I wake up in a room with vaulted ceilings. A woman with a salt-and-pepper bun on the top of her head and a black pearl necklace around her neck is watching me. Concern is etched into the lines on her face, particularly around her thin mouth. She’s wearing a black linen dress that reaches all the way to her ankles. I estimate her to be somewhere in her fifties.

“It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Steel.” The woman fusses around me, straightening sheets and plumping pillows on the king-size bed. “Mr. Steel said you had a lovely honeymoon in Alaska.”

For a moment I’d hoped a miracle had happened, and I’d been saved from the clutches of my captor. Wrong.

I press the heel of my hand to my head as a bolt of lightning explodes in the middle of my forehead.

“That’s not my name.” I pull in a breath. “Who are you? Where am I?”

“I’m Hanna.” She has the hint of an Eastern European accent. “You’re in your home, Mrs. Steel. You slept for a long time. You must be hungry.”

I shake my head. Pain bounces off the walls of my skull. “This is not my home.” My anger bubbles to the surface. “Where is he?”

She stops fussing and goes to arrange a bouquet of yellow tulips by the window. Then she turns back to me, freckled hands clasped in front of her. “He will meet you for dinner in an hour.” She returns to the bed. “I’m here to help you get ready, Mrs. Steel.”

“Stop calling me that,” I retort. “I’m not Mrs. Steel. I’m not his damn wife. My name is Ivy Hollifield.” I peel off the bedspread. I’m still wearing the same pajamas I had on before.

In a moment of desperation, I grab her hands. They’re the softest hands I’ve ever touched. “Please, help me.” Tears cling to my eyelids like drops of dew. “I don’t know what he told you, but he’s a dangerous man. He killed someone. He kidnapped me. Please, please call the police.”

She withdraws her hands and takes a step back. Her expression hasn’t changed. “Mr. Steel is the kindest man I know.” She tips her head to the side. “He explained that you’re still recovering from your illness and need a lot of time to rest.”

“Illness?” My brow creases. “What illness? What has he told you?”

His voice pours into the room. “You don’t need to answer that, Hanna.” He must have heard the whole conversation. Of course he was watching. He’s always watching.

I jump up from the bed and punch the air. “What the fuck did you tell her? That I have some kind of mental illness or something? That I’m mentally unstable?” I laugh through my tears. “You’re sicker than I thought.”

“It’s all right, rosebud.” His voice is low and purposefully gentle. “I love you anyway. In sickness and in health. As Hanna told you, you’re home now. You slept the whole way here. Now let her help you get dressed for dinner. I’ll come up for you in an hour.”

Hanna touches my shoulder and I glare at her. “Don’t you dare touch me.” I hurry to the door and turn the doorknob, but it doesn’t budge.

“Don’t waste your energy, sweetheart. I’ve put security measures in place for your own safety. It’s my responsibility as your husband to make sure you don’t harm yourself while your memory returns. Hanna and the rest of our staff know about your head injury, which caused your memory loss and worsened your mental health. I blame myself. I shouldn’t have allowed you to go skiing.” He pauses. “By the way, Adrian, our guard, will be at your door day and night.”

“You bastard.” I pick up the vase of flowers and hurl it at the door. It falls to the floor in pieces, water spilling onto the carpet. “Let me out of here. The only person who is sick here is you.”

Hanna hurries to clear up the mess.

“My sweet wife. It hurts me to see you like this. But I’m a patient man. I’ll still be here when you remember that we’re married and in love.”

“That will never happen, because it’s a lie. An ugly lie. You’re keeping me prisoner.”

“This is not a prison. You can’t be a prisoner in your own home. It’s all in your head.” He sighs. “Now get ready for our first dinner in our home.”

“Go to hell. I’ll never share a meal with you.”

“As you wish. Hanna will bring your meal to your room.”

When Hanna brings my dinner, it comes with a note from Damien.

My love,

Your anger burns me from a distance. I only need to look into your eyes to read your thoughts. You think I'm the devil himself, don't you? I'm writing to tell you that you couldn't be further from the truth.

I can't understand your pain. Maybe I don't want to.

I'm giving you something precious, something many women only dream about. But you push me away. I'll move a step back for now, but you should know one thing: you can't wish me away. You hold something that once belonged to me. You've stolen my heart, and only your love can fill the gaping hole you left inside my chest. I need you, and with a little time, you'll see you need me too.