"Hmmm... it all started after that event, I guess." Fidelia paused, the pieces finally clicking together in her mind. The bridge. The blackout. Nyra taking over.
It made sense now.
"Did the doctor say anything about a cure?" she asked, her voice more urgent. "I've been trying to reach him since I woke up, but his phone is off."
Adrian scratched his head, looking almost guilty. "That's on me. I broke his phone."
"You what?"
"He wouldn't tell me what happened during your session. Kept citing doctor-patient confidentiality." Adrian's jaw tightened at the memory. "I may have... lost my temper."
"Oh, nicely done," Fidelia said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Threatening the one doctor who actually understands what's wrong with me. What if he refuses to see me again?"
'Great. Just great. The one person who might be able to help me, and Andrian , scared him off.'
"Well, I blame you," Adrian said.
"You blame—" Fidelia stopped mid-sentence, staring at him in disbelief. "How is this possibly my fault?"
"If you'd told me what was going on instead of throwing yourself off a bridge, I wouldn't have had to interrogate your psychiatrist."
'That was Iris not me!!'
Fidelia opened her mouth to argue, then closed it. He had a point. A frustrating, infuriating point.
"Fine," she muttered. "But you still didn't have to break his phone."
"He said there was no cure."
The words hit Fidelia like a physical blow. Her chest tightened, and for a moment, she couldn't breathe.
*No cure. I'm stuck like this. Forever.*
"But," Andrian continued, watching her face carefully, "he said something else might work."
Fidelia looked up, hope flickering cautiously in her eyes. "What?"
"He said you should try reaching out to your alters," Adrian said carefully. "Try to understand them."
"Understand them?" Fidelia repeated. "They take over my body. They make me do things I don't remember. How am I supposed to understand that?"
"According to Dr. Thompson, they exist for a reason. They protected you from pain you couldn't handle on your own." Adrian's voice softened. "He said if you can communicate with them, make peace with them, they might stop fighting you for control."
"That's the only way?" Fidelia asked quietly.
"That's what he said."
*It makes no sense,* Fidelia thought, frustration building. *How am I supposed to reach out to them when I black out every time they take control? And hypnotherapy is out of the question last time nearly killed me.*
She looked at Adrian. "How am I supposed to talk to them when I don't even remember what happens when they're in control?"
They sat in silence for a moment, both lost in thought.
Then Adrian turned to look at her. "Tell me about them. Nyra, Raven, and Iris. If one of them takes over again, I need to know how to identify them."
Fidelia hesitated. Talking about them made them feel more real, more permanent.
But he was right. If it happened again, he needed to know.
"Nyra is the angry one," Fidelia began. "She is violent and protective. When she's in control, my voice become cold and darker..." She paused. "Mia said they look different and I must warn you she is a tough fighter."
Andrian nodded, taking it in.
"Iris I haven't had anyone meet her yet apart from Sarah. But as a child, I imagined her as the quiet one. Sucidal and smart. If she appears, she probably won't be loud about it."
"And Raven?"
Fidelia's expression softened slightly. "Raven was the hopeful one. The one who believed things could get better. If she ever shows up... I think she'd be happy and kind than the rest."
"From what Dr. Thompson said, Iris is the one we need to worry about," Adrian said. "The one who processes trauma differently than the others."
"I think I understand now, apart from Raven that hasn't shown up yet that we are yet to figure out."
"There's no certainty. She might not show, and I hope she doesn't."
The rest of the drive was quiet, but it wasn't uncomfortable.
Fidelia stared out the window, watching the city night lights blur past.
Meanwhile Andrian kept his eyes on the road, not saying anything. His phone vibrated and he picked it up to check what it was.
It was a message that had entered. A message from Sarah.
He kept his eyes on the road for a moment the when he notice it was clear he clicked on the message with his thumb.
'I have an important report to inform you about Fidelia.' The message said.
Andrian read the message and his face darkened as he wondered what the message was.
'I'll text you the location. Lets meet there. Don't be late' He typed with his free hand and sent the message. Then laid his phone down and focused on driving.
Soon, they arrived at the Richardson estate.
This was Fidelia's second time here, and she still wasn't comfortable.
They pulled up to the Richardson estate, and Adrian parked the car. But instead of getting out, he turned to her.
"I have something for you."
Fidelia looked at him suspiciously. "What?"
"Close your eyes."
"Absolutely not."
Adrian sighed. "Don't you even trust me?"
"Not even a little bit."
Despite that, he saw her lips twitch with the hint of a smile.
"What are you planning? You better not try anything funny... I'll rip out your guts," Fidelia warned him.
"Will you just close your eyes?"
"Fine." Fidelia rolled her eyes, then closed them.
Adrian waited for about three seconds before he placed his hand inside his pocket and pulled out a black box. Then he opened it and removed a golden ring.
He took her left hand gently, his fingers warm against hers. She felt him straighten her ring finger, and then something cool slipped onto it.
"You can open your eyes now."
Fidelia opened her eyes and looked down.
It was a ring.
Not just any ring a stunning engagement ring with a diamond that caught the light and threw it back in brilliant flashes.
Her breath caught. Her heart did something strange in her chest.
For a moment, Fidelia couldn't speak. She just stared at the ring, watching how it sparkled.
It was so beautiful and perfect…and yet it meant absolutely nothing.
'It's just for show,' she reminded herself. 'Part of the act. Don't read into it.'
But her heart didn't seem to get the message.
"Is that a diamond?" she finally asked, her voice softer than she intended.
"Yeah. I figured we only signed a contract marriage, that's all. We literally missed some crucial steps, so I had to get you an engagement ring."
'That's right, it wasn't a real marriage. Fidelia, come on snap out of it,' she reminded herself.
She remembered how she had foolishly said yes to Silas in her past life, and she quickly killed the thoughts. It was never going to happen in this lifetime.
"It's beautiful. Thanks," Fidelia warmly complimented.
"I'm glad you like it," Andrian said. Then, completely deadpan: "I'll send you the bill. You can cover half."
Fidelia's head snapped up. "Are you serious?"
"Very."
"You're making me pay for my own engagement ring?"
"It's a contract marriage," Andrian said with a shrug. "Seems fair to split expenses."
'Stingy Monster,' Fidelia thought, glaring at him.
"You couldn't even pay for the whole ring? How petty can you be?" Fidelia got out of the car and slammed the door.
"Very petty," Adrian replied cheerfully.
"I should have known." She held up her hand, admiring the ring despite her annoyance. "You didn't even kneel when you proposed."
"For a normal marriage, I would," Andrian said, his tone shifting to something more serious. "But this is a contract marriage. The rules doesn't apply"
The words hit harder than Fidelia expected.
'Right. It was a contract marriage. Nothing real.' She consoled herself but another thought took over.
'Then let's get married... for real.'
The thought came strong and determined and Fidelia's eyes widened.
'No. No, I can't think like that.'
She closed her eyes for a second, trying to push the thought away.
'I can't fall in love. Not again. Not after Silas. Not after what love cost me in my past life.'
Love was a big weakness. It made her vulnerable and Fidelia Crawford couldn't afford either.
She glanced at Andrian with a side glance. He didn't notice this.
Before Fidelia could process her spiraling thoughts, Adrian reached over and took her hand.
Not just held it he laced their fingers together, his grip firm and warm.
This caused her heart to race.
"We have to make everyone believe," he said quietly, his thumb brushing against hers as he reached for the doorbell. "Try to keep up."
Fidelia's pulse was racing now, and she hated that he could probably feel it.
Andrian turned to look at her, and their eyes met.
For a moment, the world felt as if it was just the two of them.
He could see the colour in her eyes, the way her pupils dilated slightly. She looked so innocent with a beautiful eye.
He couldn't find the sharp tongue girl in her eyes at all. It was all pure
'Please don't look at me like that,' he thought.
Because if she kept looking at him like that, he might start believing it himself.
"I should be the one telling you that," Fidelia said, her voice sharper than she intended. "Remember—it's just an act. Don't fall in love."
The words felt like a lie even as she said them.
'I'm not falling in love,' she told herself firmly. 'I'm not.'
Andrian went still.
'So that's how it is,' he thought. 'He just had to act.Nothing more.'
For a few seconds, he didn't respond. Just looked at her, his expression unreadable.
"I won't," he finally said, his voice quiet.
But as the door began to open, as they both put on their smiles for whoever was waiting inside, one thought lingered in his mind:
'Liar.'
He just wasn't sure if he was calling her a liar or himself.