As Elara was stuck by the man's words, she stared deeply at those eyes once more. They didn't seem to lie. But if the meddling man wasn't lying, then what actually happened?
No one could answer her.
Only the urge to go to him seemed stronger. Elara took a deep breath as she scolded herself. Why would she think of being with a stranger and betraying Joshua?
" Tell them, Elara. Let them know who you belong to…" the meddling man said again, this time he took out a file as a faint smile danced around his kissable lips.
Elara couldn't stop herself. Barely audible, she let out a question-like answer. " You belong to-me?"
Her heart wanted to know what the hell was happening. She tried to process the weird declaration from the stranger and even her weirder question.
Elara swallowed hard as she tried to make sense of it. So her sudden forgetfulness wasn't a result of stress? Has something really happened to her?
Like something really serious?
Even though the earlier murmurs from the other people in the hotel lounge who were watching them from the corners had started to go down, Elara could not say the same thing about their stares.
Stares and poking gazes that seemed to bore holes into her skin. The embarrassment was killing her.
Then, in a sudden forceful movement, Joshua lunged forward and grabbed Elara's wrist, yanking her toward himself as if to protect her from the meddling man.
As if to make a statement that he, not the stranger, truly owned her.
Elara felt touched by Joshua's reaction yet something was nagging at her. Could it be the man's piercing accusatory gaze or the fact that the man was too quiet?
She wanted to stop all of these but before she could even react, the stranger took a single step forward yet again and when he spoke, it was with a calm tone and an easy gesture.
His expression was a hidden facade of a brewing storm.
" Careful, Hudson, that's my wife you're touching."
Elara's face squeezed. The atmosphere became even tense with the man staring intently at Joshua, a faint smile etched on his face.
" Hudson?" Elara squinted, staring at the stranger, at the certainty in his expression. So he also knew Joshua? Could that also mean he wasn't just making empty claims?
Now overwhelmed, Elara ripped her hand from Joshua's own and took a step back, away from both of them. She was about to go crazy!
The smirk of the stranger deepened.
And then, with a pointed motion, he signaled at something on Elara's left-hand side. Joshua's eyes followed the trace of his finger.
Elara bit hard on her lips, her hands clenched tightly too. She somehow knew what he was pointing at even before checking.
It must be it.
Nevertheless, Elara still checked, and there it was, just like she feared. Her voice was shaky and inaudible.
"That damned ring."
The same ring she had been questioning, not just since she woke up but literally a few minutes ago.
" It fits you perfectly, Mrs. Watson. Just like when you first put it on," He murmured.
His hazel eyes caught the confused look on Elara's face. With a shrug, he added. " Or are you saying you don't also remember slipping it on?"
Joshua's eyes instantly met Elara's as if he, too, was genuinely interested in her answer. But she couldn't speak. She doesn't know or remember anything.
Elara took another small step back, shaking her head faintly as she started to feel an ache in her head. It was so excruciating that she let out a loud grunt.
Then a second flash appeared, right when the aches stopped. The same one that showed her sliding the Star diamond ring onto her finger. Then just like before, it disappeared again.
Elara gasped while Joshua's eyes narrowed at this point.
She could not exactly tell what he was thinking, but he was looking quite doubtful. The stranger sighed, almost as if he was tired of the charade, except that there was no charade here.
They were drowning in this mystery together.
Without another word, the meddling man reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. And when he lifted it, he turned its screen toward Elara.
It was showing a document.
That instant, it was as if she was struck by lightning and showers of meteor. Elara didn't move at first, her eyes popping out as if the pair wasn't enough to see whatever document the meddling man was holding.
She was damn too frozen and too stupefied to reach for it either.
Nevertheless, the meddling man stepped closer, closing the space between himself and her. With a face that seemed to defeat even the noblest of all prince charming, he urged her to take it.
If it wasn't such an awkward situation, Elara just might have given in to those luscious lips. Even if it were her engagement.
She quickly shook those dirty thoughts from her as she collected the documents. Alas, some situations can even be swayed by a man's beauty.
Still battling between her supposed lust and the situation at hand, Elara heard Joshua's heavy breath. Someone other than her was getting anxious.
Joshua, who was now close enough, leaned in as well to see. His curiosity was like a piercing tip of a dagger at Elara's chest. And her swaying heart shrink in embarrassment. How could she daydream of a stranger in the presence of her fiance?
Then, reluctantly, she reached out and collected it. The thumping sound of Elara's breath was the only sound she could hear, not until her eyes caught it. It was right at the beginning page of the document.
"Elara Clarksville "
Written in block letters. Attached to it, was the surname he had addressed her with earlier.
"Watson"
The same surname attached to the name which she believed was his first name.
"Leo Watson"
So his name was Leo? But Elara still did not remember meeting anyone with this name. It was just a vaguely familiar name like the name of one of her many business associates.
Then it clicked. Wasn't the Watson family among her top business partners?
However, Elara pushed that thought aside. His name wasn't her problem right now because the damn document was none other than a fucking marriage certificate!
Her supposed marriage certificate with this Leo guy. Elara's heart jumped as she began to stagger back. When did all this happen?
The stranger's voice, full of a quiet finality, broke through her thoughts once more.
With a tsk and a rather mocking sigh, Leo asked while casting a side glance at Joshua. "We were married three days ago, sweetheart. Or do you not remember?"
"What?" Joshua snapped out in anger and disbelief. His already feigned concern faltering like the air he was eagerly breathing in.
But Elara was too stunned now to care about Joshua's outburst.
Three days? She gasped at the absurdity yet when she opened her mouth to refute it, no words came out.
The stranger was reaching out for something else in his pocket. And when he pulled it out this time it was an envelope. He moved quietly, walking to a nearby table and setting it down with deliberate care.
Elara turned back to the man, allowing her head to spin with a hundred different possibilities.
What if this was a setup? What if someone wanted to sabotage her, to ruin her engagement, her career? This was not particularly unlikely. With this thought, she turned back to the fellow with cold eyes and a tone that was even colder.
Elara snarled. " I don't care who the hell you are, but I swear to God, I will have you arrested when I get to the bottom of this!"
Leo didn't even flinch. If anything, Elara's limp threat appeared to amuse him further. Then without bothering to give a response to her threat, he straightened his suit.
With a faint smile, he blurted out coldly. "You have three days, darling. That should be enough to say your goodbyes."
And just like that, Leo turned and walked out.
Elara's gaze was enough shake the walls of the hall yet the straight back of Leo waswith a sudden anxiety, Elara turned to Joshua, desperate for something that made sense. But he looked even more shaken than she was.
More anxious, more lost.
Joshua ran a hand through his hair roughly. Elara wanted to say something but before she could say another word, his phone vibrated. He pulled it out, glanced at the screen then froze. His expression transformed to a blank mask.
Then, without a word, he turned and stormed out.
Elara wanted to stop him. To follow, but her legs wouldn't move, her voice wouldn't come. She was left standing there, lost. The whispers around the room were growing louder.
Her world was falling apart, because of a stranger and a forgotten memory.