Thirty minutes before Mike arrived – 3rd Floor, VIP Lounge
Mike and Matteo stood side by side, gazing out through the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the restaurant entrance below.
"Are you sure he's already back from Gallia?" Matteo asked coldly.
"You know whose restaurant this is?" Mike replied. "It belongs to his girlfriend's family. According to my source, he's supposed to have dinner here tonight with her and her relatives. Sounds like they're discussing engagement."
"So this is the plan you mentioned? To test Mia?"
"Exactly. If she's pretending to have amnesia, seeing him will expose her. She might act like she doesn't remember anyone—even Alexius, her childhood friend—but Nelson? That's a whole different story. Don't forget how she tried to take her own life several times because of him."
"I just worry we might trigger something serious in her," Matteo said with a frown.
Mike chuckled and looked around to make sure no one else was nearby. He stepped closer and whispered near Matteo's ear, amusement dancing in his eyes.
"Really? You're worried about her? Weren't you the one who tried to poison her before?"
"You…!" Matteo's jaw clenched.
***
Not long after they tried to make me throw up—which I just couldn't do—my body began to react. It started with a light itch on my arm, so I scratched it gently. But the itching quickly got worse, spreading across my skin like wildfire.
Only Matteo and Mike stayed by my side. Dr. Leon had already rushed outside to wait for the ambulance.
"Don't scratch, Mia. You'll hurt yourself," Matteo said, gripping my wrist tightly.
But it itched so badly. Not just my arm—my whole body started to burn with that unbearable feeling. I squirmed, trying to move my hands, but Matteo wouldn't let go.
"Let go… it's so itchy," I whimpered, tears prickling at the corners of my eyes.
"Hold on," he said, gripping tighter as my skin turned red beneath his hands.
Then it got worse. My throat started to swell, and breathing became difficult. I gasped for air, panic rising in my chest.
"I can't breathe…" I croaked, collapsing forward. Matteo caught me just in time.
"Breathe, Mia. Look at me. Inhale… exhale. Just like that," he said urgently, his voice tight with worry.
"It… hurts," I whispered through shallow, painful breaths.
"I'll carry her," Mike said, crouching in front of me. Matteo helped lift me onto his back, and Mike took off quickly toward the elevator.
By now, angry red patches had appeared on my skin. My body itched, my chest felt tight, and with every jolt of Mike's movement, I felt like I might fall. Tears streamed down my cheeks. Matteo ran beside us, steadying me so I wouldn't slip off.
Each second in the elevator felt like an eternity. I was weak, too weak to hold on anymore. My limbs went limp.
"Mia! Stay awake! Don't sleep!" Matteo's voice echoed in my ears, sharp with panic.
But I couldn't fight it anymore. The itching, the pain, the fear—everything came crashing down on me like a tidal wave. My vision blurred, my eyes rolled back, and darkness swallowed me whole.
"Mia! Wake up! Mia!" Matteo shouted.
***
The ambulance arrived just as we reached the ground floor.
"What happened?" Leon asked, looking genuinely concerned.
"She collapsed. We have to move fast—she could go into shock," Mike said urgently.
Not far away, a young woman in a stunning red gown turned to a waiter.
"What's going on? Why did the ambulance come?" she asked.
"It seems a customer collapsed from a seafood allergy, miss," the waiter replied politely. She recognized her as one of her higher-ups.
"Oh no, that sounds serious!" the woman said. She turned to the tall man standing behind her. "Nelson, I think we need to postpone tonight's dinner. I need to handle this first."
"Go ahead. I understand," he said with a small smile. "I have work anyway. I'll leave first."
As he turned to go, his expression darkened. The soft smile disappeared and his brow furrowed deeply.
"Mia Isabella…" he whispered under his breath.
***
Outside the VIP ward, three men stood facing each other—Matteo, Leon, and Alexius—the top three most handsome doctors in the entire hospital. They looked more like movie stars than physicians, but right now, their expressions were tense and grim.
From a distance, a group of VIP ward nurses peeked from around the corner, whispering and snapping discreet photos to send to their group chat. Everyone was wondering what had happened.
"Tell us the truth, Alex," Matteo said. "Mia told us she didn't need treatment for her amnesia—that her memories would return naturally. Is that true?"
Alexius snorted. "She said that? That little liar. Of course it's not true. I offered her several treatment options, but she rejected every single one. Said she preferred to wait for it to come back on its own."
"I knew it," Leon said, amused. "She's a terrible liar. I can read her like a book just by looking at her face."
"So what now? Do we force her to take the treatment?" Leon asked.
"Not now," Matteo replied. "She just survived a car accident. Now she nearly died from an allergy. Forcing her would only traumatize her more."
Alexius nodded. "You're right. Let's wait until she recovers physically. Then we'll try again."
***
"I was gone for just a few days and something already happened to her!" Martin's voice rang out in anger. "How could you guys let this happen? Were you even watching her?"
He had rushed home on an early flight after hearing about Mia's allergic reaction. His face was tight with worry and frustration. Especially after waiting for a total of three days and she still did not wake up.
"Big brother, it's my fault. I ordered the food," Matteo admitted. "But I didn't think she would eat it. I'm sorry."
"You all said you wanted to test her—see if she was really faking the memory loss, right?" Martin snapped. "Well, now you have proof. She didn't even remember her own seafood allergy. Do you still want to argue?"
"We believe her now, big brother," Mike said quietly. "There's no need for more tests. This time… we were really wrong."
Martin sighed. His voice softened, but his gaze stayed firm. "Good. Just take care of her properly from now on. She's our only sister—the first girl in five generations of the Ceneric family. We have a duty to protect her."
"Yes, big brother. We understand."
Four days later, I finally woke up from my deep slumber.
Same white ceiling. Same white walls. Same white blanket. It felt like déjà vu. For a few moments, my brain struggled to process what had happened.
Then it hit me—I collapsed from an allergic reaction… after eating shrimp. Of all things, shrimp. Just my luck. Why didn't I just die and go back to my original world? I'm so tired of this endless drama.
What kind of story did I fall into? A tragic romance? A twisted family drama?
Whatever it is, I'm definitely not the female lead. Maybe I'm just a side character. Or worse—a cannon fodder villainess destined for a bad ending.
Forget it. Let's just go back to sleep and avoid everything. I don't want to deal with reality…
Or all those guys.
"You're awake," a voice said gently beside me.
I turned my head slightly. It was him—Alexius. Sitting by the bed in his crisp white doctor's coat, looking like he'd stepped straight out of a magazine ad. That's probably why I didn't notice him earlier.
"How do you feel? Still in pain?" he asked, standing up like some perfect gentleman.
His soft pink eyes never left mine.
"I— cough cough" My throat burned. I couldn't speak properly. It felt raw and dry.
"That's okay. Don't force yourself. Here, drink some water." He helped lift me slightly and held the cup to my lips.
"Need anything else?" he asked gently. "Just signal with your fingers. I'll get it for you."
My heart fluttered a little, but I quickly shook my head. I did need something—badly. I needed to pee. But there was no way I'd admit that to him.
Come on, Mia. Hold it in. Preserve your image. You're already pathetic enough.
"Hmm? Your face says otherwise. You really need something, don't you?" He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. How could he tell from just my expression?
What is he, a mind-reader? A shaman in disguise?
I shook my head harder. No way I'm telling you I need to pee!
Just then, the door swung open.
"What's going on? Mia, you're awake!" Mike rushed in with long strides, his face lighting up with relief.
Right behind him came my eldest brother, Martin, and of course, the shrimp saboteur himself—Matteo.
I gave them a small nod while silently praying – Please, please, Mia… hold it in a bit longer.
"What happened? Are you feeling sick anywhere?" Mike asked, worried.
"Just a sore throat," Alexius answered for me. "But she does need something. She won't tell me what, though. Maybe she'll tell you guys."
"Mia," Mike said, crouching by the bed. "Do you need anything? Don't worry, just point to it—I'll get it for you."
I shook my head again. No way. I'm not going to die of embarrassment like this.
Mike turned helplessly to Martin and Matteo. "She won't tell me. What should we do?"
"Let me try," Matteo said, stepping forward.
He leaned in, bowing a little so we were eye-to-eye.
"Just say it. What do you want?" His tone was calm, but I could feel the subtle threat in it. This guy… he's totally trying to intimidate me!
Still, I shook my head—firmly.
"HAHAHA— This girl," Matteo said, chuckling. "She's getting good at keeping secrets. Your turn, big brother."
Martin, quiet as always, stepped forward and took Matteo's place. He leaned down to meet my eyes, his voice low and calm. "You can tell me anything, Mia. I promise I'll keep it a secret."
Finally, I gave a small nod and motioned for him to come closer. When he leaned in, I whispered in his ear, "I really need to pee. Please help me, eldest brother…"
His expression twitched—just a little—and his ears turned a faint shade of red. But he still nodded like a true knight, protecting my dignity.
Then he turned around and faced the others with a straight face.
"She needs to pee. Everyone, leave the room."
MARTIN!!!