As she stared at him blankly, Rio gave her a smug smile.

“Go on, I'm listening.”

Valentina was quiet for a moment before turning to look at his side profile. Preparing her story, she took a deep breath before speaking.

“I guess I’ll start? I’ve felt this for a while and just haven’t known how to say it, but have we met each other before this? I feel like we knew each other.”

After all, there was no other way to explain the casual way he treated her and the way he seemed to know about her family situation.

“Is that a pickup line? It’s a little late for that, Val. We’re already friends.”

Smacking his arm in irritation, she continued talking while examining his face, making sure to catch every detail.

“I’m serious. I keep feeling like you know the past me. I…had a medical incident that made me forget most of my memories, and I’m trying to find them again. I feel like you were important in my life and we knew each other, so I wanted to figure out what you know.”

The car suddenly screeched to a stop as Rio turned to look at her, his face full of concern.

“What? Are you joking around with me?? What happened? Have you seen a doctor? When was this? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Keep driving. Also, I didn’t know you to tell you, which is why I’m asking now. Rio, do you know me? My past? Please tell me everything that you know about me. I want to know.”

As Rio stared at the unfamiliar yet familiar green eyes hidden behind the clear glasses staring deep into his own, he felt his heart throb and a sense of sadness wash over him.

She didn’t remember him.

The person who had helped him throughout one of the roughest times in his life, who had cheered him on even with her weak body and occasionally graced him with her brilliant smile, even through her own pain, didn’t remember him or anything they had been through together.

What had replaced her was a self-confident woman who ribbed him relentlessly, was charming and attracted attention anywhere she went. Her eyes were no longer dull, and she laughed happily without hiding her feelings.

He wondered if this was how she was meant to be if she hadn’t lived in that house or experienced what she experienced. It also explained the dissonance he felt in their interaction. Like she was both familiar and unfamiliar.

“Rio?”

Hearing her soft voice calling his name, he closed his eyes momentarily before opening them.

“Let’s go get some food first while I collect my thoughts. Then we can talk.”

“Okay.”

The ride was silent as each of them was in their own thoughts.

As Valentina looked out the window, she noticed that they were leaving the downtown area and heading to the older part of town near the suburbs. Here, the buildings weren’t new skyscrapers but older, shorter buildings with more ornate architecture, adding an old-world charm and separate houses.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

Rio easily pulled the car into a small parking lot of a simple hotpot restaurant, and they both got out. At her curious look, he explained.

"It’s a mom-and-pop shop with pretty good food that I come to since I know the owner. The people who come here are generally older, so they shouldn’t recognize us, and even if they do, they won't make a big deal out of it. More importantly, they have private rooms. You still like spicy food, right?”

“I do.”

Shrugging, she adjusted her glasses before following behind him.

As they entered, an older lady smiled brightly while picking up two menus.

“Hello again, handsome student. Welcome back. It’s been a long time since you’ve been here. Has school been tough? I know you’re about to graduate. And where’s your usual tall friend?”

Spotting Valentina, she looked between the two of them before chuckling, “I see you brought your girlfriend this time. How cute. Do you want the usual room?”

“Yes, Auntie. I've been well, and my friend is good as well. He wanted to come, but he’s busy studying. I hope you and your uncle have been as well. No need for menus; we’ll have the main combination.” Rio’s voice took on a slightly higher pitch as he nodded his head respectfully.

“Well, I’ll give it to you anyway. You should give your girlfriend a chance to choose what she wants. That’s how you make a relationship last. You look like you’ve lost some weight. Studying is good, but you have to take care of your body. Come along, let me take you back.”

“Yes, Auntie.”

They quickly followed the woman to a private room and settled down. As Rio stared at her, Valentina could only snicker.

“What a surprise, seeing student Rio politely calling somebody auntie. How cute.”

“Be quiet and look at the menu. What do you want?”

“Spicy soup base. Anything else is fine since you're paying because I'm broke.” Valentina casually replied, tossing the menu at his face.

“Why? I thought we paid you pretty well for your appearance in our music video. And you have another gig lined up, right? You should be rolling in money.” Rio replied in a confused manner.

“My contract at Black Rock is not the best, and a lot of last-minute expenses have shown up. Hence, me trying to switch to Platinum.”

“Huh. We’ll talk about that later. What did you mean by what you told me? What happened to you?”

“Let’s wait until the food comes. It’s a long story.”

“Fine by me.”

Rio quickly placed the order for the popular combination set which was quickly delivered. As the soup base began bubbling and he began adding ingredients to the pot, he looked at her expectantly.

“Explain.”

Looking at his serious expression, Valentina sighed before replying with her prepared story.

“I told you, I had an accident a couple of months ago that caused me to lose my memories. A few have come back here and there, but a lot are still missing. I’ve already gotten a full checkup at the hospital, so don’t start with me. We clearly knew each other, so spill. What do you know about me?” she quickly glossed over the main matter and dived into the information she truly cared about.

Rio was silent for a moment, blowing on a piece of brisket before stuffing it into his mouth.

As he chewed, Valentina took the opportunity to add some more vegetables to the pot while eating the noodles and pork on her plate. Seeing that he was still silent, she called his name.

“Rio?”

“I guess I would have to go back to the beginning. We met during the summer when you were 13 turning 14. We used to live by each other. I'm assuming you don’t remember the parents you lived with? Before you met the Salazars?”

“Nope. Elaborate. I thought you were a rich kid from a good background. How come you lived near poor old me?”

Hearing her words, Rio snorted, “Not back then. It’s the same old story. Wealthy man. Mistress woman. Illegitimate child.” Rio laughed darkly while taking a drink of water.

“My mom was poor, and my father refused to claim me since he was married, so we lived on the poorer side of town, which is why we met. I lived in that area for a couple of years until graduating high school. After that, I signed onto Platinum, moved to the city, and eventually debuted before working my way up to where I am today. After seeing me become successful, the Grenier family suddenly decided to find their family affection and bring me into the fold. Of course, I couldn’t actually challenge their heir or compete for benefits, but I could now use the family name to further my career. Naturally, I accepted their offer since it opened a lot of doors I previously wouldn’t have access to. You’re looking at the result of that now.” Rio had a self-deprecating smile on his face as he responded before continuing to eat.

As he offloaded everything in a tone that made it seem as if he were talking about someone else, Valentina felt her heart twinge.

Even one of the most successful people who lived a life of glamor had a story behind them.

“I'm sorry that happened to you, Rio. I hope you're in a better place. Your worth is not defined by your paternal family. Millions of people, including me, think you’re pretty great.” Valentina replied solemnly as she touched his arm comfortingly.

“You think?”

“I know that. So cheer up.”

It seemed that not everyone had an easy life because, from the outside, he seemed perfect. He had a great career and an illustrious family name, but no one knew the pain that he had dealt with getting to the point he was in now.

Giving her a grim smile, Rio clutched her hand for a moment before releasing it.

He didn’t tell her that she had convinced him to accept his family deal.

Otherwise, with his stubborn personality, he would have resisted until the end. And he would be forever thankful for that.

In his younger days, he had been hellbent on fighting back, trying to prove himself and gain honor for his mother, who had supported him.

He had wanted to show those who threw him away that he didn’t need them and could be successful without them anyway.

But the girl in front of him had sincerely advised him to take the hand offered to him and use it to build himself up.

To show them that even without the same starting line, he was talented enough to rise to the top and to make them regret ever turning their back to him.

And yet, she didn’t remember a thing.