Chapter 8: The Year That Never Existed
The name came back slowly.
Not like a memory.
Like a wound reopening.
Ethan stood frozen in the center of the ballroom, staring at nothing.
Everyone around him disappeared.
The voices.
The lights.
The people.
Only one thing remained.
A name.
“Daniel.””
Lily’s face changed.
She knew that name.
Not because she remembered Ethan.
Because she remembered the investigation.
“Oh no,” she whispered.
Ethan turned toward her.
“You know him.””
It wasn’t a question.
Lily looked down.
“I think I do.””
Vanessa watched them both carefully.
For the first time that night, she looked less like someone caught in a crime.
And more like someone terrified of what was coming next.
Damian noticed.
“What is it?””
Nobody answered.
Ethan looked at Vanessa.
“Who is Daniel?””
Vanessa’s lips parted.
Nothing came out.
Ethan stepped closer.
“Who?””
She looked away.
That was enough.
He turned to Richard.
“You know.””
Richard closed his eyes.
“Yes.””
The answer made Ethan’s expression harden.
“Everyone knows except me.””
Richard looked ashamed.
“You weren’t supposed to remember.””
The words cut through the room.
Lily looked at him.
“What does that mean?””
Richard didn’t answer.
Ethan did.
“It means someone decided what parts of my life I was allowed to keep.””
He looked at Vanessa.
“And what parts I had to lose.””
Vanessa shook her head.
“You don’t understand.””
“No.””
His voice was quiet.
“I don’t.””
He looked toward security.
“Take the necklace.””
The officer stepped forward.
Vanessa held it tightly.
“Ethan.””
He looked at her.
“Give it to me.””
For a moment, she looked like she wanted to fight.
Then she removed the necklace.
Her hands were shaking.
The officer handed it to Richard.
“Open it.””
Richard examined the setting.
After a few seconds, his face changed.
“There’s a compartment.””
Nobody spoke.
Lily closed her eyes.
She knew.
She had known before she knew she knew.
Richard carefully opened the small hidden section.
Inside was a tiny memory chip.
Ethan stared.
“That’s it.””
Lily nodded.
“That’s what we were looking for.””
Vanessa whispered:
“You don’t know what’s on there.””
Ethan looked at her.
“Neither do you?””
The silence answered.
Damian laughed softly.
“Interesting.””
Everyone turned.
“What?””
Damian looked at Vanessa.
“You never saw the file.””
Vanessa’s expression hardened.
“Don’t.””
“You thought you knew what was inside.””
“Stop talking.””
“But Ethan never trusted you enough to show you everything.””
Damian smiled.
“That must hurt.””
Vanessa looked furious.
“You’re enjoying this.””
“No.””
Damian’s smile disappeared.
“I’m realizing I was never the person with the most power.””
Ethan looked at him.
“Then who was?””
Damian didn’t answer.
Because the answer was already coming.
Richard connected the memory chip to the laptop.
The screen filled with files.
Dozens of them.
Financial records.
Audio recordings.
Videos.
And one folder.
The name:
DANIEL VOSS.
Lily felt her stomach drop.
Ethan noticed.
“You know that name.””
She nodded slowly.
“I’ve heard it.””
“Where?””
“In the investigation.””
“What investigation?””
Lily looked at him.
“The one you hired me for.””
She paused.
“Daniel Voss was your former security chief.””
Richard nodded.
“Yes.””
Ethan frowned.
“Former?””
“He disappeared.””
“When?””
Richard looked at the screen.
“After the accident.””
Ethan stared.
“Why?””
Richard didn’t answer.
Lily did.
“Because he knew the truth.””
Everyone looked at her.
She walked toward the laptop.
“I remember.””
Ethan watched her carefully.
“What?””
“The night before your accident, I found records.””
She pointed at the files.
“These.””
She opened one.
A list of payments appeared.
Daniel Voss.
Private transfers.
Large amounts.
Ethan stared.
“He was taking money.””
“Yes.””
“From my company?””
“Yes.””
Damian shook his head.
“That doesn’t prove everything.””
Lily opened another file.
“It does.””
A video appeared.
A security camera recording.
Daniel standing in a parking garage.
Talking to Vanessa.
Ethan watched.
No one spoke.
Then Daniel said:
“If he finds out, we’re finished.””
Vanessa answered:
“He won’t.””
“How can you be sure?””
“Because tomorrow he signs.””
Daniel looked nervous.
“And if he refuses?””
Vanessa stepped closer.
“Then we use the accident plan.””
Ethan went still.
Lily looked at him.
The video continued.
Daniel asked:
“What about the girl?””
Vanessa replied:
“She won’t remember anything.””
The screen went dark.
Nobody moved.
Lily felt cold.
Because now she understood.
The accident wasn’t the beginning.
It was the final step.
Ethan looked at Vanessa.
“You knew.””
Vanessa’s eyes filled with tears.
“I didn’t mean for it to happen.””
The words shocked everyone.
Ethan stared.
“You didn’t mean for what to happen?””
She looked down.
“I didn’t know Daniel would go that far.””
Damian stepped forward.
“You hired him.””
“I hired him to scare you.””
The room went silent.
Vanessa covered her mouth.
Realizing what she had admitted.
Ethan’s voice became almost a whisper.
“You hired someone to scare me.””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Her tears fell.
“Because I thought you were going to leave me.””
Nobody spoke.
The explanation was pathetic compared to what she had done.
But it was real.
“I found out you were investigating me,” Vanessa said.
Ethan stared.
“Because I was.””
“Yes.””
She looked at Lily.
“And then I found out about her.””
Lily felt anger rising.
“You blamed me?””
Vanessa looked at her.
“You were the person he trusted.””
“That’s why you targeted me?””
“I was afraid.””
Lily laughed once.
A bitter sound.
“You destroyed someone’s life because you were afraid.””
Vanessa looked away.
“I never wanted him to lose his memory.””
Ethan stepped closer.
“But he did.””
“Yes.””
“And Lily disappeared.””
“Yes.””
“And Daniel disappeared.””
Vanessa closed her eyes.
“Yes.””
Ethan looked at the screen.
“What happened after the accident?””
Nobody answered.
Then the laptop made a sound.
A new file appeared.
Created date:
One year ago.
Richard frowned.
“That wasn’t there before.””
The file opened automatically.
A video.
Ethan looked at the screen.
And froze.
Because the person in the video was him.
One year earlier.
Before the accident.
Before the missing memories.
Before Vanessa’s plan.
He was sitting in his office.
Looking directly into the camera.
And he was alone.
His past self spoke.
“If you’re watching this…”
The room went silent.
“…it means I was right.””
Ethan stared.
His own voice continued.
“Someone close to me tried to erase my memory.””
Lily covered her mouth.
Past Ethan looked straight into the camera.
“I don’t know who succeeded.””
A pause.
“But I know one thing.””
He leaned closer.
“The accident wasn’t the worst thing that happened.””
Everyone listened.
Then past Ethan said:
“The person who caused it is not the person you think.””
The video stopped.
Nobody moved.
Then the screen flashed.
One final line appeared.
A hidden message.
Written by Ethan himself.
*TRUST THE PERSON WHO WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO SURVIVE.*
Lily stared at the words.
Slowly, she looked at Ethan.
Because suddenly she understood.
The question was not only who betrayed him.
May you like
The question was…
Who had Ethan been trying to protect before he forgot everything?
