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The threat
The drive home felt uncomfortably silent as the couple stared out through the tinted windows, each lost in their own thoughts. Despite the simmering tension, neither spoke.
Abruptly, a phone rang, shattering the quiet. Mia’s hand delved into her pocket, and as her eyes met the caller ID, her heart skipped a beat. What awaited her this time?
Shawn noticed his wife’s body tense beside him, prompting him to cast a concerned glance her way. What was the issue this time? Perhaps her father? He observed as her trembling hand swiped the answer icon, bringing the phone to her ear.C0ntent © 2024 (N/ô)velDrama.Org.
“Hello,” her voice rasped in a whisper.
As Mia absorbed the words from the other end, her eyes widened in astonishment. “Wh-what did you just say?!” She exclaimed.
Shawn’s brows furrowed as he observed her unexpected delight.
A few seconds later, she burst into an elated chuckle. “I’ll be right there. I’ll be there now!”
The call ended abruptly.
“Can you please head to HK Hospital?” She rushed out immediately.
The chauffeur sought approval from the CEO through the rearview mirror. A nod from Shawn, and the vehicle swiftly executed a U-turn.
Shawn observed the girl tapping her feet impatiently, her honey brown eyes twinkling like stars in the night sky.
In no time, the car pulled up right in front of the hospital, and before one could blink, the girl had already hopped out of the car.
Though still upset with the man, she muttered, “You don’t need to wait up,” before vanishing into the hospital.
Shawn observed through the tinted glass window as Little One hurried away on unsteady legs, clearly a bit tipsy.
Massaging his temple with his fingertips, he retrieved his phone from his chest pocket and dialed a number.
“Don’t lose her.” After issuing the command, he ended the call.
A final glance at the hospital entrance, then he instructed the chauffeur, “Drive.”
With Jasper watching over her, he could depart.
Yet, who did Little One have in the hospital? As Shawn Mandez pondered this, his cellphone pinged, indicating a received message.
Unlocking his phone, he noticed the message was from an unsaved number. Initially, he considered putting the phone back in his pocket, but a nagging feeling prompted him to check the message. So, he clicked on it.
The message ominously read: “She will die the same way your mother did.”
Shawn’s blood boiled, and his eyes flashed bloodshot red instantly. What did this message mean? He knew precisely who the messenger was referring to-Mia.
Despite the strong urge to turn the car around, he resisted.
Instead, he dialed Jasper again, and the man answered promptly.
“Don’t ever let her out of your sight. And don’t you dare drink and drive.” The Big Boss’ tone carried a serious warning, sending shivers down Jasper’s spine on the other side of the phone. “Yes, Boss,” he responded immediately.
The call concluded.
For the first time in months, fear gripped the CEO.
Ten years ago, his mother had relocated to the States and only came home occasionally during celebrations. She led a low-key life, to the extent that people didn’t even know what she looked like.
Three years ago, for his 26th birthday, Jennifer Mandez, Shawn’s mother, had returned home from the States without his knowledge. She aimed to catch her son by surprise.
Little did she know she was going to meet her end that day…
She died in a car accident caused by a drunk driver. Shawn’s head throbbed as he revisited the heart-wrenching memory.
Having lost enough people, the prospect of losing Mia seemed utterly disastrous.
—
Back at HK Hospital.
Mia darted into the elevator, making a beeline for her designated floor. The doors slid open, and she hastened down the hallway. Upon reaching MICU 1, Ward 3, she took a deep breath and delicately turned the doorknob.
Approaching the woman’s bedspace, she observed a doctor and several nurses conducting check-ups on the patient.
Tears glistened in Mia’s eyes, and her heart thumped loudly. As she came to a halt beside the bed and saw that the woman had indeed awakened from a coma, she gasped, tears of joy streaming down her cheeks. Oh, it had been so long.
“Hi, Mom,” she whispered, gently taking the patient’s hand in hers and stroking it.
The woman on the hospital bed, however, simply gazed blankly at the girl who had just walked in.
The doctor turned to face Mia, “Congratulations,” smiling.
The girl sniffled, “Thank you, Doctor.”
He nodded, glancing at the patient.
After a few seconds, he asked, “Do you recognize her, Ma’am?”
Gazing intently at Mia, the woman slowly shook her head.
Mia blinked rapidly. Huh? The excitement on her face vanished instantly, replaced by uneasiness.
The doctor nodded and turned to Mia again, “Please, come with me.”
Reluctantly, she gently let go of the woman’s hand and followed the doctor out of the ward, leaving the nurses behind to continue the check-up.
Outside the ward…
“Congratulations, once again,” the doctor smiled warmly.
“Thank you…”
He cleared his throat and continued, “You see, Miss, you’re well aware that your mom has been in a coma for a very long time. It’s a wonder how she’s survived this long and even woken up…”
The girl nodded. Where was the doctor headed? Was something wrong somewhere?
“Well, just now, your mother didn’t recognize you…” He paused, “Before you arrived, I asked her a few questions… She seems perfectly alright-except that,” he paused again, “she doesn’t know who she is.”
The hallway fell completely silent after the doctor finished his last sentence.
Mia tilted her head to the side, carefully assimilating the man’s words. She didn’t understand what he was saying; it was as if the doctor was speaking gibberish.
“You see, we ran some tests on her, and it seems like your mom is suffering from retrograde amnesia due to the accident. I know this might come as a shock to you, but she doesn’t remember anything or anyone-not even her name-for now.”
“I’m not sure how long it’s going to take, but trust me, she’ll regain her memory. It might take a couple of days, a few weeks, months, or even years, but she’ll recover her memories. It’s not something to fret about-it’s nothing too serious, I assure you.”
“For now, let’s just see how it goes. Congratulations.”
And with that, the doctor nodded politely and headed down the hallway.
Mia was dumbfounded.
Left standing alone in the hallway, hot tears streamed down her face. ‘She doesn’t remember anything?’ Not even her?
She had only heard of and seen things like this in movies…
How…
After a while, she wiped her tears with the back of her hand and slowly dragged her feet back into the ward, sitting on the chair near the patient.
The nurses had finished their tasks and soon took their leave.
The ward became dead silent. Mia and the patient simply gazed at each other in silence, as if studying each other.
Well, Mia knew she had to be grateful. Her mother wasn’t dead. She was alive, and the doctor also confirmed she would recover her memory with time.
She was grateful.
In no time, the woman drifted off to sleep while Mia sat and kept watch over her through the night. During this time, she browsed ‘retrograde amnesia’ online, gathering as much knowledge as she needed about the illness.