The first thing Alexander Kingston said after waking from his coma shattered Ava's world.

"Who... are you?"

For a heartbeat, she smiled through her tears.

He must be joking.

She laughed softly and squeezed his hand.

"Alex... it's me."

His blue eyes remained blank.

"I asked who you are."

The smile disappeared from her face.

"I... I'm your wife."

Silence...

The heart monitor continued its steady rhythm as if nothing extraordinary had happened.

Alexander frowned.

"My wife?"

He looked around the hospital room, confused.

A tall, elegant woman rushed to his bedside, her expensive perfume filling the air.

"Alexander!" she cried, throwing her arms around him. "Thank God you're awake."

He stared at her for a moment before a faint smile appeared.

"Sophia..."

Ava's heart skipped. He remembered Sophia Monroe, his former fiancée! The woman he had broken up with before meeting Ava.

He remembered her... But not his own wife.

The doctor entered moments later, followed by several nurses.

"Mr. Kingston," the doctor said gently. "Can you tell me what you remember?"

Alexander spoke confidently.

"My name is Alexander Kingston. I'm thirty-two. I'm the CEO of Kingston Group."

He answered every question perfectly.

Then the doctor asked, "Do you know this woman?"

He pointed toward Ava.

Alexander studied her face. There wasn't even a flicker of recognition.

"No."

One word... One simple word... It felt like a knife driven through Ava's chest.

"I'm sorry," Alexander continued politely. "Have we met before?"

Her knees nearly gave way.

Three years!

Three years of loving him.

Three years of marriage.

Three years of sleeping beside him, laughing with him, building dreams together.

Gone... Erased.

The doctor led Ava into the hallway.

"I'm afraid your husband is suffering from retrograde amnesia," he explained. "His memories before the accident are mostly intact, but some memories after a certain point appear to be missing."

"How far back?"

The doctor's expression turned sympathetic.

"It appears he remembers everything... until about three years ago."

Three years ago, exactly three years, exactly when Alexander had met Ava.

Exactly when they had fallen in love. Exactly when they had married.

Every memory of her had vanished.

The elevator doors opened.

Mrs. Evelyn Kingston stepped out, dressed in black designer clothing, diamonds glittering at her neck.

She glanced at Ava without warmth.

"So," she said coldly, "he doesn't remember you."

Ava wiped away a tear.

"No."

Evelyn smiled, not with kindness, but with satisfaction.

"Perhaps that's for the best."

Ava looked at her in disbelief.

"What do you mean?"

"I warned my son not to marry beneath his station."

"He loved me."

"Did he?" Evelyn asked. "Then why can't he even remember your name?"

The words struck harder than any slap.

Before Ava could answer, Sophia walked out of Alexander's room, smiling triumphantly.

"He asked me to stay with him," she said sweetly.

Then she leaned close enough that only Ava could hear.

"You've already lost."

Ava looked through the glass window into the hospital room.

Alexander was laughing... Laughing with Sophia and looking at her with tenderness, the way he used to look at Ava.

For the first time since the accident, Ava realized something terrifying; she hadn't just lost her husband's memories...

She might have lost her husband forever.