The rain poured heavily from the dark sky, while fierce winds howled across the empty highway.

‎

‎A black Rolls-Royce sped through the storm, its headlights cutting through the darkness.

‎

‎Inside the car sat a man dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit. His sharp features remained expressionless as he listened to the radio.

‎

‎"Breaking news: A mental hospital on the outskirts of the city caught fire late last night. Authorities report that no survivors were found..."

‎

‎"SKRRRT!"

‎

‎The tires screamed against the wet road as the driver slammed on the brakes.

‎

‎"What happened?" the man asked sharply.

‎

‎The driver, James, stared through the windshield. Standing in the middle of the road was a slender figure dressed in a hospital gown.

‎

‎Without hesitation, James stepped out of the car.

‎

‎"Miss, are you okay?" he called.

‎

‎No response.

‎

‎The figure swayed unsteadily.

‎

‎"Mr. Jack!" James shouted.

‎

‎Jack quickly stepped out into the rain. The moment he saw her, something stirred inside him—a strange feeling he couldn't explain.

‎

‎Before either of them could say anything, the girl collapsed.

‎

‎"Get her into the car," Jack ordered immediately.

‎

‎---

‎

‎Jack's POV

‎

‎I was listening to the news when the car suddenly stopped.

‎

‎At first, I was annoyed. Then James called for me.

‎

‎When I stepped outside and saw the girl standing in the rain, I felt something strange. I couldn't explain it, but I knew I couldn't leave her there.

‎

‎We rushed her to the hospital.

‎

‎The doctor later told me it was a miracle she was still alive.

‎

‎After completing the paperwork, I planned to leave. She was a stranger after all.

‎

‎But every time I tried to walk away, that same feeling returned.

‎

‎So I stayed.

‎

‎One day passed.

‎

‎Then two.

‎

‎Then three.

‎

‎The girl remained unconscious.

‎

‎"The patient will wake up when her body is ready," the doctor assured me.

‎

‎Six days later, she finally opened her eyes.

‎

‎Unfortunately, I wasn't there.

‎

‎The moment she woke up, she tried to escape.

‎

‎Luckily, one of my bodyguards stopped her before she could leave the hospital.

‎

‎And that was the moment everything began.

‎Anna pov

‎

‎I woke up to the strong smell of a hospital. As I slowly opened my eyes, panic filled my mind.

‎

‎I can't be here.

‎

‎I didn't even know if the people chasing me were still out there. One thing was certain—I couldn't go back to where I came from.

‎

‎Ignoring the pain in my body, I pushed myself out of bed and headed for the door. Before I could get very far, a group of people grabbed me.

‎

‎"Let me go!" I struggled against their hold, kicking and pulling, but they were too strong.

‎

‎A nurse rushed into the room and quickly injected something into my arm.

‎

‎"No—"

‎

‎Everything around me became blurry, and within seconds, darkness swallowed me once again.

‎

‎When I woke up, it was already the next day.

‎

‎Determined to escape, I slowly sat up and swung my legs over the side of the bed. Just as I was about to stand, I heard an unfamiliar voice.

‎

‎"Trying to run away again?"

‎

‎My heart skipped a beat.

‎

‎I turned toward the voice and froze.

‎

‎Standing near the window was the most handsome man I had ever seen. His sharp jawline looked as if it had been carved by hand. His pointed nose perfectly matched his features, and his deep blue eyes were as captivating as the ocean itself.

‎

‎"W-Who are you?" I asked in a trembling voice.

‎

‎A faint smile appeared on his lips.

‎"I'm your savior."

‎I blinked in surprise but quickly tried to hide it.

‎"You were the one who saved me?"

‎"Yes," he replied calmly.

‎"But why? You just saw a pitiful girl and decided to help her?"

‎He shrugged.

‎"I think so."

‎I narrowed my eyes at him.

‎"Well... thank you. But I have to go."

‎The smile on his face disappeared.

‎"No," he said firmly. "You can't leave yet."

‎My heart sank.

‎"And why not?" I demanded.

‎"because your wounds are no yet healed"

‎

‎I relaxed as he said so.

‎

‎"Are you hungry?" he asked.

‎

‎"No," I replied, but my stomach betrayed me and growled loudly.

‎

‎He laughed and shook his head. A woman came in carrying a tray of soup and medicine. He took the tray, scooped up a spoonful of soup, blew on it gently, and brought it to my mouth.

‎

‎I turned away.

‎

‎He chuckled. "Do you think the food is poisoned?"

‎

‎"No," I quickly replied. "I just want to eat by myself."

‎

‎He nodded and placed the tray gently beside me.

‎

‎---

‎

‎Jack's POV

‎

‎Watching her eat brought a strange sense of joy to my heart. I didn't understand why. I had only just met her.

‎

‎I had so many questions.

‎

‎Why was she standing in the middle of the highway? What had happened to her? Why was she so thin? And why was she wearing a mental hospital gown if she seemed perfectly sane?

‎

‎I didn't know where to start.

‎

‎Still, I decided to give her time. She needed to let her guard down first. I had noticed that every small sound made her tense up as if someone—or something—was coming for her.

‎

‎"So, what's your name?" I asked.

‎

‎"Anna. Anna Jefferson," she replied.

‎

‎"What about you?" she asked.

‎

‎"People call me Mr. Blackwood, but you can call me Jack."

‎

‎"Where are you from?" I asked.

‎

‎"LA," she answered.

‎

‎"What are you doing all the way out here from LA?"

‎

‎She went quiet. I realized she didn't want to talk about it, so I changed the subject.

‎

‎"How's the soup?"

‎

‎"It's okay," she replied.

‎

‎"Where are you planning to stay after you leave here?"

‎

‎"I don't know," she answered in a low voice.

‎

‎"You can come stay with me in New York. That's where I live. I only came here for business."

‎

‎"I'll think about it," she said.

‎

‎"Okay. Enough questions. Get some rest. The doctors will be here tomorrow to check on you."

‎

‎The next day, after the doctors finished examining her and confirmed that everything was fine, I went to see her.

‎

‎"The doctors said you can be discharged tomorrow if you want."

‎

‎"okay " she replied

‎

‎"Good," I said with a smile. "Let me go sign your discharge papers."

Anna's POV

‎

‎I agreed to go with him.

‎

‎Part of me knew it was risky, but I didn't have anywhere else to go. No money. No family. No place to call home.

‎

‎Besides, Jack seemed like a good person. I could feel it in the way he spoke to me, the way he never pushed me to answer questions I wasn't ready for.

‎

‎After I was discharged from the hospital, he bought me some new clothes to change into. The hospital gown was the last thing I wanted to wear.

‎

‎Soon, we were on our way to the airport.

‎

‎I thought we would be boarding a regular plane, but then I remembered something.

‎

‎"I don't have any documents," I said nervously.

‎

‎Jack simply smiled.

‎

‎"Don't worry about that."

‎

‎Instead of heading toward the main terminal, we walked to a private jet waiting on the runway.

‎

‎My eyes widened.

‎

‎I had never seen anything so beautiful before.

‎

‎The flight attendants and pilots greeted us politely as we boarded. The inside was even more breathtaking than the outside. There were luxurious seats, a private sleeping cabin, a fully stocked kitchen, and even our own chef.

‎

‎The bathroom was so shiny and elegant that I almost thought parts of it were made of gold.

‎

‎I spent several minutes looking around in amazement before finally sitting down.

‎

‎The events of the past few days had exhausted me, and before long, I drifted off to sleep.

‎

‎---

‎

‎"Wake up, Anna."

‎

‎A deep, soothing voice pulled me from my sleep.

‎

‎I slowly opened my eyes and found Jack standing beside me.

‎

‎"We're here."

‎

‎I rubbed my eyes and followed him off the plane.

‎

‎Outside, a sleek black car was waiting for us.

‎

‎The entire ride was quiet.

‎

‎I stared out the window while nervous thoughts filled my head. Had I made the right decision? Could I really trust him?

‎

‎About an hour later, the car passed through enormous gates.

‎

‎My mouth fell open.

‎

‎Standing before me was what looked like a castle.

‎

‎The building was massive, with towering walls, elegant balconies, and countless windows reflecting the evening sunlight.

‎

‎I turned to Jack in disbelief.

‎

‎"Do you live here?"

‎

‎He nodded casually.

‎

‎"Yes."

‎

‎"By yourself?"

‎

‎"Mostly."

‎

‎I stared at him, completely speechless.

‎

‎The front yard alone looked larger than some neighborhoods. There was a beautiful garden filled with colorful flowers, perfectly trimmed hedges, sparkling fountains, and stone pathways winding through the greenery.

‎

‎For a moment, I forgot all my fears.

‎

‎I simply stood there, amazed.

‎

‎What kind of person was Jack Blackwood?

‎Inside, the house was even more beautiful than it looked from the outside.

‎

‎As we walked through the corridor, maids and guards stood in neat lines.

‎

‎"Welcome home, Mr. Blackwood! Welcome home, Miss Anna!" they all shouted.

‎

‎I froze for a moment.

‎

‎Jack simply led me into the living room. It was enormous, filled with elegant furniture, soft couches, and a large center table. Everything looked expensive.

‎

‎"Please, have a seat," he said.

‎

‎As soon as I sat down, he called all the maids into the room.

‎

‎"This is Anna. Treat her with the same respect you treat me."

‎

‎The maids nodded immediately.

‎

‎Just then, an older gentleman entered the room.

‎

‎"Good day, Miss Anna. My name is Mr. Davis, the butler of this house."

‎

‎"Good day, Mr. Davis," I replied politely.

‎

‎"Please show Miss Anna to her room," Jack instructed.

‎

‎Mr. Davis nodded and led me upstairs.

‎

‎"The mansion has three floors," he explained as we walked. "The first floor contains the master's bedroom, Mr. Jack's room. Your room is right next to his. The second floor contains the guest rooms and the maids' quarters. Mr. Jack is a generous man and treats his staff very well."

‎

‎I simply nodded.

‎

‎When we reached the end of the hallway, Mr. Davis opened a door.

‎

‎My jaw nearly dropped.

‎

‎The room was huge.

‎

‎There was a king-sized bed, a beautiful makeup table, a luxurious bathroom, and a walk-in closet.

‎

‎What surprised me most were the clothes.

‎

‎I walked over and stared.

‎

‎Every dress.

‎

‎Every pair of shoes.

‎

‎They were all my size.

‎

‎A strange feeling settled in my chest.

‎

‎I was grateful... but still cautious.

‎

‎Who exactly was Jack Blackwood?

‎

‎What kind of work gave him this much money?

‎

‎And somehow, I knew this wasn't the only property he owned.

‎

‎"Please rest, Miss Anna. Someone will come for you when dinner is ready," Mr. Davis said.

‎

‎"Okay," I replied.

‎

‎He left and quietly closed the door behind him.

‎

‎A few hours later, a knock came.

‎

‎"Miss Anna, dinner is ready."

‎

‎The dining table was filled with food—bird's nest soup, rice, different meat dishes, and many other expensive-looking meals.

‎

‎Then Jack appeared at the top of the stairs.

‎

‎My breath caught.

‎

‎He was wearing black silk pajamas, his damp hair falling slightly over his forehead.

‎

‎He looked like a model straight out of a magazine.

‎

‎I found myself staring.

‎

‎"Seen enough?" he asked with a smirk.

‎

‎I immediately snapped out of my daze and looked away, embarrassed.

‎

‎"Let's eat," he said.

‎That night, after dinner, I returned to my room.

‎

‎The bed was soft, and for the first time in a long while, I felt safe.

‎

‎Slowly, I drifted to sleep.

‎

standing in a small, dark room.

‎The walls were old and stained.

‎

‎The smell of medicine filled the air.

‎

‎My hands began to shake.

‎

‎"No..." I whispered.

‎

‎Then the door creaked open.

‎

‎Several men in white doctor's coats walked inside.

‎

‎My eyes widened in terror.

‎

‎I stumbled backward.

‎

‎"Don't come near me!" I screamed.

‎

‎They kept coming.

‎

‎One of them held a syringe.

‎

‎Another carried a clipboard.

‎

‎My breathing became frantic.

‎

‎"No! Please! Stay away from me!"

‎

‎I tried to run, but my legs wouldn't move.

‎

‎The room seemed to close in around me.

‎

‎The doctors surrounded me.

‎

‎I covered my head and cried.

‎

‎"Leave me alone! Please!"

‎

‎Suddenly, I felt a hand reaching toward me.

‎

‎I screamed.

‎

‎"NOOO!"

‎

‎My eyes flew open.

‎

‎I was shaking violently.

‎

‎Tears streamed down my cheeks.

‎

‎"Don't touch me! Please don't touch me!" I cried, still trapped between the dream and reality.

‎

‎A pair of strong arms gently wrapped around me.

‎

‎"Anna... Anna, look at me."

‎

‎I froze.

‎

‎The familiar voice slowly pulled me back.

‎

‎Jack.

‎

‎He was sitting beside me on the bed.

‎

‎His face was filled with concern.

‎

‎I hadn't even noticed him.

‎

‎"You were having a nightmare," he said softly.

‎

‎My chest rose and fell rapidly as I tried to catch my breath.

‎

‎The fear still lingered.

‎

‎Without thinking, I grabbed the front of his shirt.

‎

‎"They were there..." I whispered. "The doctors... they were coming for me."

‎

‎Jack gently brushed a strand of hair away from my face.

‎

‎"It's over now."

‎

‎His voice was calm and steady.

‎

‎I wanted to believe him.

‎

‎"But what if they come back?" I asked, my voice trembling.

‎

‎His expression softened.

‎

‎"They won't touch you."

‎

‎I stared at him.

‎

‎There was something reassuring about the way he said it.

‎

‎Like a promise.

‎

‎Jack pulled the blanket around my shoulders.

‎

‎"Try to get some sleep."

‎

‎I shook my head.

‎

‎"I'm scared."

‎

‎For a moment, he was silent.

‎

‎Then he sighed.

‎

‎"Fine."

‎

‎He leaned back against the headboard.

‎

‎"I'll stay until you fall asleep."

‎

‎My eyes widened.

‎

‎"You will?"

‎

‎A small smile appeared on his lips.

‎

‎"Someone has to make sure you stop having nightmares."

‎

‎Despite everything, I let out a small laugh.

‎

‎The tension in the room eased.

‎

‎I lay back down, still holding onto the edge of his sleeve.

‎

‎Neither of us mentioned it.

‎

‎And for the first time in a very long time, I fell asleep feeling safe.

‎The next morning, I woke up to the smell of breakfast.

‎

‎For a moment, I forgot where I was.

‎

‎Then I saw the luxurious room around me and remembered everything.

‎

‎The nightmare.

‎

‎Jack.

‎

‎The mansion.

‎

‎I sat up and noticed a folded blanket on the couch.

‎

‎My eyes widened.

‎

‎Jack was sleeping there.

‎

‎He had really stayed the whole night.

‎

‎Just then, his eyes slowly opened.

‎

‎"Good morning," he said, his voice still hoarse from sleep.

‎

‎"Good morning," I replied quietly.

‎

‎Jack sat up and looked at me for a moment.

‎

‎"You slept better?"

‎

‎I nodded.

‎

‎His gaze softened.

‎

‎"That's good."

‎

‎There was a brief silence.

‎

‎Then he asked, "Do you want to tell me what that nightmare was about?"

‎

‎My fingers tightened around the blanket.

‎

‎Images of white coats and frightened screams flashed through my mind.

‎

‎I looked away.

‎

‎"No."

‎

‎Jack studied me for a second before nodding.

‎

‎"Alright."

‎

‎He didn't push.

‎

‎For some reason, that made me trust him a little more.

‎Jack's POV

‎

‎I brought Anna home.

‎

‎The moment we drove through the gates, I noticed the look of amazement on her face. Her eyes wandered around the mansion as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

‎

‎"Is... this your house?" she asked quietly.

‎

‎I almost told her that this was only one of my properties, but I didn't want to overwhelm or scare her. So I simply smiled.

‎

‎"Yeah."

‎

‎When we stepped inside, all the maids and guards stood in neat lines.

‎

‎"Welcome home, sir."

‎

‎Anna looked completely mesmerized. The expression on her face was priceless, and I had to stop myself from laughing.

‎

‎I led her into the living room.

‎

‎"Anna, these are the people who work here. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

‎

‎Then I turned to Mr. Davis.

‎

‎"Please show her to her room."

‎

‎Mr. Davis wasn't just my butler. He had been with my family for as long as I could remember and had become like a second father to me. That was why I trusted him with Anna.

‎

‎Before we got home, I had already called him and explained everything. I also asked him to buy some clothes and other necessities for her. Judging by the smile on his face, I knew he had done an excellent job.

‎

‎After Mr. Davis took Anna upstairs, I headed to my study to catch up on work. Luckily, my assistant, Daniel, had already finished most of it. I had asked him to stay behind at the company while I focused on Anna.

‎

‎A few hours later, one of the maids informed me that dinner was ready.

‎

‎I had just come out of the shower, so I headed downstairs with a towel hanging around my neck.

‎

‎As soon as I entered the dining room, I noticed Anna staring at me.

‎

‎She wasn't just looking...

‎

‎She was completely lost.

‎

‎I wanted to tease her, but I knew she would be embarrassed.

‎

‎So instead, I smiled.

‎

‎"Have you seen enough?"

‎

‎Her eyes widened.

‎

‎She quickly looked away, her cheeks turning bright red.

‎

‎The rest of dinner was quiet, but I couldn't help smiling to myself.

‎

‎That night, a loud scream echoed through the house.

‎

‎I rushed out of my room and into the hallway, where I found Mr. Davis banging on Anna's bedroom door.

‎

‎"Miss Anna! Please open the door!"

‎

‎There was no answer.

‎

‎"Get the spare key," I ordered.

‎

‎As soon as the door was unlocked, I rushed inside.

‎

‎Anna was tossing and turning on the bed. Tears streamed down her face as she cried in her sleep.

‎

‎She was having a nightmare.

‎

‎"Anna," I called softly.

‎

‎She didn't respond.

‎

‎I gently shook her shoulder.

‎

‎Her eyes suddenly flew open.

‎

‎"Stay away from me!" she screamed.

‎

‎Without thinking, I wrapped my arms around her.

‎

‎"You're safe," I whispered. "No one can hurt you here."

‎

‎She continued trembling as tears soaked my shirt.

‎

‎My heart ached.

‎

‎Whatever had happened to her must have been unimaginably painful.

‎

‎After several minutes, she finally calmed down.

‎

‎I stood up, planning to leave and let her rest.

‎

‎Before I could take a step, she grabbed my hand.

‎

‎"Please... don't go."

‎

‎Her voice was barely above a whisper.

‎

‎I looked into her frightened eyes and sighed.

‎

‎"Okay."

‎

‎I sat beside her bed, holding her hand until she slowly drifted back to sleep.

‎

‎The next morning, I woke up before she did.

‎

‎She looked so peaceful that I didn't want to wake her.

‎

‎Instead, I lay there quietly, wondering what kind of past could leave someone so terrified.

‎

‎I had tried asking her before, but she always avoided the question.

‎

‎A gentle tap on my arm pulled me from my thoughts.

‎

‎I opened my eyes to find Anna staring at me.

‎

‎"Did... did you sleep here with me?" she asked shyly.

‎

‎I nodded.

‎

‎She smiled softly.

‎

‎"Thank you... for staying."

‎

‎I smiled back.

‎

‎"Get dressed. I'm taking you somewhere."

‎

‎About thirty minutes later, she came downstairs wearing a pink top, blue jeans, and white sneakers. Her hair was tied into a ponytail.

‎

‎She looked beautiful.

‎

‎We got into the car, and the driver pulled away.

‎

‎Throughout the drive, Anna remained quiet. She kept glancing nervously out of the window.

‎

‎Eventually, the car stopped in front of a hospital.

‎

‎She looked at me with confusion.

‎

‎"Why are we here?"

‎

‎"I booked you an appointment with a therapist."

‎

‎She was silent for a moment before giving a small nod.

‎

‎Together, we walked inside.

‎

‎"Good morning, Mr. Jefferson," the receptionist greeted politely.

‎

‎"Good morning."

‎

‎She immediately called a nurse to escort us to the doctor's office.

‎

‎When we entered, the doctor stood up and shook my hand.

‎

‎"It's good to see you again, Mr. Jefferson."

‎

‎I nodded before looking at Anna.

‎

‎"This is the young woman I told you about."

‎

‎The doctor smiled warmly.

‎

‎"Hello, Anna. My name is Dr. Williams. Please, have a seat."

‎

‎Anna looked at me for reassurance.

‎

‎I gave her a small encouraging nod before she slowly sat down.

‎Anna's POV

‎

‎Mr. Williams was a calm man.

‎

‎He never asked about my past.

‎

‎He never pushed me to talk about the things that haunted me.

‎

‎Instead, we talked about simple things—things that didn't hurt.

‎

‎I told him about my puppy. For the first time in what felt like forever, I found myself smiling... a real smile.

‎

‎He laughed at the little stories I told him, and somehow, that made me laugh too.

‎

‎He never looked at me with pity.

‎

‎He never made me feel broken.

‎

‎He simply treated me like I was a normal person.

‎

‎By the end of the session, I felt... lighter.

‎

‎"I'll be coming twice a week," he said with a gentle smile. "Healing isn't something you can force. When you're ready to let go, you'll heal in your own time."

‎

‎I nodded quietly.

‎

‎As he walked away, his words stayed with me.

‎

‎Maybe he was right.

‎

‎Maybe healing wasn't about forgetting.

‎

‎Maybe it was about finding the strength to live with the memories without letting them destroy me.

‎

‎I knew that one day I would have to tell him the truth.

‎

‎And Jack too.

‎

‎Opening up to them would probably be the hardest decision I'd made since coming here.

‎

‎But if I truly wanted to free myself from the chains of my past...

‎

‎I would have to face it.

‎

‎Just...

‎

‎Not today.

----------

‎Jack's POV

‎

‎I had waited in the car ever since Anna went inside.

‎

‎Mr. Williams had suggested that I stay outside for their first session. He wanted Anna to feel comfortable without anyone she knew in the room.

‎

‎So I waited.

‎

‎Every now and then, I glanced at the entrance of the hospital, wondering how she was doing.

‎

‎An hour later, the doors finally opened.

‎

‎Anna stepped out.

‎

‎The first thing I noticed was the small smile on her face.

‎

‎It wasn't a big smile, but it was real.

‎

‎A wave of relief washed over me.

‎

‎She walked toward the car, and I stepped out to open the passenger door for her.

‎

‎"How did it go?" I asked gently.

‎

‎She looked at me for a moment before giving a small shrug.

‎

‎"It wasn't as bad as I thought."

‎

‎I smiled.

‎

‎"I'm glad."

‎

‎As we drove away from the hospital, she stared out the window, watching the city pass by.

‎

‎After a few minutes of silence, she spoke.

‎

‎"Mr. Williams is... nice."

‎

‎I glanced at her before returning my eyes to the road.

‎

‎"He is."

‎

‎"He didn't ask about my past."

‎

‎"I figured he wouldn't."

‎

‎"He just talked to me. We even laughed."

‎

‎That made me smile.

‎

‎"What did you laugh about?"

‎

‎"My puppy."

‎

‎I chuckled.

‎

‎"I'd like to hear those stories someday."

‎

‎"Maybe."

‎

‎There was another comfortable silence before she spoke again.

‎

‎"I don't think I'm ready to tell anyone what happened."

‎

‎I nodded without hesitation.

‎

‎"You don't have to."

‎

‎She turned to look at me.

‎

‎"Really?"

‎

‎"Really."

‎

‎"I didn't bring you there to force you to remember painful things. I brought you there because I want you to heal."

‎

‎She looked away, blinking rapidly.

‎

‎"I think... one day I'll tell you."

‎

‎"When that day comes, I'll listen."

‎

‎"And if it takes a long time?"

‎

‎"I'll wait."

‎

‎She smiled softly before looking out the window again.

‎

‎For the rest of the drive, neither of us said much.

‎

‎We didn't need to.

‎

‎For the first time since I found her, the silence between us no longer felt heavy.

‎

‎It felt like the beginning of something better.

‎