Chapter 53

Chapter 53
Joanna's POV

I sat beside my mother's bed, feeding her orange segments while my mind raced with questions about Elodie, Sebastian, and the strange emptiness where my childhood memories should be.

"I know you don't want to talk about this, Mom. But I need answers. Something inside me feels... wrong. Like I'm missing a crucial piece of myself," I sighed.

Mom's hand froze mid-air, a slight tremor running through her fingers. Her eyes darted away from mine, focusing on the blanket covering her legs.

"Joanna, honey," she said with a gentle smile that seemed strained around the edges. "The past isn't important. What matters is that you're here now, and you're healthy and strong."

She reached out to touch my hair, her fingers cool against my scalp. The tenderness in her gesture contrasted with the evasiveness in her words.

I took a deep breath, my chest tightening. "Mom, please. I really need to know. Even just a little bit would help. Why is there nothing in my head from before the accident? Not a single birthday, not a school day, nothing."

I stared directly into her eyes, refusing to back down. The weight of whatever secret she was keeping seemed to hang in the air between us.

Mom's shoulders sagged slightly. She was quiet for so long I thought she might not answer. When she finally spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Alright, Joanna." She sighed deeply. "When you were small, your eyes weren't good. You needed several surgeries and constant medical care."

I leaned forward, hanging on her every word.

"During one of the eye surgeries, when you were thirteen," she continued, her voice growing unsteady, "something went wrong. The doctors said you might lose some memories as a result."

Her voice caught, and she suddenly began coughing, her thin frame shaking with each spasm. Her face paled visibly.

'Surgery? Why does this sound both familiar and wrong at the same time?'

Daniel, who had been standing by the window, immediately stepped forward. He patted Mom's back gently while shooting me a stern look.

"That's enough, Joanna," he said firmly. "Can't you see you're upsetting her? Mom doesn't need to relive those painful memories."

His tone carried a note of rebuke that made me shrink back. But beneath my guilt, suspicion lingered.

'Why is Daniel so defensive? And why does Mom look more scared than sad? There's something they're not telling me.'

I dropped my gaze to my hands. "I'm sorry, Mom. I didn't mean to upset you."

But inside, my mind was racing. 'Memory loss from eye surgery? Is that even possible? And if it was just a medical complication, why do they both look so... guilty?'

The tension in the room was palpable. Tommy, who had been quietly playing his handheld game in the corner, suddenly jumped up and rushed to the bed.

"Joanna! Guess what?" he exclaimed, his eyes bright with excitement. "I made a super cool friend at the hospital! He teaches me magic tricks when I'm waiting for Mom to finish her tests!"

His childish enthusiasm cut through the heavy atmosphere like a ray of sunshine. I couldn't help but smile, grateful for the distraction.

"Really? What kind of magic tricks?" I asked, ruffling his hair.

"Card tricks, and he can make coins disappear!" Tommy demonstrated by pretending to make an invisible coin vanish from his palm. "He's awesome, and he said he knows you!"

Just as I was about to ask who this mysterious magician was, there was a gentle knock at the door. It swung open to reveal Ryan Matthews, dressed in his white coat, a warm smile on his face and a small paper bag in his hand.

"Ryan?" I stood up, surprised to see him here.

Tommy raced across the room and practically tackled Ryan's legs. "You came! Did you bring the stuff you promised?"

Ryan laughed, patting Tommy's head affectionately. "I sure did, buddy. Special delivery."

I stared in confusion, looking between Ryan and Tommy. "Wait, you two know each other?"

"Ryan's my friend!" Tommy announced proudly. "He comes to check on Mom and brings me snacks!"

I turned to Ryan, stunned. 'He's been visiting my family? All this time?'

"I hope you don't mind," Ryan said, his voice gentle as he approached. "I've been keeping an eye on your mother's case, making sure she's getting the best care."

He handed the paper bag to Tommy, who eagerly peeked inside and let out a whoop of joy before retreating to the corner with his treasure.

I stepped closer to Ryan, my voice low so my mother couldn't hear. "Ryan, I... I don't know what to say. Thank you. For looking after them."

"It's nothing, really," Ryan shrugged, his smile modest. "Tommy's a great kid, and your mom is strong."

An idea suddenly struck me. 'Monica's been in love with Ryan forever. This could be perfect...'

"Ryan," I said, "let me at least buy you dinner tonight, as a thank you." I pulled out my phone, quickly typing a message to Monica: [Ryan's at the hospital. Having dinner with him tonight. Join us? Your chance! 8 PM at Mario's.]

I looked back up at Ryan, who seemed about to protest. "I insist," I said firmly. "It's the least I can do."

Ryan's resistance crumbled. "Alright, if you insist. But it's really not necessary."

'Oh, it's very necessary,' I thought, smiling as I saw Monica's enthusiastic response pop up on my phone. 'For more reasons than you know.'

---

Sebastian's POV

I sat in my darkened study swirling the amber liquid in my glass absently as the light caught its surface. My mind was filled with images of Joanna—her tears, her confusion when I told her about Elodie, the hurt in her eyes when I dismissed her.

The door opened without a knock, and Nolan stepped in.

"Mr. King," he said, his tone professional but with an undercurrent of hesitation. "I have an update on Miss Bennett."

"I thought I made it clear I don't want updates," I replied coldly, but I didn't send him away.

"She's currently at dinner with Dr. Ryan Matthews," Nolan continued, watching my face carefully. "And from what our source reports, they appear to be... quite comfortable with each other."

My hand tightened around the glass. "Comfortable?"

'She left my office in tears just hours ago, and now she's smiling at another man? At Ryan fucking Matthews?'

"They arrived together at the restaurant," Nolan elaborated, a hint of caution in his voice. "They seemed... close."

I set my glass down with controlled precision, but the liquid inside trembled, betraying the fury in my veins.

'So this is how quickly she moves on. Did I mean nothing to her after all?'

"Continue monitoring," I ordered, my tone ice-cold.

Nolan hesitated, then added with a slight smirk, "I thought you were letting her go."

I shot him a withering glare. "Aren't I?" My voice was razor-sharp.

Nolan raised his eyebrows slightly. "If you say so, sir. But the surveillance team remains in place, so..." He let the sentence hang.

I clenched my jaw. Nolan was right, and we both knew it. I hadn't let go at all.

Changing the subject abruptly, I asked, "What about the Stanford hospital records? Any progress?"

"We've narrowed it down to three possible facilities," Nolan replied, his tone shifting to professional efficiency. "We should have confirmation within days."

I nodded, dismissing him with a wave. As the door closed, I reached for my glass again, downing the contents in one burning swallow.

'Joanna, your past is a puzzle I intend to solve. But right now, all I can think about is you sitting across from Ryan, smiling at him the way you once smiled at me. You'd better not be developing feelings for him. You're mine, whether you know it or not.'

The possessive thought surprised even me, but I couldn't deny the jealousy raging through my blood.