I'd been sulking for days, still angry at Martin— the betrayal. I made a silent vow never to trust him again.
And don't even get me started on Matteo, that psycho. He wouldn't stop joking about that incident. The moment he walked into my hospital room, the first thing he asked was, "Do you need to go pee?"
Seriously?! Hateful. Completely beyond forgiveness.
One evening, as the sky outside turned gold, I turned to Mike, who had just brought me some warm soup. "Where's the third brother? I haven't seen him in a while," I asked, trying to sound casual—though in truth, I'd been wondering for days.
Not that I missed him. Honestly, I hoped he never showed up. I told myself.
"Oh, Mikael?" Mike replied. "He's gone overseas. He's investigating a case about a rare kind of drug. I don't know all the details, but… it's the same type that was found in your body, Mia."
I nearly jumped out of bed. "What?! What are you talking about?! When did I ever take drugs?!"
Mike blinked. "Oh… right. Maybe it was before the accident. You might not remember."
Then it hit me like a truck. Of course it wasn't me. It was the original Mia. She must have been the one who took the drug before I took over her body.
Mike quickly raised his hands, trying to calm me down. "Relax, Mia. I'm not accusing you of anything. Let me explain."
I stared at him, still in shock.
"Eldest brother suspected someone might have drugged you on purpose the night of the accident. So he asked Mikael to investigate. So far, he found out that the substance in your system was extremely rare—almost like a prototype or a new drug that hasn't hit the market yet. That's why Mikael went overseas to dig deeper."
"Seriously…?" I whispered, my voice trembling. "So what does this mean? Am I going to… turn into a drug addict? Oh my God—Mike, help me!"
Mike reached out and gently patted my hand. "Don't panic. I asked Matteo about it. He said the amount in your system was very small. It wasn't enough to cause dependency or damage."
I narrowed my eyes. "Are you sure we can trust Matteo?"
Mike nodded, more confident this time. "I believe him."
I exhaled sharply, finally letting out the breath I'd been holding. I still didn't fully trust Matteo—he was too unpredictable. But if Mike said so, I'd believe it. After all, he was a doctor.
The next day, I was cleared to be discharged after Dr. Leon gave me the final checkup. I didn't want to waste any time so I packed my things early, already dressed and waiting.
Alexius had promised to take me home during his break.
He'd visited me every single day, bringing gifts to keep me entertained—an iPad, books, even an old MP4 player. He also brought snacks and always asked before leaving, "Are you craving anything today?"
If someone asked me to vote for the most caring guy I've ever met, Alexius would easily take first place. Mike would come in second without a doubt.
Caspian? Maybe he still has a chance to earn a spot. As for the others? They're not even in the list—and they never will be.
***
Just down the corridor, two nurses were busy gossiping.
"I asked around why Dr. Alexius from psychiatry keeps coming to VIP room 7 every day," whispered the first nurse to her friend. "Turns out, she's his childhood friend. You know what, she was the younger daughter of the Ceneric family. Also, Dr. Matteo's younger sister."
"What? That Ceneric family? The super rich, high-ranking aristocrats?" the second nurse gasped. "Oh my God! She was born with a silver spoon and has a perfect childhood friend and good-looking brothers?"
"I know, right? I wish I could trade places with her. I'm so jealous I could scream!"
"Hahaha, just do it. I feel the same. Beautiful, rich, surrounded by handsome men—plus, she's got a childhood sweetheart and a fiancé!"
"A fiancé? Who?!"
"Search for Lucas Vellard online. He's a well-known CEO."
"Wait, wait, let me type it in… L-U-C-A-S V-E-L-L-A-R-D…" She gasped. "OH MY GOD. HE'S SO HANDSOME!"
"Shhh! Keep it down! This is a hospital!"
"Sorry, I got carried away. Are you sure it's him?"
"Definitely. He even visited her once. But I heard something happened between them… he left with a really dark expression."
"Seriously?! Why do I always miss the exciting stuff?"
"Well, that was your off day, remember?"
"Ugh! Why does everything interesting happen when I'm not around?"
"Hahaha, blame your luck"
From the corner of the long balcony, I stepped out, stunned.
I'd only come out to ask a nurse something. But before I could call out, I overheard their entire conversation.
And the most shocking part? They were gossiping about me!
I rushed back to my ward room, feeling a bit dizzy as I tried to process everything I'd just heard.
Lucky? Me?
What a joke. If anyone wants to switch places with me, be my guest. I'll even roll out the red carpet for you.
The only upside to being in Mia's body is not having to worry about money. That's it. Everything else? A complete mess.
Her brothers? They treat me either with fake kindness like they're walking on eggshells or hiding something, or like a nemesis.
Alex? Sure, he's sweet, but he keeps pushing me to treat my amnesia, like I'm broken or something. It's exhausting.
And as for that guy—Lucas? Ugh. I'm too tired to even say his name. Let's not go there.
Just as I was getting lost in thought, my phone buzzed on the bedside table. I glanced at the screen— Private Number. Should I answer? What if it's something important?
"Hello?" I answered, cautiously.
"Mia? It's me— Nelson."
"Nelson?" I blinked. "Sorry, do I… know you?"
"You don't remember me?" His voice sounded surprised, maybe even a little hurt.
"I'm sorry," I said gently. "I was in a car accident not long ago. I lost most of my memories… I don't remember much about anyone from before."
There was a pause. Then he said, "Oh… I see. Are you okay now?"
"I'm recovering. Nothing too serious," I said. "But… can you tell me who you are to me? No one's mentioned your name before. Were we… friends?"
"I… I was your—" he hesitated, then cleared his throat. "I'm your neighbor's older brother. We used to hang out sometimes before I moved overseas. It's been a while."
"Really? I'm sorry I don't remember you at all," I said, feeling awkward.
"No need to apologize. I actually called because I heard you had a bad allergic reaction recently… to seafood?"
I froze. "Wait, how did you know that?"
"I saw you at the restaurant that night. I was having dinner there too. I saw what happened, but before I could come over, everything turned into chaos. I've been worried ever since."
"Oh… thank you. That's kind of you. I'm okay now — I'm getting discharged this afternoon."
"That's a relief. I was really worried," he said quietly.
A pause followed. Then he asked, "Would it be okay if I saw you sometime? You know… when you're feeling better?"
"Huh? Oh… um, sure. I guess that's fine."
"Thank you, Mia. I really… missed talking to you."
"…Oh."
"Take care, okay? I hope we can meet soon."
"Okay… goodbye."