The Crown Prince's Love
Chapter 59

~Randy~

The insistent pounding in my head jolted me awake from a restless slumber.

Each throb felt like a solo drum performance, echoing through my skull.

As I tried to make sense of it, the curtain opened, welcoming the morning light into my room.

I groaned, rubbing my eyes, and as they fluttered open, the realization hit me, I was back in my room at the royal home.

Then, as if my head wasn't already protesting enough, Noah's voice cut through the haze. "Randy! Time to rise and shine! College is calling, and we can't miss the start of this semester."

At the mention of college, I bolted upright, memories flooding back, the revelation about Desmond, the decisions made, and then the blackout. Gasping, I rose from the bed.

"Desmond," I murmured, hoping my reset had worked.

Rushing to my desk, I rifled through photos, my heart racing.

Closing my eyes, I wished fervently for everything to have changed when I opened them.

Among the frozen snapshots of birthdays and family gatherings, there was no trace of Desmond. Just Noah, Sonnia, our parents, and me.

"He's not here," I muttered, still unsure if the reset had worked.

I turned to Noah, seeking confirmation.

"Noah," I blurted, his confusion evident.

"Do you remember Desmond?"

Frowning, he shook his head. "Who are you talking about?"

"Him!" I exclaimed, describing Desmond as vividly as I could. "Remember now?"

Again, a shake of his head. "I don't remember anyone named Desmond, but the only Desmond I know is your sworn enemy. Get dressed, everyone's waiting. Even your girlfriend." "Girlfriend?" I echoed, stunned.

"You're forgetting you have a girlfriend?"

Noah's concern grew.

"Who is she?" I asked, bewildered.

"If you're messing around, stop it!" Noah's frustration flared.

My phone rang, interrupting us.

I grabbed it, seeing a picture of me kissing Ana as the wallpaper.

The phone slipped from my hand.

Gasping, I fled the room, Noah's voice trailing behind me.

I raced to the living room where, as Noah had said, Sonnia, Ana, and my mother awaited.

Ana stood and hugged me.

"Randy!" Her voice rang out. "You've been asleep for so long. We have to get back to school today."

I stared at her, hoping desperately it was all a dream.

Standing before me was Ana, someone who had always favored Desmond, now close and hugging me.

Her smile didn't make sense.

What's going on?

"Randy!" My mother's voice snapped me back. "Time." She gestured to the wall clock, drawing my attention. It was past eight in the morning.

"What month is it?" I inquired.

They exchanged glances, their silence unsettling.

Ana tried to be affectionate, attempting to link her arms around me, but I recoiled. "Randy," she murmured.

Confusion clouded me. I should have been repulsed by her touch, but strangely, I didn't mind it.

She wasn't my girlfriend before, yet according to Noah and her behavior, we were close. "Please, I..." I faltered, unable to replace the right words, realizing they had all forgotten about Desmond and me.

Just a day ago, Desmond and I had discovered shocking news about our exposed secrets.

I had attempted to reset everything, but it seemed to have made things worse. "What month is it?" I pressed, scratching my head.

"It's February, you silly boy," Sonnia scoffed.

"Did you hit your head or something to forget the month?"

"February," I muttered, walking away while mentally calculating.

"Where are you going?" Ana shouted after me. "If you're headed to the bathroom, hurry up before we're late for class!"

I disregarded her, my mind was consumed with thoughts. It was already February, meaning Desmond had turned twenty, two months back.

"Where could he be?" I muttered to myself.

"Is he okay?" I rushed to my room, picked up my cracked phone from the ground, and fortunately, the screen was intact.

I searched for Desmond online but found nothing. After a few futile attempts, I hurried into the bathroom.

As I faced the faucet, staring at myself in the mirror, I appeared unchanged from hours ago, while everyone else seemed drastically different, as if life had rewritten itself.

I splashed water on my face, pondering the decisions I may or may not have made.

Realizing my siblings and Ana awaited me, and with the possibility of Desmond being at the royal academy, I hurried to take my bath, dressed in a white shirt and blue jeans, the first attire I laid my hands on. Exiting, we bid our parents goodbye and entered the black van with my siblings and Ana.