Surprise Marriage to a Billionaire
Chapter 451: Memory Might Be Foggy

Chapter 451: Memory Might Be Foggy

At Meta Doctors Hospital

Time had passed, and with each ticking hour, Carla’s recovery in Meta Doctors Hospital grew more evident. Her condition had stabilized.

At Carla’s room, the lights were too bright at first. She blinked slowly, her vision adjusting to the sterile white ceiling above her. Her limbs felt like lead, heavy and unresponsive.

She tried to sit up but immediately winced. Pain bloomed in her side, and a nurse rushed over.

"Easy, Miss Carla. You’re awake. That’s good," the nurse said gently, helping her adjust into a sitting position with the bed controls. "You’ve been unconscious for days."

Carla licked her dry lips. Her throat felt raw when she finally spoke. "Where... am I?"

"You’re at Meta Doctors Hospital. You’ve been under constant care. You’re safe now." Carla’s brows furrowed. The words sounded familiar, but they didn’t bring comfort. In fact, nothing did. The name, the location, even her own name, it all felt like it belonged to someone else.

"Safe?" she whispered, confusion deepening. "What... happened to me?"

The nurse paused. Her expression faltered before she masked it with a reassuring smile. "You were brought in critical condition. You’ve been through a lot. But you’re recovering well."

Carla turned her head slightly, noticing the two armed guards standing outside her door through the reinforced glass panel. The sight sent a chill through her.

"Why... are there guards?" she asked hoarsely.

The nurse hesitated. "That’s something your doctors and the investigators will explain once you’re strong enough."

Investigators?

Carla’s chest tightened. Her heart raced with panic, but more than that, with dread.

Can you call someone?" she murmured. "My... my father? Or my mother?"

The nurse gently touched her hand. "Rest for now. Your memory might still be foggy, which is normal. We’ll help you through this."

Carla stared blankly at the ceiling again as the nurse stepped out. Her heart pounded faster.

She didn’t remember her father. She didn’t remember her crimes.

She didn’t even remember who she really was.

Meanwhile, outside Carla’s room, Jenna tucked a few strands of hair under her scrub cap, clutching the clipboard to her chest as she stepped into the small staff lounge after getting an update on Carla’s condition. Tally sat by the vending machine, pretending to scroll through her phone.

Jenna walked near her while staring at the vending machine, pretending to choose what to get and whispered, "She’s talking now. Still groggy, but she didn’t remember a thing about herself yet. For now, they’re increasing her therapy schedule. If she keeps this up, she’ll be well enough. I’m just not sure about the memory loss, whether it’s permanent or temporary. The doctors are still assessing her condition on that."

Tally’s brows furrowed. "What about the guards?"

"Two at all times. No one’s allowed in unless cleared. They’ve set up a facial recognition tablet by the door now. Even if someone gets a badge, it won’t be enough without an approved scan."

Tally sighed under her breath. "They’re not taking chances."

"They can’t afford to," Jenna muttered. "She’s the center of everything. They’re practically treating her as a criminal already! This is unfair! Now she can’t even recall a thing. She’s so helpless."

Jenna hesitated before continuing. "The Chief Prosecutor was here earlier. I heard them talking about moving her to another facility. Somewhere classified. They’re planning to erase her from public access once this is over."

Even now, reporters continued to crowd outside the hospital, eagerly waiting for updates on Carla’s condition and how her pending cases would move forward.

Tally leaned forward, her eyes sharp with determination. "That won’t happen. We need to do everything we can to help her. Let’s feed the reporters with key updates about Carla, leak just enough to control the narrative."

She stood up, crumpled her empty soda can, and tossed it into the bin with a sharp flick of her wrist.

*****

Meanwhile, at Tim’s safe hideout. The room was dark except for the dim glow of maps, blueprints, and a tablet screen displaying surveillance photos of the hospital. Tim stood over the table, unmoving, as his man delivered the report.

"She’s awake. Stable but no memories yet. Trial’s scheduled in seven days. Surveillance around her room’s tight... two guards at all times, sometimes more. But there’s a pattern during shift changes we could use."

Tim didn’t speak at first.

He stared at a photograph taped to the map. It was of a younger Carla with her beautiful smile. The ache in his chest returned like a fresh wound. Lydia... the only woman he ever truly loved. Taken from him by betrayal and tragedy. And Carla, his daughter, was the only piece of Lydia he had left.

His hands curled into fists.

"They’ll crucify her in court," Tim finally muttered, voice low and cold. "I won’t let them take her away, too."

He stepped forward and pointed to a stairwell on the blueprint.

"Here. Emergency stairs, east wing. The shift change leaves a three-minute gap long enough if we move fast."

Another man asked, "What about the ER diversion?"

Tim nodded. "We trigger a bomb threat. Not real. Just enough to send security scrambling. While they’re distracted, we go in."

He would get Carla out of this mess, no matter what. Tim refused to lose his daughter the same way he had lost Lydia.

"Make sure everything is ready," Tim ordered, his voice firm and cold.

"Boss, what about Melissa?" Nilo asked, hesitating slightly. He was referring to the woman Rico had been searching for, the woman they now believed to be Sanya’s mother. It was still speculation, but Tim was almost certain. One look at Sanya, and he saw Melissa’s photo in her. The resemblance was uncanny, almost like a perfect copy.

Tim narrowed his eyes but didn’t hesitate. "Carla is the top priority. Once she’s safe and with me, we’ll deal with Melissa and Rain. I’ll use Rain to draw Arlan out."

His jaw clenched. The plan he had spent years preparing had failed. Everything was unravelling. But Tim wasn’t going to run anymore. He had already become a wanted man, hiding in the shadows. What more could he lose?

If he was going to go down, he’d make sure Arlan went down with him.

"This time," Tim muttered, eyes burning with resolve, "I’m ending this for good."