Bella's POV
A harsh fluorescent glare pierced through my consciousness, dragging me from the depths of nothingness. My brain slowly registered the steady rhythm of machines beeping, muffled conversations in the distance, and that sterile hospital smell that always reminded me of sitting beside Mum during her treatments. When I finally managed to open my eyes, stark white ceiling tiles stared back at me, and immediately my skull felt like it might split in two.
Hospital. I was definitely in a hospital. But how did I end up here? What happened?
Every attempt to move felt like swimming through concrete. My limbs seemed disconnected from my body, weighed down by invisible anchors. Drawing in a shaky breath, I reasoned that if I was hospitalized, surely Fiona or Kaden would be nearby. Terror shot through me as I struggled to sit up, but my body refused to cooperate, pinning me to the mattress like I was made of stone.
"Shit," I muttered, squeezing my eyes shut and trying to gather strength for another attempt.
Fragments of memory crashed over me without warning. Toby's small fingers intertwined with mine as we waited at the curb. Blazing sunshine. The acrid scent of melting asphalt.
Metal colliding with flesh. My pulse exploded into overdrive, each beat reverberating painfully through my chest.
"Toby!" The name tore from my throat involuntarily. Pure instinct took control, and somehow I managed to swing my legs over the edge of the bed. The floor felt like quicksand beneath my feet. My knees buckled instantly, sending me crashing onto the cold tiles.
"What sounds good for dinner?" a voice drifted from the doorway.
"Spaghetti?" came a precious, achingly familiar reply that made my heart stop.
Toby. My head whipped toward the entrance just as the door swung open, revealing my little boy clutching a rainbow lollipop, his short legs carrying him forward at full speed. He looked exactly the same yet somehow different - a little thicker around the middle, his cheeks still beautifully round, dark hair sticking up in impossible directions like he'd been sleeping.
"Mama?" Before I could even attempt to stand, he launched himself into my arms. The solid warmth of him knocked the air from my lungs. He smelled like vanilla cookies and strawberry jam, and I could feel each tiny breath against my neck. Despite every muscle screaming in protest, I wrapped my trembling arms around him and held on like my life depended on it.
"Everything alright?" The first voice belonged to a man who'd been watching from the threshold. He approached the bedside table, set down his phone, then returned to slip a supportive hand under my arm.
My words came out barely above a whisper. "I think so. Feel like I've been steamrolled though." I pressed my lips to Toby's hair while he squirmed and giggled, already distracted by the interesting medical equipment surrounding us.
The stranger's mouth quirked upward slightly. "Let's get you both somewhere more comfortable." He helped steady me as I settled back onto the bed, and the pillow welcomed my aching head like an old friend. For just a moment, blessed relief washed over me.
A doctor materialized then, moving with that brisk efficiency I'd witnessed countless times - precise gestures, measured tone. He took my pulse, examined whatever bandaging covered the back of my skull, and flashed that annoying penlight directly into my pupils. His questions came rapid-fire, clinical and detached.
"How are you feeling?" he inquired.
"Like roadkill," I answered truthfully. Toby burst into giggles at my response, and seeing that radiant grin made everything else fade away momentarily.
The doctor offered a tight, professional smile. "That's an accurate assessment. You sustained severe injuries in a vehicular collision. You underwent surgical intervention for cranial trauma and internal damage." He spoke like he was reading from a medical textbook. "You've been comatose and under intensive care. You've been hospitalized for a month."
A month? The words hit me like a physical blow. "A month?" My voice cracked. The room seemed to tilt dangerously.
"Correct," he confirmed matter-of-factly. "Your system required extensive healing time. You've experienced significant muscle deterioration. That explains the weakness and heaviness you're experiencing. Prolonged bed rest inevitably leads to muscular atrophy. Full mobility will return gradually with proper rehabilitation." He instructed me to avoid overexertion and departed as efficiently as he'd arrived.
Once the door sealed shut behind him, I felt impossibly fragile. My mind immediately went to Fiona and Kaden. The man who'd assisted me took the visitor's chair, clasping his hands together like he was preparing for difficult news.
"Where is my family?" I managed, my throat feeling like sandpaper.
He pressed his thumb against his knuckles thoughtfully. "We haven't been able to contact anyone," he explained carefully. "Your phone was completely destroyed in the crash." His tone remained even but not unkind. "We're attempting to recover the data... trying to salvage whatever information we can."
Fear clawed at my chest. "Then who's been caring for Toby? Who's been watching him?"
"He wouldn't leave your side," the man replied. "Once he recovered from his injuries two weeks ago, he kept having nightmares and crying out for you. He refused to stay with any caretakers. He kept asking for Mama constantly, so I hired round-the-clock supervision. He was too frightened to sleep alone, so we ensured someone stayed with him through the nights as well."
Relief and crushing guilt warred within me. Grateful that my son hadn't been abandoned, horrified that I'd endangered him at all.
"How did we end up here?" I whispered. My mouth tasted metallic and strange.
He studied my face for several heartbeats, seemingly weighing his words carefully.
Finally, he spoke slowly and distinctly: "I'm the one who brought you both to the hospital."
My stomach plummeted. Memory fragments I'd been suppressing suddenly crystallized with terrifying clarity. Everything after the impact had been darkness and confusion, but now details were surfacing.
He leaned closer, drew a measured breath, and extended his hand. "My name is Silas VALERIUS'Empire."
That name detonated in my brain like a bomb. Silas and Vesta VALERIUS'Empire - names I'd spent three years trying to forget, printed across the top of that contract I'd signed in desperation. Names I'd buried deep while building our peaceful life with Toby.
Now one of those names sat before me like a loaded weapon.
Had they tracked us down? Had they been searching for us all this time?
Why would someone named Silas VALERIUS'Empire be here with my son?
Terror turned my blood to ice as my eyes went wide. His hand remained outstretched, waiting for acknowledgment I couldn't give.