That night, the rain poured heavily, blurring vision and drowning out screams. Nathaniel Kingsley gripped the steering wheel tighter as his luxury car cut through the storm. He never expected a bloodied woman to suddenly yank open his car door and collapse into the passenger seat.
"Help... me..."
Her whisper was barely audible before she passed out. Blood seeped from a gunshot wound on her arm, and a deep gash marked her temple. Nate's fingers froze on the wheel.
Just drive away, his instincts warned. This reeks of trouble.
But the memory of his best friend, who died on the roadside years ago because no one stopped, flashed through his mind. Jaw clenched, he swerved toward his private clinic instead of the hospital.
Little did he know, this encounter would change their fates.
Two days later, the woman woke up.
Her eyelashes fluttered, revealing striking amber eyes clouded with confusion.
"Where... am I?" Her voice was hoarse as she touched her bandaged head, wincing in pain.
"Finally awake." A handsome man with cold blue eyes stood in the doorway, arms crossed as he studied her.
Her gaze shifted to him. "You... who are you? Did you save me?"
"I should be asking the questions," Nate countered, stepping closer. "What's your name? How did you end up this badly hurt?"
The woman opened her mouth, then clutched her head, shaking it slowly. She couldn't remember. Trying to recall only made the pain worse.
"Aghh... my head hurts," she muttered.
"I... don't remember. It hurts when I try—"
"Enough with the act." Nate's patience thinned. "Give me a family contact. My driver will take you home."
She flinched at his tone but shook her head helplessly. "I don't... know."
Nate scoffed. "Once you're healed, leave. I don't babysit strangers." He turned to go. He'd met too many people who exploited pity for their own gain.
But fate had other plans.
The next night, while wandering alone to clear her mind, the amnesiac woman witnessed a brutal mugging.
A middle-aged woman screamed, clutching her bag tightly. Without thinking, the amnesiac lunged forward to help.
Sssst!
The robber's knife slashed her arm, but she managed to fight him off.
"Thank... you..." gasped the rescued woman, collapsing into her arms. She pressed a bag into the amnesiac's hands.
"Take... my life..." she whispered before her last breath.
Inside the bag, the amnesiac found an ID under the name Jasmine Winslow, a certified nanny, along with an assignment letter to work at Kingsley Mansion.
"She was a nanny," the amnesiac murmured, planning to head to the address and explain the truth.
Meanwhile, the Kingsley household was in chaos. The nanny promised by the agency never arrived.
That evening, the woman Nate had saved stood at their doorstep.
"Who are you?" asked Mrs. Wilkins, the Kingsley housekeeper.
"I... Uh, it's not important. I came because of this." The amnesiac handed over the letter from Jasmine's bag.
"Ah, Miss Winslow! We've been expecting you!" Mrs. Wilkins greeted warmly.
The amnesiac—now mistaken for Jasmine—frowned. A nanny? She'd only come to deliver the news. What kind of twist of fate is this?
"Call me Mrs. Wilkins. I'm the head housekeeper here." The older woman smiled kindly, though her tone held authority.
She led "Jasmine" to meet the master of the house.
"Sir, the nanny for young Master Liam and Miss Hazel is here."
The man called "Sir" turned around, a whiskey glass in his hand reflecting the fireplace's glow. His sharp blue eyes widened when he recognized the woman he'd saved days earlier.
"You?"
"Jasmine" (or whoever she really was) swallowed hard. The man who'd rescued her was now her employer.
"We've... met before," she whispered to herself, trembling hands clutching Jasmine Winslow's bag.
Nate narrowed his eyes. "You're the nanny from Golden Care Agency?"
Before she could answer, two children rushed in.
A curly-haired boy with the same brown hair as his father jumped forward. He was about seven years old and his eyes sparkled with curiosity. Behind him, a shy little girl with blonde braids peeked out while hugging a teddy bear.
"Are you our new nanny?" the boy asked innocently.
The woman froze. Her lips parted, but no words came out. She knew she should clear up the misunderstanding, but the hopeful look in the girl's eyes made her heart heavy.
Nate studied her hesitation carefully. "Mrs. Wilkins, please take the children to the playroom. I need to speak with Ms. Winslow alone."
After they left, Nate stepped closer, his voice low and dangerous. "What's your game? You said you didn't remember anything, yet here you are, showing up as my children's nanny."
"No, I'm not Jasmine Winslow," she said quickly, her voice shaking. "I helped her when she was dying. She gave me this bag before she died. I just want it back."
Nate checked the employment letter from the agency and Jasmine's ID card. The photo was definitely not of her.
"Then why didn't you explain right away?"
"I...don't know." Mrs. Wilkins thought I was her. And when I saw the children—"
"You think this is a joke?" Nate's jaw tightened. "I'm not letting a stranger near my family."
He reached for his cell phone. "I'm calling the police. Let them find out who you really are."
Suddenly, the little girl ran in, tears streaming. "Daddy! Liam fell from the climbing frame!"
Nate paled, dropping his phone as he sprinted out. Without thinking, "Jasmine" followed.
Liam lay limp at the base of the unfinished climbing frame, his knees and elbows bleeding. Nate lifted him, panic-stricken.
"Daddy, it hurts..." Liam whimpered.
Jasmine snatched the first-aid kit from the wall. With swift movements, she cleaned and bandaged his wounds. Her hands were skilled, as if she had done this before.
Nate watched in disbelief. "You're trained?"
She paused, as if surprised herself. "I...don't know. But it feels familiar."
After the woman claiming to be Jasmine gave Liam first aid, the family doctor quickly treated him.
"Will Liam be okay?" Liam's twin sister asked, tears streaming down her face.
"Of course, sweetheart," Nate replied, hugging his daughter tightly.
"Hmm... I should go. Thank you for helping me," said the woman with her new identity, turning to leave.
Suddenly, though, Nate's daughter grabbed her sleeve. "You're staying, right? Please don't go."