Night Carved Paths Into Silence by Zyrel Ash 36
Chapter 36
“What happened? Did she damage her brain?”
Roderick frowned at the phrasing.
“She says she has amnesia. Only remembers the days before
she turned eighteen.”
“Amnesia…”
Bradley’s brow furrowed. “It happens, usually short–term, from
trauma. How long?”
“A few days.”
“No way,” Bradley muttered, skepticism written all over his face.
Seeing Roderick’s genuine concern, he gripped his arm. “Listen,
man, has it occurred to you she might be playing you?”
As Roderick’s expression darkened, Bradley pressed on.
“Look, it’s not that I’m biased against her. I get why you had a
thing for the old Madeleine. She was beautiful, smart, came
from a good family, basically everyone’s campus crush back
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then. But you’ve seen how she’s been acting these years.”
He put his hands on his hips, exasperated.
“She’s been throwing herself at someone else. How much
clearer does she need to make it?
“This is an act. She’s pretending to be the girl you fell for so
you’ll let her get away with everything again.”
Bradley’s rant continued, but Roderick barely heard him,
latching onto one thing.
“Lots of people liked her at school?”
“Well, yeah…”
“Did you?”
Roderick’s gaze turned to ice.
Bradley stared, dumbfounded.
“Are you for real? Now?”
“Just answer. Did you like her back then?” Roderick’s voice was
dangerously calm. “It’s a simple question.”
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Bradley was speechless.
He’d given up his day off for her check–up, only to get dragged
into their drama.
He threw his hands up in defeat.
“Fine. If so, I’ll give a simple answer. That dance she did at the junior high opening ceremony, remember? Yeah, I found her lovely back then.”
“Bradley!”
Roderick’s shout cut through the air, his eyes blazing.
Bradley jumped back, startled, patting his chest.
“Christ, man! Keep it down! That was a lifetime ago. It’s a sore
spot for me now.”
Across the room, Madeleine looked up from her conversation
with the intern, her expression now one of awe.
“Bradley, this is incredible! Direct entry PhD, all these papers…
Did your family stumble upon some incredible luck after you
switched schools?”
Bradley’s mouth twitched.
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“What the hell was that supposed to mean?” he wondered.
Under Roderick’s unrelenting glare, he coughed and called
Madeleine over for the consultation.
She sat down obediently, explaining her complete lack of
memory of the past eight years.
Bradley remained silent, his disbelief plain.
But as he watched her animatedly recount her fainting spell, he
hesitated.
She did seem different.
“Let’s get some scans. Maybe you head hit something when
you fell. We’ll start with a CT.”
He scribbled the orders and sent her off with the intern.
Once she was gone, Bradley turned back to Roderick.
“It wasn’t serious. We were kids. I just thought she was cute
and could dance.”
He gave a hollow laugh.
“Look at the women I date now. Nothing like your Madeleine.”
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It was true.
Bradley had been with plenty of women over the years. Now
successful in his career, by all accounts, he should have settled
down long ago, yet he never stayed with anyone for long.
There was just one thing all those women had in common: they
all looked strikingly similar.
“Let’s focus.”
Bradley cleared his throat and steered the conversation back on
track.
“The scans aren’t back, but traumatic amnesia is unlikely.”
He paused and lowered his voice. “My money’s on … she’s
faking.”
Roderick’s brow furrowed tighter, his knuckles unconsciously
tapping the desk. “Your reasons?”
“First, traumatic amnesia comes with brain injury. She has
none.”
Bradley flipped through the medical record, jotting something
down quickly. “Besides, clinically speaking, selective amnesia
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lasting exactly eight years is almost unheard of.”
Roderick’s face was thunderous. Bradley, familiar with his temper, recognized the warning signs. He was about to
explode.
He rubbed his nose.
“But it’s not impossible. The mysteries of the human body are far from fully understood. There’s a chance, however small. I’m
just saying this so you’re mentally prepared.”
Roderick lowered his gaze, his voice deep. “If she is pretending,
I hope she can keep it up for a lifetime.”
“Tch…”
Bradley rested his hands behind his head, sighing in frustration.
“Roddy, I don’t know if you’re a hopeless romantic or just
hopeless.”
He shook his head, his tone half–teasing, half–serious.
“Think it through. If she is faking, what’s her goal now? Regret?
Or does she have another scheme?”
Roderick was silent for a moment, then suddenly let out a cold
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laugh.
“It doesn’t matter.”
He lifted his gaze, his eyes burning with a fierce, stubborn light. “As long as she keeps performing, I’ll be her audience.”
Madeleine felt lightheaded after the series of tests, her
complexion pale from low blood sugar following the blood
draw.
“Eat this.”
Roderick handed her the lunchbox like a lifeline. She opened it
and gulped down the custard.
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Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella’s storytelling style is immersive and addictive—perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.