397: THE STRUGGLE WITHIN ARIEL’S POV After my mother’s calm words, I took a deep breath before I finally spoke, “It’s about Luke.” “It’s what about Luke?” She inquired, raising an eyebrow. “He finally regained consciousness; that’s great. But unfortunately, he lost his memory,” revealed. Hearing my words, her eyes widened. “Luke lost his memory.” “Yes, the doctor had to let me know that the car accident was serious, and it erased a lot of things from his head for a lot of people, including me and Janice.” Н My mother nodded. “Hold on. So now you’re telling me that Luke doesn’t know you’re his wife.” “I did tell him and try to make him recall things, but instead, his head just started hurting, and boom, he blacked out. So now, I really need to be careful.” “Wow, that’s really painful,” she stated, shaking her head. “I know, and I’m trying my very best not to stress him at the moment, keeping him away from people so they don’t start talking too much. I don’t want him to experience intense pain anymore. “But you do know you’ll have to tell him everything, right?” She arched her brow in response. “I know; that’s why I brought him to this mansion.” “I think it’s best you start telling him everything now.” “I will, but not tonight.“He might start feeling some pain and lose consciousness. I’m not up for that, trust me. “It’s all part of the process,” she said to me. a “And I need to take things carefully,” I responded. I sighed, feeling the weight of the situation pressing on me. “I just don’t know how to approach it, Mom. It’s like walking on a tightrope, trying not to upset him but also knowing he needs to know everything.” My mother placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. “I understand, Ariel. But sooner or later, he’ll have to face reality. And it’s better he hears it from you.” “I know, I know,” I murmured, running a hand through my hair in frustration. “I just don’t want to overwhelm him. He’s been through enough already.” “That’s true, but he also deserves to know the truth,” she insisted gently. I nodded, acknowledging her words. “You’re right. “I’ll find the right time and approach to talk to him about it.” “Good,” she said with a supportive smile. “And remember, I’m here for you every step of the way. We’ll get through this together.” I managed a weak smile and was grateful for her unwavering support. “Thanks, Mom. I really appreciate it.” “We’re family, Ariel. We stick together, no matter what. And that’s everything that matters. When you’re down, I’m down. And when you’re happy, I’m happy. I have a smile on my face. I see you with a smile on your face. I’ll always stand by you.” Her words were really beautiful, and I couldn’t hold back a smile. “Thanks.” My mother squeezed my shoulder affectionately. “You don’t have to keep on thanking me, Ariel. I believe in you. You’re stronger than you think. Don’t ever let the doubts overshadow you. One thing I’ve come to know so far is that you are a strong woman. You’re not a coward, so don’t let the fear take full control of you.” I was silent for a moment, simply processing the words. “Wow, I don’t know what to say. That was actually beautiful. Than…” “Don’t tell me, thank you,” she interrupted me. I chuckled, shaking my head. “Goodnight,” she said. “Are you leaving? I thought you were going to spend the night here.” “Thanks, but I’ll be going to my apartment now. There’s no need for you to worry. Just take care of yourself and Luke. Okay?” “Okay,” I uttered in a whisper. “Goodnight.” She smiled and walked away from me. I watched her as she left and buried myself on the couch. With my arms stretched wide, I let out a deep sigh. I didn’t even know the time I drifted off to sleep. The lights in the living room were off when I opened my eyes. These helpers couldn’t even inform me about it. I stood up from the couch, yawning, and with sleepy eyes, I walked upstairs. The mansion was really quiet, with everyone asleep, as I headed to my room. Finally, I got there. As I made my way to the door, I yawned again. I put my fingers on the doorknob, and I tried opening it, but I realized I couldn’t. Luke had locked it from the Inside. Oh crap! I tried opening it several times to see if I could be lucky. But nope, it was locked. It was locked. I said, “Luke,” and yawned for the third time. I did not like this at all. “Luke,” I called out, my voice louder than the first, as I started knocking on the door. “Are you asleep? Open the door.” With each call, I continued knocking on the door, my voice growing more urgent. “Luke, are you there? Open the door, please.” But there was no response, no sound from inside the room. Frustration mixed with exhaustion as I leaned against the door, feeling the load of sleep pulling at my eyelids. With a heavy sigh, I sank down to the floor, resting my back against the door. My eyelids. drooped as I fought to stay awake, the fatigue of the day finally catching up with me. Just as I was about to succumb to sleep, the door suddenly creaked open, catching me off guard. I yelped in surprise as I tumbled backward into the room, landing in a heap on the floor. Before I could gather my bearings, I felt strong arms wrap around me, preventing me from falling further. My heart raced as I looked up, bleary–eyed, to see Luke’s concerned face. hovering above me. “Are you okay?” he asked. I nodded slowly, still trying to shake off the grogginess of sleep. “Yeah, I’m fine. I just… couldn’t open the door.” He helped me get to my feet, steadying me as I wobbled unsteadily. “You should have called out louder,” he said softly, his hand lingering on my arm. “I did,” I mumbled, rubbing my eyes to clear away the sleepiness. “Guess you were sound asleep,” He chuckled softly, a warm smile spreading across his face. “Sorry about that. I must have dozed off.” “It’s okay,” I replied. I dozed off, too, but I’m glad you’re okay.” He chuckled. “Yeah, I’m fine. But thanks anyway for waking me from my sleep.” I gave him a tired smile. “You’re welcome. And thank you for keeping me at the door for quite a long time.” “You can’t blame me. I was having a nice dream.” I leaned in closer as I whispered, “What was the dream about?” “Why are you asking?” “Nothing, actually. I’m just curious. “You know, just to see if you were dreaming about…” “You,” he cut me off. “You wanted to know if I was dreaming about you.” “Well, if you say so, I don’t have a problem with that.” I yawned forthwith. “You look really exhausted. You should go to sleep.” “I know, right?” I yawned again, stretching my arms. Luke quickly carried me in his arms, closed the door, and took me straight to the bed,