KAY POV

Before I could react logically, my hand went to her head, running my fingers through Vanessa’s hair.

My mind was racing with guilt I couldn’t shake, and Jake’s words kept echoing in my head: “I… I don’t know, okay! I love them both!!”

How the fuck can he love two people at the same time? And it wasn’t even convincing—he looks at Vanessa like he wants her to vanish from his life. I’m certain Vanessa would crumble if she ever found out he doesn’t want her anymore.

This is so fucking messy, and it’s draining my soul.

JAKE POV

On the other side, I was already awake, laptop open, scrolling through the endless emails my label sent me while Emily still slept.

“Fuck!” I cursed under my breath. I could barely focus on a single sentence—the confrontation with Kay had left my thoughts scrambled, my heart racing. The thought of Kay actually telling Vanessa the truth once the three weeks are up… it made me want to throw my laptop across the room.

I thought I had Kay wrapped around my finger, if I acted innocent and used our friendship as a weapon. But I miscalculated.

Even the line “I… I don’t know, okay! I love them both”—my panicked attempt to play the victim—didn’t work on him. Kay usually would back off when I pulled that card, but this time… he stood his ground.

God. What am I going to do when Vanessa figures out the truth?

And thinking about her now—she’s been weirdly clingy, calling Kay pet names. That’s not her at all. She used to say calling your partner pet names is cringe. So what changed? Her memory loss? It can’t be. Something’s off.

I flinched when Emily sat up, the blanket pooling around her waist.

“Why are you awake this early!?” she asked, her voice slicing through my thoughts.

I ignored her. For the first time in days, my mind wasn’t on Emily—it was on Vanessa.

I closed my laptop, slipped on a shirt, and walked out of the bedroom, ignoring Emily calling after me.

I froze when I heard Vanessa’s voice on the balcony—she was on the phone, talking quietly but urgently about her car incident. I crept closer and leaned against the wall, careful not to be seen.

“I’m not sure, sir… I’ve lost my memory due to the car accident, but you can come to the place I’m staying right now. Perhaps if we talk in person, I’ll be able to remember something,” she said.

Remember what? The killer? What does she actually know?

“Shit.”

I heard her footsteps moving closer. Panic rose in my chest—I had to get out of there. I bolted toward the kitchen and took a deep breath.

What if she knows something we don’t? That could be trouble… massive trouble. If she remembers even a hint of the truth, what happens to us?

I have to talk to her today. Completely alone. No Kay. No Emily. I need to know exactly what she remembers. Once I do, I can recalibrate my plan and regain control.

And as I leaned against the counter, heart pounding, I realized… whatever Vanessa remembers—or pretends to remember—could destroy everything. The question is, will I survive it?