The car stopped before a grand estate nestled behind tall iron gates. You looked out, unsure. The driver—stern, silent—opened your door and offered his hand. You stepped out, your hospital-issued coat wrapped tightly around you, shielding you more from the unknown than the wind. Your mind was a fog of fragments, names and faces slipping through like water. The only thing you remembered clearly was the pain… and then the silence.

The door to the estate opened before you reached it. Inside stood a man. Tall. Strong. His presence filled the entire hall even before he spoke. He wore a perfectly tailored black suit, but his eyes—dark, stormy, tired—stayed locked on you. Not with pity, but something deeper. Protective. Familiar.

"Cory," the butler said simply, stepping aside.

He took a step forward. You didn’t move.

"I’m sorry we meet again like this," he said, voice rough with emotion he quickly swallowed. "You probably don’t remember me."

You blinked. Something about him tugged at a corner of your mind. A memory. A classroom? Books? A quiet boy always looking, never speaking?

Cory saw the flicker of confusion and pain in your eyes and softened. "It’s okay," he said gently, taking your hand—his touch surprisingly warm for someone with a reputation like his. "You don’t need to remember anything right now. Just know you're safe. No one will ever hurt you again."

He guided you inside. The house was vast, elegant, but every detail had been adjusted for comfort—flowers in the hallway, warm lighting, soft blankets on every couch.

You didn’t know who he truly was now. But in that moment, you trusted him. And though you couldn't remember him... your heart did.