John's body stiffened abruptly, and his once indifferent eyes instantly erupted with unbearable pain. He clutched his injured shoulder, trembling violently, his mind feeling as though countless sharp knives were churning within it. Firelight, explosions, her terrified yet resolute face, her hand tightly gripping his... those long-sealed images and sounds brutally assailed his brain, tearing at him. He could feel the blurred outlines slowly sharpening, the fragmented murmurs gradually coalescing into a complete melody, each note carrying a bloody agony.
"Yaya..." John whispered, his voice filled with pain and longing. His body began to tremble violently, cold sweat streaming down his forehead, as if enduring immense torment. Yet, he stared intently at Phyllis, as if she were the only one who could pull him from this suffering.
"John!" Phyllis rushed towards him. She knew he was experiencing the agony of memory regression; she had to be by his side!
However, just as Phyllis rushed towards John, a dark figure suddenly lunged from the side, aiming straight for Phyllis! It was another "Shadow" organization operative!
"Phyllis, look out!" John shouted. Ignoring his shoulder injury, he lunged towards Phyllis, trying to shield her from the attack.
But Phyllis reacted faster. She twisted her body, dodging the attack, while simultaneously firing her pistol precisely at the assailant. However, the assailant was agile, and the bullet grazed past him.
"John!" Phyllis saw John's shoulder wound tear open again from his violent movement, blood gushing out. She knew he couldn't afford another injury!
"Catch them! Don't let a single one escape!" John's voice carried a hint of pain, but his tone was filled with fierce resolve. He knew this was his plan to lure them out, and his crucial battle to reclaim his memories!
The entire castle plunged into unprecedented chaos and fierce battle. Gunshots and screams echoed one after another, and the fireworks in the night sky exploded uselessly, no longer able to mask the symphony of blood and fire. In this pandemonium, the door to John's memories was completely shattered open, and Phyllis knew that no matter how many thorns lay ahead, they would walk this path together, until all the mists were cleared, until the truth was revealed!
The intense struggle lasted for an unknown duration until the gunshots and explosions within the castle gradually subsided, and the smell of gunpowder slowly dissipated. John and Phyllis, covered in blood and exhaustion, finally retreated through the hidden passage, met by Kevin and Lynn. The Yafei family's security team had controlled the situation; most of the "Shadow" organization's operatives were subdued, with only a few escaping in the chaos.
John's shoulder wound was still bleeding, his face frighteningly pale. The violent resurgence of his memories, coupled with the prolonged, high-intensity fighting, had pushed him to his physical limits; he had endured until now purely by sheer willpower. The moment he was out of danger, his body swayed violently. Had Phyllis not quickly caught him, he would have collapsed.
"Mr. Zhuo!" Kevin and Lynn immediately stepped forward, their eyes filled with concern and respect. They had never seen John so disheveled, nor had they ever witnessed such a complete eruption of his strength.
"Take him to my private villa," Phyllis commanded in a low voice, a subtle tremor in her tone. She knew John's wound needed immediate attention, and he desperately needed a secure, quiet environment to process the overwhelming influx of memories.
John was carefully transported back to his private villa, where Dr. Elina was already waiting. She quickly examined his injuries and provided emergency treatment. Phyllis remained by his bedside, watching Dr. Elina's busy movements, her heart heavy. Although John's life wasn't in danger, excessive blood loss and the immense shock from his memories returning had plunged him into a deep coma.
The night was deep, and the villa was silent, broken only by the faint hum of medical equipment and Dr. Elina's occasional hushed words. Phyllis sat by the bed, gently holding John's cold hand. His palm was rough and strong, still carrying the faint scent of blood from the fight, yet at this moment, it felt so fragile. She watched his tightly furrowed brows, as if he were still enduring immense pain in his dreams.
"He'll be fine, Miss Phyllis," Dr. Elina softly reassured her. "Mr. Zhuo has a very strong will. He just needs time to rest and process."
Phyllis nodded, saying nothing. She knew John's memories had returned, but this return came with immense suffering. She recalled his tormented expression as he murmured "Yaya," and the flicker of confusion and struggle in his eyes. Her heart ached.
Dr. Elina finished her work and left Phyllis alone to watch over John. Phyllis gently tucked the blanket around John. Her gaze inadvertently fell on the bedside table. There lay John's private phone and the cufflink he never took off. She picked up the cufflink, her fingertips tracing the Yafei family emblem on it, her eyes complex. This cufflink was the only token she had found on him five years ago, and her only clue in searching for him.
Her gaze then swept to the other side of the bedside table, where a notebook lay casually. Curious, she picked it up and opened it. The notebook was densely filled with medical terms, psychological theories, and even notes on "memory suppression" and "hypnotherapy." Phyllis's heart sank. John had indeed been investigating his memory issues all along!
She continued to flip through the pages. Suddenly, on the last page of the notebook, she found an old, somewhat yellowed, folded photograph. Phyllis carefully unfolded it. That was a blurry group photo; the background appeared to be the ruins of that accident five years ago, with fires raging and thick smoke billowing. The two people in the photo were disheveled, covered in dust and blood, but they clung tightly to each other, their faces showing the relief of surviving a catastrophe and a touch of inexpressible deep affection.
Though the photo was blurry, Phyllis recognized herself and John at a glance. Her heart trembled violently, and tears instantly blurred her vision. This was the photo John had taken with his damaged phone at the very last moment, five years ago, when they were trapped in the ruins! She had thought that photo had been lost forever with the phone's destruction. She never imagined John had kept it! And he had carefully tucked it into the notebook where he researched memory.
"John..." Phyllis whispered softly, her voice thick with emotion, tears streaming down her cheeks. She pressed the photo tightly to her chest, feeling the faint warmth emanating from it, as if she could feel John's perseverance and pain over these five years, clinging to this memory.
Just then, John's eyelids fluttered slightly. Phyllis sharply lifted her head, seeing him weakly open his eyes. His gaze was no longer the cold indifference and confusion of the past, but held a complex mix of emotions: pain, struggle, but more so, a long-lost, profound tenderness and clarity. He looked at Phyllis, his gaze falling on her hand gently stroking his wrist, and then to the photo she tightly clutched.
"This scar... is it from the accident five years ago?" Phyllis asked softly, her voice carrying a subtle tremor. She knew this was the answer she had waited five years for.
John's throat bobbed with difficulty, his voice hoarse and weak, tinged with unbelievable pain and yearning: "Yes... Phyllis, I... I didn't forget you."
He struggled to lift his other hand, gently caressing Phyllis's tear-streaked cheek. His fingertips were cool, yet they carried a burning warmth, as if to evaporate all her tears.
"Five years ago, I thought I was going to die," John's voice grew even weaker, each word seemingly squeezed from the depths of his soul, carrying a heavy burden. "After being rescued, my injuries were too severe, and my memory was damaged, especially the emotional parts. I was secretly treated, while also eliminating those who wanted to use me or harm you. I pretended not to know you to protect you, and because I was afraid... afraid of losing you again."
Phyllis could no longer control her emotions. Tears burst forth, streaming down her cheeks, soaking John's fingers as he caressed her face. She suddenly leaned down, burying her head in John's chest, her tears soaking his thin shirt.
"You fool! Why didn't you tell me?!" Phyllis's voice was thick with emotion, filled with grievance and heartache. So that's how it was... He hadn't forgotten; he had pretended for her protection, to eliminate threats. He had endured so much, silently bearing it all alone. She had misunderstood him, and her heart ached for him. She recalled John murmuring "Yaya" in his semi-conscious state, and Kevin's unusual gaze earlier; everything now made sense. All the grievances, all the waiting, all the pain, now turned into a torrent of tears.
John felt Phyllis trembling in his embrace. He struggled to lift his arm and held her tightly. Phyllis's warm tears on his chest brought him immense relief and sorrow.
"Finally... finally I can tell you," John's voice trembled slightly, yet it was filled with conviction. "Phyllis, I love you. My control, my pretense, it was all because I was too afraid to lose you. Now, do you believe me?"
He knew he had to let her see that photo. He struggled to shift his gaze to the photo on the bedside table, which Phyllis clutched tightly. That blurry photo was the only secret he had kept about them, the only solace during five years of pretense and pain. He looked at Phyllis's crying face, a wave of immense relief and sorrow washing over him. He knew he had to let her see that photo; it was the testament to their love, the source of all his pain, and the only comfort he had held onto for five years.
Phyllis held him tightly, feeling the warmth and heartbeat emanating from his chest. She knew her John had finally returned. All the mists had cleared, and all the truths had emerged. This photo was the most authentic proof deep within his memory, and the only secret he had preserved about them during five years of pretense and suffering. And she, too, could finally shed all her pretense and defenses, completely entrusting herself to him.
"I believe you, John," Phyllis lifted her head, her tear-streaked face now breaking into the most sincere smile. "I've always believed you. Together, we'll face everything."
John closed his eyes, feeling Phyllis's warm embrace. Five years of pain and torment were completely released at this moment.