"Oh Ash... why? Why did you leave me? How could you think of something like that?"
The annoying voice kept drilling into his skull over and over again. It felt like a thousand blades were stabbing directly into his brain.
For God’s sake, couldn’t whoever it was just shut up?
His head was already splitting apart.
The voice continued.
"Come back to me, Ash... please."
That was it.
Noah immediately snapped his eyes open, fully prepared to yell at the idiot because he wasn’t some Ash person. Why did everyone keep saying Ash? It was becoming infuriating.
But the moment he opened his eyes, a blinding light swallowed his vision.
Noah nearly saw another universe.
"Wait... are you fucking—"
The words died in his throat.
Sitting beside him was a thin, fragile girl.
No, seriously.
Did she eat at all?
She looked so skinny that Noah was genuinely concerned a strong breeze might snap her in half. Her cheeks were sunken. Her skin was pale.
Her entire appearance screamed one thing.
Malnutrition.
"Oh! Ashton is awake! Doctor, he’s awake!"
The girl practically jumped from her seat.
Noah blinked.
Ashton? Again?
What was with these people?
He noticed the girl reaching toward him and immediately shifted away.
One rule Noah Evernight had established years ago was simple.
Do not touch him.
He hated it.
Absolutely hated it.
The doctor came rushing over, and Noah’s expression immediately became strange.
Very strange.
He blinked.
Then blinked again.
And once more.
"Is that..."
Noah rubbed his eyes.
"...a cow?"
A mother freaking cow was standing in front of him.
No.
Nope.
Absolutely not.
This was definitely a concussion.
Had to be.
There was no way a cow was working as a doctor.
Suddenly memories returned.
The accident.
The water tanker.
The handsome stranger.
That ridiculously gorgeous face.
Right.
He got hit.
Although, honestly speaking, if he had been hit by a Lamborghini maybe he would’ve accepted it with some dignity.
But a rusty, ugly water tanker?
That thing almost killed him.
The owner was definitely going to jail.
Noah would personally sue him.
"Archhhhh!"
A sharp pain exploded inside his skull.
"Damn it!"
His entire head felt like it was being crushed together.
As he raised a hand to touch his forehead, his fingers brushed against thick bandages.
Great.
Just great.
"This will probably hurt a little."
The cow doctor suddenly produced a huge syringe.
Noah froze.
His soul almost left his body.
Then he pointed dramatically.
"That is not touching me."
The doctor paused.
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me. That thing is not entering my body."
The cow doctor visibly looked hurt.
Noah didn’t understand why.
Wasn’t he a cow?
Why was he acting emotional?
"I specifically said I didn’t want him here," the doctor grumbled under his breath. "He’s so vicious."
Noah’s eyebrows immediately shot upward.
"Vicious?"
The audacity.
"Vicious how? Aren’t you literally a cow?"
The skinny girl immediately shook her head at him, clearly trying to tell him to stop talking.
Noah ignored her.
"Anyway, I’m leaving."
Both of them froze.
"This hospital is weird."
He looked around.
"Evelyn."
Nothing.
"Evelyn!"
Still nothing.
The girl’s face became confused.
Very confused.
As if she had never heard the name before.
Noah frowned.
Right in the middle of his confusion, he looked down.
And screamed.
A truly horrifying scream.
The girl jumped.
The doctor almost dropped the syringe.
"My clothes!"
Noah looked horrified.
"What is this?"
He grabbed the hospital gown.
"What am I wearing?"
His voice rose another octave.
"Where are my designer clothes?!"
The two people stared at him like he had gone insane.
Honestly?
Fair.
"Where am I?"
He pointed dramatically.
"And who are you people?"
The girl’s eyes suddenly turned red.
Oh no.
She wasn’t going to cry again, was she?
Please don’t.
Unfortunately...
She did.
"What the fuck..."
Tears immediately started falling.
Noah wanted to cry too.
Not because he felt bad.
But because he hated crying people.
They made him uncomfortable.
"I’m sorry, Ashton."
Here we go again.
"I wasn’t there for you."
More tears.
"I didn’t know things were this severe. I didn’t know you would try to commit suicide."
Noah froze.
Commit suicide?
What?
The girl looked heartbroken.
"Now you’ve even lost your memories."
There it was again.
Ashton.
Suicide.
Memories.
The three words kept repeating.
Noah immediately shook his head.
"No."
He loved himself way too much.
Suicide?
Absolutely not.
Hurting himself?
His precious body?
Never.
Not in this lifetime.
"Okay, Blondie."
The girl blinked.
She really was blonde.
Extremely blonde.
Almost suspiciously blonde.
"I’m Noah Evernight."
Silence.
"And you’re mistaken."
More silence.
"I didn’t commit suicide."
He frowned.
"I got hit by a truck."
The room became deathly quiet.
Noah frowned.
Why were they looking at him like that?
Meanwhile, something felt oddly familiar.
The girl’s appearance.
The doctor’s appearance.
Even the name Ashton.
It all felt familiar somehow.
Like he had seen them before.
But where?
Rose suddenly wiped her tears.
"I’m sorry once again, Ashton."
Noah twitched.
"Nobody believed you."
She continued,
"But I know you wouldn’t do something like that."
Her expression darkened.
"I think it was the Moonlight Alphas."
Noah paused.
Wait.
What?
"They were found near the scene."
Rose clenched her fists.
"I’m scared they had something to do with this."
Moonlight Alphas.
Ashton.
Rose.
The words exploded inside Noah’s head.
No.
No no no.
No freaking way.
His face immediately turned pale.
That couldn’t be.
Impossible.
Absolutely impossible.
That stupid novel?
That horrible novel?
The one with the idiot villain?
No.
No.
No.
"Sorry, Blondie."
He abruptly stood.
"I need to leave."
Instantly pain shot through his body.
His legs gave out.
His hip screamed.
Everything hurt.
The room spun violently.
Before he could hit the floor, strong arms wrapped around his waist.
Noah froze.
The scent that reached him was strangely sweet.
Fresh.
Warm.
Dangerous.
His head slowly turned.
And then...
He saw him.
A breathtaking man stood behind him.
Dark hair.
Sharp eyes.
Perfect features.
The kind of face that made people irrational.
Noah immediately recognized that face.
Not because he knew him.
But because he had spent an entire night cursing him.
One of the male leads.
One of the Moonlight Alphas.
The realization nearly stopped his heart.
"Ashton."
The man smiled.
A cold smile.
"I heard you survived."
His voice sounded disappointed.
Actually disappointed.
As if Noah being alive had inconvenienced him.
Instantly every hair on Noah’s body stood.
Danger.
Danger.
Danger.
Everything inside him screamed those words.
"You fell from a hundred floors."
The man tilted his head.
"And somehow you’re still alive."
Young Master Marcus.
The name immediately surfaced.
Noah remembered.
Marcus.
One of the four male leads.
One of the people the original villain obsessed over.
One of the people Noah absolutely hated.
"Young Master Marcus!"
The cow doctor—apparently Harold—looked terrified.
"What are you doing here?"
Marcus didn’t even spare him a glance.
"Can’t I visit a patient?"
His voice was calm.
Far too calm.
Harold immediately shut up.
Noah noticed it.
The fear.
The tension.
The way everyone seemed afraid of Marcus.
Then suddenly an overwhelming pressure filled the room.
Noah frowned.
Meanwhile, Rose collapsed onto her knees.
Harold wasn’t looking much better.
What was wrong with them?
"Interesting."
Marcus grabbed Noah’s chin.
Hard.
Far too hard.
"Here I thought you would immediately throw yourself at me."
His lips curved mockingly.
"But you haven’t."
Noah’s patience snapped.
Seriously.
Who did this cabbage think he was?
The grip tightened.
Marcus leaned closer.
"Did you try to commit suicide to frame us?"
"Young Master Marcus, please—"
Rose tried to plead.
Noah didn’t even let him finish.
His hand moved.
Grabbing Marcus’s balls right in his palm.
Marcus froze.
The entire room froze.
Even Rose forgot how to breathe.
Noah looked directly into Marcus’s eyes.
Then shamelessly squeezed.
Hard.
Very hard.
Marcus’s expression immediately cracked.
"One more move."
Noah smiled sweetly.
"I swear your family line ends today."
The room descended into complete silence.
"You keep talking and talking."
He continued.
"Your voice is giving me a headache."
Marcus simply stared.
Completely stunned.
"And honestly?"
Noah finally released him.
"I don’t know who convinced you that you’re attractive."
The silence became even heavier.
"But get over yourself."
He pointed at Marcus.
"This isn’t some soap opera."
Another point.
"And I definitely don’t want you."
Marcus looked personally offended.
"Also..."
Noah slowly examined him from head to toe.
"Hmm..."
The room waited.
"You look like a walking cabbage."
Dead silence.
Pure.
Absolute.
Dead silence.
Without waiting for a response, Noah turned and staggered toward the door.
His body hurt.
His head hurt.
Everything hurt.
But staying there would hurt even more.
He needed answers.
Immediately.
Unfortunately, the moment he stepped outside the room...
He froze.
Completely froze.
His eyes widened.
His jaw dropped.
"Oh sweet Jesus..."