces of her past dangled just out of reach, and the only person who seemed willing to admit he knew something was the man behind this door.
She knocked for five minutes. Nothing.
Her shoulders slumped in defeat. Of course he isn't here. That explains why there are no guards outside. She turned to leave
"Now, to what do I owe this surprise?"
Bella froze at the sound of his voice. Chris was standing at the end of the corridor, crisp in a Tom Ford grey suit, his tie wine-red against his white shirt. He looked powerful, untouchable, like he had just walked off the cover of a magazine.
Her frown deepened. "Have you been watching me knock this whole time?"
"Not intentionally," he said, a ghost of amusement in his eyes. "The guards told me a young woman was trying to break down my door. I was in the middle of a business meeting, but I excused myself because it was you. I couldn't exactly send security to chase you off."
Bella's heart lurched at that. She hadn't thought Chris the type of man who left meetings for anyone especially not for her.
He swiped his keycard and pushed the door open. "Come in."
She hesitated, then followed. The suite inside left her breathless. White and gold, sleek but regal, with a view of the city sparkling beneath the windows. It was less a room than a statement: this was Christian Hampson's world, and he ruled it.
"Make yourself comfortable," he said, loosening his tie. "I need to finish a call."
Bella checked her phone. Almost 4 a.m. What am I doing here? She thought about slipping out, but Chris returned before she could move.
"Sorry," he said, dragging a hand through his hair. "I had to close with clients before their flight."
"It's fine," she murmured.
His eyes searched hers. "So tell me. Why are you here at this hour? I know I'm not on your list of favourite people, so it must be important."
Her throat tightened. "I need to know about the gala. 2016. I remembered Bianca was supposed to go with her boyfriend...Austin. They're married now. We even picked her dress together. I bought my red gown that same day, but it was meant for prom. So how did I end up at a gala I should never forget? Why can't I even remember my eighteenth birthday? Chris, I've never forgotten anything in my life. My memory has always been sharp. And now...there's just this hole."
Chris was silent.
"You've been the only one honest enough to hint at the truth. Please," her voice broke, "please tell me what you know. I'm begging you."
He looked away, his jaw tight. "Bella...it isn't my place. Your family should be the ones to tell you."
That was all the confirmation she needed. Something had happened. Something her family had buried for six years.
Her chest burned. "So it's true. I lost my memory. And they've all lied...my mother, my brothers...even Bianca."
Her voice sharpened. "If I wanted answers from them, I wouldn't be standing here in front of you. I deserve to know what happened to me. If you keep hiding it, how am I ever supposed to face it?"
"Bella"
"No!" she cut him off, anger and desperation colliding. "You keep asking if I remember you. Deep down, you want me to remember. But how can I, if you won't help me? Even if I don't get everything back, I need to try. I can't live my life pretending nothing happened."
Chris's composure cracked. He stepped closer, his voice raw.
"You lost your memory the day we met. Do you know how hard it was for me? I searched everywhere for you...you vanished. You didn't even tell me your real name back then."
Bella's breath caught.
"At first I wanted to find you because I felt guilty," he said, his voice trembling now. "Guilty that I took your innocence. But then I realised it wasn't guilt keeping me awake at night. It was you. I was in love with you. From the moment I met you, I couldn't let go."
Tears glimmered in his eyes. "I've never been with anyone else, Bella. Six years. Six years of seeing your face every time I closed my eyes. You walking back into my life. it felt like a miracle, but it also broke me. Because you didn't remember. You looked at me like I was just Christian Hampson. The man in the headlines. Not the boy you'd once...chosen."
Bella's pulse thundered in her ears.
"I buried myself in work because it was the only way to survive missing you. But the truth? I love you. More than I can bear. And I still blame myself every day for leaving you alone that night. When I came back and you were gone, I tore the city apart looking for you. I found Bianca six months later, but she wouldn't let me near you. They all said my presence could damage your memory further. So I walked away. God help me, I walked away."
His voice broke completely. "Do you know how much I regret not fighting for you? How much I regret not demanding to stay?"
Bella's world tilted. He was crying. Christian Hampson... the cold, untouchable billionaire was crying.
But one phrase clawed at her mind.
"You said you took away my innocence," she whispered. "What does that mean? And you found Bianca after six months does that mean I went to the gala with you? With Austin?"
Chris inhaled sharply. "You told me you were filling in for your best friend, who was sick. You said you went as her boyfriend's date. That's how we met."
Bella's breath faltered. "So that's how I ended up there."
Her hands trembled as she forced the next question. "And the other thing...what did you mean about my innocence?"