Chapter 1: Untitled

THE BILLIONAIRE WHO FORGOT ME

CHAPTER ONE — THE MAN WHO DIDN’T REMEMBER

The first time Amara Williams saw Daniel Cole again, she almost dropped the tray in her hands.

It had been three years.

Three years since she had walked away from him.

Three years since she had promised herself that she would never see his face again.

Three years since she had cried herself to sleep almost every night, wondering whether leaving him had been the biggest mistake of her life.

And now he was standing less than twenty feet away from her.

Alive.

Successful.

More intimidating than she remembered.

And completely unaware that she existed.

Amara stood frozen in the middle of the crowded hotel ballroom, staring at the man who had once known everything about her.

Daniel Cole.

The youngest billionaire in the city.

CEO of Cole International.

The man whose name appeared on magazine covers almost every week.

The man women fought to get close to.

The man Amara had once loved more than anything.

Her fingers tightened around the tray.

“Miss?”

A waiter beside her touched her shoulder.

“You're blocking the way.”

Amara quickly moved.

“Sorry.”

She lowered her eyes, hoping Daniel hadn't noticed her.

He hadn't.

At least, she thought he hadn't.

Daniel stood near the stage surrounded by businessmen and reporters. He wore a perfectly fitted dark suit, his expression calm and distant as people spoke to him.

He looked different.

Older.

Colder.

More powerful.

But his eyes were still the same.

That was what hurt the most.

Amara looked away.

She shouldn't have come here.

She had only taken the temporary catering job because she desperately needed the money.

She hadn't known that Cole International was hosting the event.

She certainly hadn't known Daniel would be there.

“Amara?”

She turned.

Her friend, Sophie, hurried toward her.

“What are you doing?”

Amara forced a smile.

“Working.”

“No, I mean why are you staring at Daniel Cole like you've seen a ghost?”

“I haven't.”

Sophie glanced toward Daniel.

Then back at Amara.

“You look pale.”

“I'm fine.”

“You don't look fine.”

Amara placed the tray on a nearby table.

“I need some air.”

She turned toward the exit.

But before she could take three steps, a voice stopped her.

“Excuse me.”

Amara froze.

She knew that voice.

Slowly, she turned.

Daniel was standing behind her.

His eyes were fixed on her.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Amara's heart hammered against her chest.

Daniel studied her face with a strange expression.

Not recognition.

Confusion.

Almost curiosity.

“Have we met before?”

Amara felt something inside her break.

She forced herself to smile.

“No.”

Daniel continued staring.

“You look familiar.”

“I'm sure you see hundreds of people every day.”

“That's true.”

He paused.

“But I don't usually forget faces.”

Amara swallowed.

“You must be mistaken.”

Daniel's eyes narrowed slightly.

“What's your name?”

She hesitated.

“Amara.”

“Amara…”

He repeated the name slowly.

Something about the way he said it made her chest tighten.

Then a man approached them.

“Mr. Cole, the reporters are waiting.”

Daniel looked away from her.

“I'll be there.”

The man nodded and walked off.

Daniel turned back to Amara.

“I hope we meet again.”

Amara's heart sank.

“You won't.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“What?”

She immediately corrected herself.

“I mean… I'm only working here tonight.”

Daniel gave her one last curious look before walking away.

Amara watched him disappear into the crowd.

Then she whispered to herself,

“He really doesn't remember me.”

Three years earlier…

Amara had been twenty-one when she first met Daniel.

Back then, he wasn't yet the billionaire everyone feared.

He was simply Daniel.

The stubborn man who would show up at her university with coffee because he knew she hated studying without it.

The man who remembered her favorite songs.

The man who used to call her whenever he couldn't sleep.

The man who had once told her,

“I'll choose you even when everyone else tells me not to.”

Amara had believed him.

She had believed every word.

Until the night everything changed.

Her father's company had collapsed.

Millions were lost.

Her family was threatened.

And someone had given her a choice.

Leave Daniel…

or watch him lose everything.

She had chosen to leave.

Without explaining.

Without saying goodbye.

She had disappeared from his life overnight.

At least, that was what she thought.

Until six months later, she heard the news.

Daniel had been involved in a serious accident.

He survived.

But according to the reports, he had suffered a traumatic brain injury.

Amara had wanted