"Come on, Stephie," Steven grabbed my wrist as I attempted to leave.


    Before Joel, who was outside the door, could enter the house, Steven kicked the door shut, trapping


    Joel outside.


    Startled by his frustration, I asked in puzzlement, "What do you want— "


    "I want to lock you up… in the basement, where I''ll be the only one knowing of your existence,"


    Steven''s voice was hoarse as if suppressing his emotions.


    He pressed me against the corner, enveloping me with a pressuring demeanor.


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    I had never seen him like this before; and honestly, I was rather scared by his current behavior.


    It reminded me of what Mom wrote in her log, how Steven had imprisoned Stephanie in the


    basement and abused her.


    "Y-You''re not serious, are you?" I asked shakily.


    Steven pulled me into his arms, sighing softly.


    "Stephie… I just want you to live a normal life, with friends like Rachel, and a normal… husband


    and children. Spending the rest of your life happily, safely, without worries."


    "I''ll give you that regardless of the price to pay… " Steven added softly.


    Perhaps this was Steven''s biggest wish.


    My heart inexplicably raced as I listened, leaning against his chest and feeling his heartbeat


    beneath. For some reason, I had a bad feeling.


    Something inside me whispered that Steven himself wasn''t included in that wish, as if he had


    always seen himself as a monster, outside the realm of being a "normal husband".


    Did this mean that he would eventually let go of me? Or perhaps, he had another life nned?


    Feeling an inexplicable surge of anxiety, I instinctively clutched Steven''s shirt and asked, "You still


    don''t believe that I''m Stephanie Carlson, do you? Must I recite the pi thing to prove it?"


    Steven ruffled my hair without answering. Though it was just a simple gesture offort, it


    managed to ease my emotions nheless.


    Without those memories, Icked a sense of security and was constantly enveloped in fear.


    "You don''t need to pity me, or try to test me… " I said stubbornly, worried that this might be another


    test.


    Steven sighed helplessly. "Your husband is a genius, isn''t he? So you should have more faith in


    him."


    His words startled me, and I realized that my numb heart could still feel something.


    He noticed the slight bleeding from my angry steps earlier as he looked at my foot.


    Visibly displeased, he lifted me effortlessly into his arms, as though I weighed no more than a


    feather.


    I discreetly poked his muscr arm, confirming that it was his formidable strength that made me


    feel so weightless.


    After Yasmin''s upheaval and the kidnapping incident, I was physically and mentally exhausted.


    Shortly after Steven had settled me on the bed, I drifted off into slumber.


    Perhaps due to the effect of the sedatives, I had a severe headache and felt drowsy, slipping into a


    series of dreams.


    "Shecks emotions. Do you truly believe she canprehend love after losing her memories?"


    In a haze, I overheard someone conversing with Steven.


    "Her feelings toward Michael don''t seem like love either; it seems more like a meticulously nned


    scheme to destroy Michael in the cruelest manner possible…"


    It was as though Michael had pulled the trigger, but the bullet had rebounded and struck him


    squarely between the eyebrows — and Stephanie was the architect.


    "She doesn''t love me… " Steven''s voice sounded somewhat hoarse.


    Given his intelligence, how could he possibly be unaware of whether it was love or not?


    "She''s still searching for the sensation of love… obstinately yearning to love," Steven said softly.


    "Which is a good thing. Then, in the future… if something were to happen to me, she could ept it


    calmly too."