Brandon stood alone on the staircase, feeling dejected. The psychotherapy session had not only been useless but had also worsened their relationship. With a heavy heart, he busied himself in the kitchen, preparing a delicious meal and even a dessert.
Carefully arranging the food on the table, Brandon knocked on the bedroom door and called out softly, âHoney, itâs time for dinner. You can go back to sleep after eating. Iâll wait for you downstairs.â
Natalie opened the door, enticed by the mouthwatering aroma of the food. However, she remained steadfast in her anger. âI said Iâm not eating,â she retorted. âEat by yourself. Stop disturbing me!â
Though tempted by the smell, Natalie refused to eat with him. She had made her decision clear. But as she lay in bed, her stomach grumbled incessantly, overpowering her willpower. Unable to sleep, she glanced at the wall clockâit was already one oâclock in the morning. Brandon must have fallen asleep by now, she reasoned. She could sneak downstairs for a quick bite without him knowing.
Determined, Natalie got out of bed, donned her robe, and hurried downstairs. The food had been stored in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap.
Natalie removed the wrap, picked up a meatball, and stuffed it into her mouth. Suddenly, the kitchen lights flicked on, startling her. Squinting, she tried to adjust her eyes and saw Brandon standing before her, arms crossed.
He raised an eyebrow, glancing at the meatball in her hand and then at her bulging cheeks. âDoes it taste good, you little thief?â he teased.
Natalie stood frozen, her eyes wide with surprise. She had been caught red-handed. Without changing her expression, she carefully placed the plate of meatballs back into the fridge, licked the sauce off her fingers, and patted Brandon on the shoulder.
âNot bad, but you can do better,â she said, trying to play it cool. She walked past him, intending to go upstairs as if nothing had happened.
âWhere do you think youâre going, little thief?â Brandon grabbed the collar of her pajamas and pulled her back towards him in one swift motion. He lowered his head, locking eyes with her. In that dimly lit kitchen, Brandon looked unusually aggressive. It suddenly dawned on Natalie that when they first met, he was nothing more than a bad-tempered and unkempt man.
âWhat thief? What are you talking about?â Natalie asked cautiously, unable to meet his intense gaze.
âI didnât steal anything.â Brandon pinched her chin, forcing her to look up at him. âDo you want me to dig out the food from your mouth as evidence?â
Hearing his words, Natalie quickly tried to swallow the half-chewed meatball, but it got stuck in her throat. Choking, she grabbed her neck with her hands and started coughing violently.
Brandonâs expression darkened. He lifted her up and made her sit on the table. Then he rushed to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water for her.
After gulping down a few mouthfuls, Natalie finally felt better. Brandon patted her back to help her breathe and used a tissue to gently wipe her mouth.
When she had fully recovered, Natalie turned her face away shyly. âSorry,â she muttered.
With a sigh, Brandon playfully pinched her cheek and tossed the tissue into the trash can. Then, his expression turned serious.
âI should be the one apologizing. The headaches started two months ago. I was afraid you would worry too much, so I kept it from you. The memories of the past two years are incredibly important to me, thatâs when I got to know you and fell in love with you. No matter how much pain it may cause, Iâm willing to risk it all to remember you.â
Natalie fell silent, a lump forming in her throat. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face on his shoulder.
âI didnât realize you cared so much about regaining your memories... I shouldnât have lashed out. Iâm sorry,â she said, her voice filled with remorse.
After a moment of contemplation, she continued, âWe can always create new memories. Promise me youâll stop hurting yourself, okay? Your health is more important than anything, even the past two years.â
âOkay,â Brandon replied softly. He raised his hand to touch her hair, his eyes fixed on her soft-looking lips. Just as he was about to kiss her, his phone on the table suddenly started ringing.
Brandon turned his head to glance at the caller ID, and his expression darkened. It was Frank calling. Natalie knew it had something to do with Brandonâs memory loss, so she handed him the phone, raised her chin, and crossed her arms over her chest.
âI want to hear whatever he has to say too,â she asserted.
Brandon took the phone and put it on speaker. He had initially wanted to take the call in private, but seeing that Natalie insisted on listening, he complied.
âBrandon, weâve got something. I couldnât wait to call you as soon as I got off the plane,â Frank said anxiously. âI attended a seminar abroad, remember? There was an expert there whom I had the chance to talk to...â
Brandonâs face lit up with hope as he thanked Frank. The wind seemed to howl wherever Frank went. âThank you, Frank,â Brandon said gratefully.
Frank chuckled. âNo need for thanks, my friend. Your mysterious condition has piqued my curiosity. I love studying anomalies like this. It might just be the greatest challenge of my career. Even if it wasnât you, I wouldâve continued studying it.â
After ending the call, Natalie sighed, feeling uncertain. âBased on what Frank said, although he has a theory about the cause of your condition, we still need to find an antidote. Weâre still in the dark.â
The Double Life of My Billionaire Husband ï¤Chatper 402 The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife (Joanna)
ï¤Chapter 1329 Meet My Brothers by Red Thirteen ï¤Chapter 1187 With Charis gone, they wondered where to even begin searching for the drug. Natalie felt more anxious and dejected than Brandon. He tried to comfort her by patting her back. âDonât worry. Now that we know a mysterious drug caused my memory loss, itâs just a matter of finding it. Iâll have my team investigate as well. Weâll figure it out soon enough.â
Natalie nodded, though not entirely convinced. She knew Charis was cunning. If she had a way to erase Brandonâs memories, she must have also erased any trace of where she obtained the drug. But then, a thought struck Natalie. While Charis was no longer alive, her belongings remained.
Perhaps there were clues hidden among her personal items.
Excitedly, Natalie grabbed Brandonâs shoulders. âI have an idea!â
Amused, Brandon smiled at her enthusiasm. âWhat is it?â
âWe can start with Charis! There might be information on her computer or in the documents she left behind.â
Brandon expressed his doubts, knowing that Charisâs parents possessed all her belongings and wouldnât allow them access. He reminded Natalie of their strained relationship with Catherine, who had even attempted to slap her. Seeking help from them seemed unlikely.
Natalie refused to give up. âBut this is our only chance. Do you have any other ideas? Itâs better than you suffering from headaches all the time... We canât just give up without trying.â
Brandon understood Natalieâs stubbornness but felt it was inappropriate to approach Charisâs parents for help. He explained the situation carefully, reminding her of their agreement before Charisâs funeral. They had decided to part ways with the condition of never meeting again. Breaking that promise wouldnât be right. Brandon suggested waiting to see what Frank could find, hoping he might have another solution.