The car ride was silent.
I sat in the backseat with Wynne and Maven, who were busy showing me their small toys and chattering nonstop about things I didn't understand.
"Papa built us a big slide!"
"We have puppies, Mama!"
I just nodded and smiled, though my heart was heavy.
I looked out the window. The scenery was changing from the busy city streets to winding mountain roads. We were heading further up into the mountains, away from everything I might have recognized.
Finally, the car turned into a long driveway lined with tall pine trees. And then, the house came into view.
It wasn't just a house. It was a mansion.
Massive, modern, and built into the side of the mountain with large glass windows that overlooked the foggy valleys below. It was beautiful, breathtaking even, but it looked cold. Isolated.
The car stopped at the entrance.
Rhydian got out first and walked around to open my door. He offered his hand, but I ignored it, stepping out on my own, holding Wynne's hand tightly.
"Welcome home, Aureliana," he said softly.
Home. The word felt foreign on his lips. This place wasn't home. It was a fortress.
Inside, the house was even more stunning. High ceilings, marble floors, expensive art everywhere. It smelled of expensive cologne and old books. It was perfect, but it felt empty.
" Mama! Look!" Maven tugged my hand, pulling me towards the large living room. "Our playroom!"
I let them lead me, looking around with wide eyes. Three years. I had been asleep for three years. In that time, my life had apparently transformed into this… fairy tale that I hadn't asked for.
"I'll show you to our room," Rhydian said from behind me.
"I prefer to have my own room," I said immediately, turning to look at him. "I… I need space."
His expression darkened slightly, but he nodded slowly. "Alright. For now. But this is our home, Aureliana. Eventually, you will understand."
He showed me to a spacious guest room on the same floor as the children. It was beautifully decorated, with a soft bed and a large balcony overlooking the garden.
"Rest here," he said. "I'll have dinner sent up."
He left, closing the door softly.
I walked to the balcony and leaned against the railings. The air was cold, just like Baguio, but everything felt different.
How could this be real? How could I have married Rhydian? How could I have forgotten Damian?
My mind was a war zone. Part of me wanted to believe Rhydian. The children were real. They were here. They called me Mama. They looked at me with so much love.
But my heart… my heart belonged to a memory. A memory of a man named Damian.