Sudden Call from Reza
Evan remained standing, his gaze fixed on Sienna's retreating figure. Her words kept echoing in his head, adding to the weight already pressing down on his chest.
His phone suddenly vibrated in his pocket. Instinctively, he pulled it out and looked at the screen. Reza.
He took a deep breath before answering. "Hello?"
"Where are you? Come back to the office. Now."
Evan frowned. "What's going on?"
"I can't explain over the phone. Just get here. It's important."
Reza's tone was more serious than usual, making Evan even more curious. But with Raka still in the hospital, he hesitated to just leave.
"Reza, I'm at the hospital—"
"Exactly," Reza cut in quickly. "You have to come. This is important, Van."
Evan sighed. He glanced toward the patient room where Ayla was, then back at his phone.
"Okay. I'm on my way."
Without thinking further, he slipped the phone into his pocket and walked out of the hospital. A sense of unease began creeping into his mind.
What on earth was going on?
Reprimand in the Meeting Room
Evan walked into the meeting room with a blank expression. Reza was already seated, hands clasped on the table, his expression unreadable.
As soon as Evan closed the door, Reza shot him a sharp look. "You've been disappearing from the office without permission. This is getting out of hand, Evan."
Evan didn't answer right away. He pulled out a chair and sat across from Reza. "I know."
Reza looked surprised by the admission. "If you know, why do you keep doing it?"
Evan leaned back in his chair. "I've had urgent matters to take care of."
"You think you're the only one with responsibilities?" Reza's tone remained calm, but the firmness was unmistakable. "The project you were supposed to handle got delayed. I had to step in. Don't forget—this is a professional company, not a family business where you can come and go as you please."
Evan looked at Reza without expression. "I never used my status to do whatever I wanted."
Reza sighed. "Then prove it."
He leaned back slightly, fingers interlocked as he stared at Evan. "Don't let your father hear about this. I doubt he'd be happy to know his son disappears during work hours without notice."
Evan fell silent. Reza was right. His father rarely intervened directly in company matters, but that didn't mean he didn't care. If he found out Evan had been skipping work like this, there would definitely be consequences.
"I'll catch up on everything that's been delayed," Evan said at last. "Starting now, no more excuses."
Reza nodded. "Good. I hope you mean it."
Evan gave a small nod and stood up. As he walked out of the meeting room, his mind was still tangled. It felt like he was living in two separate worlds: one at the office, and the other out there—with Ayla and Raka.
And now, he had to balance them before everything fell apart.
Folder 2015
Evan sat at his desk, taking a deep breath before opening his laptop. His hand instinctively reached for the mouse, ready to dive into the work that had piled up. But as he opened the project directory, his eyes were drawn to an old folder—2015.
He frowned. That year…
Driven by curiosity, he clicked on the folder. A flood of documents appeared on the screen. He scrolled through, searching for something to explain the strange feeling in his chest.
Then he found it.
The acquisition of Hendra's company.
His eyes scanned the details. The project team names appeared: Raymond & team.
Not him.
Evan leaned back in his chair, brow furrowed. Wasn't he the one who handled this? Wasn't that night supposed to be the celebration of his success in taking over Hendra's company?
But if that were true… why wasn't his name in the report?
His hands clenched. A growing discomfort churned in his chest.
Something was off.
He kept scrolling, digging deeper. There was something he didn't understand yet—a gap in his memory that was becoming more pronounced.
Something fate had tried to bury… but was now slowly rising to the surface.
The Curse That Shattered Him
Evan stared at his laptop screen, jaw tight. The curse—the one he once dismissed as nonsense—was real. It didn't just trap him at the age of 25 forever. It slowly erased his life, piece by piece.
Once, that project had been his. He was the one who worked tirelessly to acquire Hendra's company. But now? According to the official records, all the credit went to Raymond & team. As if Evan had never been involved at all.
It wasn't just his work that was taken…
Nadira was now engaged to another man. At the office, he felt like a background character in someone else's story. Even at their high school reunion, he was remembered as someone different—with a past he never lived.
And now… Ayla.
A woman who wasn't supposed to exist in his life. A child that was never meant to be born. And Sienna…
Evan buried his face in his hands, feeling the storm building in his chest.
This wasn't his life.
It was as if the world was erasing his existence little by little, until one day, he would vanish completely.
Nothing left but a name.
Nathaniel Evan.
A man forever 25, slowly losing everything he ever had.
E14a: Call from Father
Evan was still staring at his laptop screen when his phone vibrated on the desk. He glanced at the caller ID.
Dad.
Not the secretary, not the company admin—but Nathaniel William himself, the owner and CEO of the company.
Evan took a breath before answering.
"Come to my office. Now."
Just two words, cold and firm.
Evan clenched his teeth. He knew this wasn't about work. With heavy steps, he made his way to his father's office. When the door opened, he found the middle-aged man standing by the window, back facing him. One hand holding his phone, the other resting on his hip—a signature sign of his anger.
"Sit."
Evan obeyed but remained silent.
Mr. Nathaniel turned, his gaze sharp. There was something different in his eyes—not just anger, but… disappointment?
"I just got word…" his voice was heavy. "You have a child."
Evan froze. His eyes widened slightly, but he restrained himself from overreacting.
"Who told you that?"
"A friend," Mr. Nathaniel replied, folding his arms. "The doctor treating that child."
Evan cursed silently. So this is how his father found out? From a doctor?
"Do you want to explain something?" Mr. Nathaniel pressed.
Evan took a deep breath. "Dad, I only found out recently."
Mr. Nathaniel raised an eyebrow. "Really?" His tone was flat, skeptical.
Evan nodded. "I just met Ayla again not long ago. I genuinely had no idea I had a child."
Mr. Nathaniel stared at him for several seconds, then walked to the desk and pressed his fingers against the wooden surface.
"You know, Evan…" his voice softened, though the sternness in his face remained. "I've turned a blind eye to many things you've done. Whether you wanted to work or not—I let you be. Whether you were serious or just playing around—I didn't interfere. But a child?" He sighed, his gaze sharpening again. "That's not something you can ignore."
Evan swallowed. He wanted to defend himself, to say this wasn't entirely his fault. But on the other hand… what would be the point?
"So what are you going to do now?" Mr. Nathaniel asked, his tone demanding an answer.
Evan clenched his fists on his thighs. One thing was clear—there was no running from this.
Turning Point
Evan looked straight at his father. He didn't want a fight, but he also refused to take the blame for something he couldn't even remember.
"I honestly don't remember anything, Dad." His voice was calm, though turmoil still raged inside. "I don't even remember being close to Ayla, let alone having a child."
Mr. Nathaniel let out a long sigh. His gaze softened slightly, though the hard lines on his face showed he was still processing Evan's words.
"Do you remember your accident at the end of 2015?" he asked at last.
Evan froze. Accident?
Of course he remembered what happened in December 2015. That was the night of the curse. The night Hendra killed himself right in front of him.
But… an accident?
"I remember… I didn't get into an accident," he answered quietly.
Mr. Nathaniel looked at him with a strange expression, as if he'd just heard the impossible.
"That was your turning point, Evan." His voice dropped. "Before that accident, you… weren't like this."