Chapter 4

For the next few days, I was a nervous wreck at home, constantly on edge.

Aside from Felix calling to ask if I still wanted that giant rabbit plushie I'd left in the bedroom, I heard nothing from Albert at all.

Eventually, I relaxed and eased back into my quiet, comfortable routine. Life returned to normal.

Before I knew it, the day for my second prenatal checkup rolled around.

This time, I chose the most prestigious, top-tier hospital in the city.

As I strolled toward the hospital, I reassured myself that there was no way I'd run into Albert there. He wouldn't just show up at this hospital.

But guess what? That was exactly what happened.

There Albert was, just a few steps away in the lobby. My brain short-circuited. I was completely thrown off.

He, with that unnerving instinct of his, locked eyes on me in a split second, his brows furrowing.

Bet he was just as baffled, probably wondering what I was doing there.

Switching hospitals for a prenatal checkup wasn't exactly normal.

What were the odds?

If I'd known he was there, I would've stayed far, far away.

He kept staring at me way too long—no chance of slipping past him.

I just shot him a wave and said, "Hey, there. What a coincidence. Are you here to get your bandages changed?"

Ever since he lost his memory, Albert has been pretty cold. He just gave me a distant, empty look, like I was a stranger, then turned around without even bothering to say hi.

Back when I was with him, if we bumped into each other outside, he'd always come over, ruffle my hair, and sneak in a kiss.

Look at him now. What a difference.

I made a face at his retreating back and hurried off to the maternity ward.

This checkup went just as smoothly, and I got my baby's second ultrasound pic.

To me, my baby was the absolute cutest. I just couldn't stop staring at that picture.

I found a chair and sat down, totally absorbed in the photo, when suddenly, out of nowhere, someone collapsed right in front of me. It looked almost staged.

I jumped up, startled.

"Hey, are you okay?" I blurted out.

I crouched down and struggled to roll him over, worried he couldn't breathe.

And then I saw his face. It was Albert. I was completely caught off guard.

Was he following me or what?

But seeing that ugly bump on his forehead, I couldn't just walk away.

I took a deep breath, yelled for help, and with a nurse, got him into the emergency room.

Once I snuck out of the ER, I swore to myself—next time, I was picking a different hospital for sure.

If I bump into him again, I'd have to believe the universe was playing a joke on me.

Before I even made it to the main exit, I bumped right into someone I really didn't want to see.

In the lobby, Felix and I locked eyes.

Remembering my promise, I held up two fingers in a scout's salute and blurted out, "Scout's honor, I'm not here for Mr. Grant.

"I just caught a cold. I swear I'm not hanging around because of him."

After a long silence, Felix said quietly, "Mr. Grant's visit today was just a last-minute thing.

"I know you're not the type to hang around and cause trouble."

He paused, his face a mix of emotions, then added, "Anyway, thanks for helping Mr. Grant out back there."

I let out a sigh of relief and waved my hand dismissively. "It was nothing. This is a hospital. Honestly, if it weren't me, someone else would've helped out."

I was terrible at small talk, so I just said goodbye and made a quick exit.

But just as I was about to leave, Felix called out to me from behind, sounding unsure.

He said, "Ms. Lane, why don't you go see Mr. Grant? He might not remember you just because he hasn't really seen you properly. Who knows, maybe if you meet face-to-face, it'll bring back his memories."

Honestly, I'd pass.

We'd run into each other plenty of times already, and it was useless. He'd truly wiped me from his memory.

Plus, I was pregnant. No way I was risking hanging around him right now.

If he suddenly got his memory back and decided he didn't want this baby, I could lose everything before I knew it.

I shut him down right away. "I can't."

I tried to reason with him, speaking earnestly, "Felix, Mr. Grant was super clear—he doesn't want me near him.

"He gave you an order. I'm not worth you breaking it."

I hoped he wouldn't mention me to Albert.