“Is that so?” Nina could not be sure. Her memories were fragmented, recollections brought on by stress. She had no idea what she had truly gone through.Zion sighed deeply, his voice heavy with emotion. “I’m sorry we hid it from you. When you went missing, we reported it to the police. They said you disappeared from school, but they couldn’t find you. After months of searching, you returned on your own. When we saw you, you were covered in wounds, curled up at our doorstep. You were mumbling incoherently, clearly out of your mind, and then you passed out. You were unconscious for a long time. When you woke up, you were back to normal, but you couldn’t remember anything that happened. You had even incorporated others’ memories as your own.”Thinking back to that time, it was a dark period for them.”You didn’t want to remember, so we didn’t want others to know, fearing it would hurt you again,” Julia explained.”You didn’t want to remember, so we didn’t want anyone else to know either, fearing it would hurt you again.” At that time, they were filled with heartache and guilt. Nina’s inability to remember was the only way she could return to a normal life, so they wanted her to live happily. They prepared for the worst but also needed to protect her reputation. To prevent Nina from reliving the fear, they went along with her version of events, hiding the even more terrifying truth.Nina looked at them in disbelief. She remembered the rescue details so clearly, yet they said none of it was true. What was real, then? Was her middle school life completely uneventful?She understood her parents were trying to protect her. She had been missing for so long, surviving a dangerous ordeal, coming back with only physical scars. It was miraculous she hadn’t died or been turned into a puppet like others.Her classmates suggested Miranda had lured her away. But why?At that time, they weren’t rivals. If she and Nash had been dating and Miranda was jealous, it would make sense. But they had no connection then. It was bizarre.It seemed like a small world, always the same people involved, hiding a deeper conspiracy. She needed to confront Miranda to uncover the truth.”I understand, Mom and Dad. I get it now. You don’t need to hide it anymore. I just never expected I went through all that,” Nina said, thinking her memories might have been altered. It seemed they preferred her confusion over killing her. That was the key point. Julia, still worried, held Nina’s hand. “Don’t dwell on the past. I don’t want you to go through it again. You need to stay safe and healthy for you and the baby, understand?”Nina placed her hand over Julia’s. “I know, Mom. I’ll be careful.”Julia clutched her chest. “I don’t know why, but when you bring this up, I get anxious. I’m afraid you’ll disappear again and come back covered in wounds. How would I cope with that?” “Mom, it won’t happen again. Don’t worry,” Nina reassured her.Julia still wasn’t convinced and repeatedly urged her not to dwell on the past.Zion looked at Nina with a heavy heart, his eyes filled with worry. He said nothing, but he was also speculating. If Nina brought it up out of the blue, there must be a clue leading her. Maybe the person who hurt her had returned.Julia’s fears weren’t baseless.Nina was indeed going through something significant. Sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ Findηøvel.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.