After what felt like an interminable wait, the door to the emergency room finally swung open, and the doctor stepped into the hallway. Steve immediately rushed forward, his heart pounding and voice filled with urgency.

"How is she? Is she alright? Please, tell me she's okay!"

The doctor removed his mask, revealing a slight, reassuring smile. "She's not in any immediate danger. She suffered a head injury and has a mild concussion. We've treated the wound, and she'll recover. However, she's still unconscious and will need to be monitored for a while to ensure there are no complications."

A wave of relief washed over Steve as if a massive weight had been lifted off his shoulders, releasing him from the grip of fear that had consumed him. He nodded gratefully, his voice shaky with emotion. "Thank you, thank you so much. I can't express how relieved I am."

Under the guidance of the medical staff, Steve was led to Nova's room. She lay quietly on the hospital bed, her face pale but her breathing steady and rhythmic. Steve sat down beside her, holding her hand tightly, his eyes filled with concern and tenderness. "Nova," he whispered softly, "I'm here with you."

Suddenly, Nova's fingers twitched slightly, and her eyelashes fluttered as if she were on the brink of waking. Slowly, her eyes opened, revealing a confused and disoriented gaze.

"Nova, you're awake!" Steve exclaimed, leaning in closer. His voice was filled with joy and palpable relief, his eyes lighting up with hope.

Nova blinked in confusion, slowly taking in her surroundings. Her eyes finally settled on Steve's face, and she frowned slightly. "Who are you? My head hurts, and I can't remember anything."

Steve was taken aback, his eyes widening in shock. "You've lost your memory? You don't remember anything? Not even me?"

Nova shook her head, her expression troubled. "I can't remember anything. So, who are you?"

Steve took a deep breath, trying to steady his voice. "I'm... I'm your boyfriend, Steve. You fell by the pool and hit your head, which is why you're in the hospital now."

Nova's brow furrowed as she processed his words, struggling to piece together the fragments of her memory. His explanation seemed to catch her off guard, but she didn't question it further, only nodding slightly as she tried to come to terms with the situation.

Over the next few days, Nova remained in the hospital, recovering under the watchful eyes of the medical staff. Steve stayed by her side the entire time, never leaving her alone for a moment.

"I'm sorry, but I still can't remember anything," Nova apologized, her voice tinged with frustration and helplessness.

"It should be me apologizing," Steve replied, his voice filled with regret.

"It's all my fault. I didn't protect you. If I had been more attentive, if I had reacted faster, you might not have been hurt." He handed her a peeled orange, trying to offer some comfort. "The doctor said you could be discharged today. As for your amnesia, there's not much they can do. It might come back in a few days, or it might not."

"Do you want me to regain my memory?" Nova asked, her voice soft and tentative.

Steve hesitated for a moment, then replied, "To be honest, I don't."

"Why not? Don't you want me to remember our past?" Nova asked.

"Even though we had a lot of beautiful moments, we also had our share of arguments and difficult times. I want to create new, romantic, and memorable experiences for you, so everything you remember will be wonderful. And every day in your memory will include me."

"That sounds romantic. Did I fall in love with you because of your romantic gestures?" Nova asked, a hint of a smile playing on her lips.

"Probably not," Steve chuckled. "Do you want the truth?"

"Of course."

"Honestly, I don't know. Strictly speaking, I used to be your sister's husband, but then I divorced her because I fell in love with you."

Nova's eyes widened in shock, her mouth falling open. "Oh my God! That's unbelievable!"

In just a few words, Steve had revealed a story that seemed too outrageous to be true, almost like a plot from a melodramatic novel.

"Do you want to hear the whole story?" Steve offered, a wry smile on his face.

"No, no, no," Nova quickly shook her head, leaning back as if to distance herself from the truth. "I hope I never remember. Please never tell me the details. It sounds like I was a terrible person, and I feel guilty."

Steve smiled softly, "I'm a terrible person too. We're a perfect match."

Nova recovered quickly, and a few days later, she was discharged from the hospital.

On the way back, Steve shared stories from their past: the places they'd visited, the "funny incidents" from their travels, and the silly things Nova did when she was drunk. Nova tried to keep a straight face, but she couldn't help but laugh at the memories. Steve watched her, a warm smile spreading across his face as he saw her joy.

"We're here," Steve announced as he parked the car.

"Wow, this place is beautiful," Nova exclaimed, looking around with wide eyes. "The flower beds, the fountain, and..." she pointed to a particularly short tree, "why is this tree so much shorter than the others?"

"Oh, that's Matthew," Steve explained with a chuckle.

"Did you name every tree?" Nova asked, curiosity piqued.

"Of course not. Only Matthew has a name. And you named him," Steve clarified.

"I named a tree?" Nova asked, incredulous.

Steve nodded, "Yes, Matthew is your ex-boyfriend's name. Every time you got drunk, you'd come here and curse at Matthew, kicking and punching him. Over time, Matthew suffered both physical and emotional abuse, so he ended up smaller than the other trees. And..."

"Hey, Steve, that's enough," Nova interrupted, laughing. "I admit it, I was pretending all along. I never lost my memory."

Steve looked at her, surprised but amused. "I thought you'd keep it up longer."

Nova sighed, a soft smile on her lips. "I was afraid you'd come up with more outrageous stories."

"When did you find out?" Nova asked, his curiosity piqued.

"I knew you were faking it from the start." Steve replied.

"Oh, come on. How did you figure it out? I thought I did a pretty good job," Nova asked, genuinely curious.

"You had too many holes in your story from the beginning. You never questioned what I said, and you easily accepted my ridiculous stories. If someone were hospitalized, they'd have relatives or friends visiting. But you didn't seem curious about why only I was there for you until you were discharged."

"So why didn't you expose me?" Nova asked.

"Maybe I wanted this false relationship to last a little longer," Steve looked at her deeply, his eyes filled with emotion. "When you woke up and asked me what our relationship was, I lied and said I was your boyfriend. At that moment, I wasn't joking. I subconsciously wanted us to be in that kind of relationship. I even hoped you had amnesia so that, over time, you would fall in love with me."

Nova looked at Steve, her eyes filled with a mixture of emotions. "I..."

Steve gently took her hand, his touch warm and reassuring. "Nova, let me finish. If love is built on lies, it will eventually collapse like a house without a foundation. There's something I've been hiding from you. I know who you really are, I mean, who you were before you lost your memory. And you have a fiancé."

To Steve's surprise, Nova remained calm, her expression serene. "So, my real name is Evelyn, right?"

Steve was taken aback, his eyes widening. "You knew all along? Did you regain your memory?"

Nova shook her head: "Not exactly. I found a photo you had hidden—of billionaire Liam and his fiancée, Evelyn. I look exactly like the woman in the photo, more like twins than actual twins. It was hard not to suspect I was her. And I found past news articles, which said Evelyn had an accident on the same day we met. There can't be that many coincidences. Also, they didn't get married and haven't appeared in public, confirming my suspicions—I must be Evelyn."

Steve listened silently, feeling a wave of complex emotions wash over him. He felt a strange mixture of relief and sadness, unsure of how to react.

"And as for you, you look a lot like Liam, so you must be the renowned business genius of the Montgomery family, Steve Montgomery, who disappeared from public view after a car accident. I admit that people's appearances can change, but not drastically after reaching adulthood, right?"

"That's correct," Steve nodded, feeling a sense of relief that the truth was finally out.

Nova continued, her voice calm and steady. "At first, I thought you had kidnapped me to use me as a hostage to gain something from Liam, considering his wealth. As for my amnesia, I thought it was either from some injury or a drug. But after spending time with you, I didn't think you'd do such a thing."

Steve felt a surge of guilt and sadness as he listened to her words. "So, Nova—no, Evelyn—I'm sincerely sorry for hiding the truth from you. No matter how you decide to deal with me, I won't complain. Are you going to look for Liam now?"

Nova looked at him, her expression softening. "I don't like the name Evelyn; call me Nova. You're such an idiot. If I wanted to leave, I would have done it long ago. Why would I wait until now? I don't want to continue someone else's life. Evelyn's life has nothing to do with me. I choose to be Nova, and I choose you."

Hearing these words, Steve felt a wave of joy and emotion. He gazed deeply into Nova's eyes, their gazes locking, filled with a deep and mutual understanding.

Nova stood on her tiptoes and gently kissed Steve. Steve tenderly caressed her face, his touch warm and gentle, and softly returned the kiss.