Chapter 98

One Week Later
César
I was finally being discharged from the hospital. My mind was still trapped in a thick fog, as if something essential was slipping away. However, I felt like the César from a few years ago. My most important memories were intact—work at the company, my close circle... So what was it that I had forgotten?
—"Did you hear me, César?" —My cousin, Dante’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts. He was the only doctor in the family, a genius with his own hospital and multiple doctorates.
—"Yes. According to what you said, I have a slight memory loss due to the shock of the accident." —I replied seriously.
—"Fortunately, you have no skull fractures, and your health is recovering well. I’d bet your memory will return little by little. I advise you to surround yourself with external elements that might evoke memories or sensations; that could help bring them back." —Dante looked at me expectantly.
I stood up and calmly adjusted my suit.
—"Recovering my memory is not a priority. If it doesn’t affect my work and I remember the essentials, then it doesn’t matter." —My tone was firm.
Dante frowned, surprised by my indifference. He hurried to speak as I walked toward the door.
—"César, what you’re saying is not healthy at all. Besides... you might have forgotten something important."
—"What matters to me is my work, and I haven’t forgotten anything relevant. Why waste time on meaningless memories? Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a lot of work to catch up on." —I walked toward the exit without looking back.
—"César, take it easy."
—"Time doesn’t wait. I’ll come back next week for the check-ups. Have a good day, cousin." —With those words, I left the hospital.
As I got into the car, Joffre, my trusted assistant, greeted me with a slight nod.
—"Mr. César, I’m glad to see you doing better. I would have loved to visit you, but your aunt ordered me to take care of the company. I saw that as more important at the time."
—"Don’t worry, Joffre. Everything will go back to the way it was before." —I said confidently.
—"Miss Belle hasn’t been to the hospital. Is she okay?" —he asked, watching me through the rearview mirror.
—"Belle? Do you mean Belladonna?" —I frowned, confused.
—"No, I’m talking about Miss Belle. She was very worried about you. Haven’t you seen her?"
I vaguely remembered a woman among the search party. I didn’t know her name was Belle.
—"It’s quite a coincidence that her name resembles Belladonna’s." —I murmured.
—"What did Mr. Dante say about your condition?" —Joffre inquired.
—"That I have mild memory loss due to the shock of the accident. But a woman, my brother’s girlfriend, is not an indispensable memory for my existence. I couldn’t care less." —I replied coldly.
Joffre remained silent for the rest of the trip, though his expression showed a hint of unease. When we arrived at our destination, I felt a slight discomfort in my chest—an inexplicable sensation I couldn’t quite identify. As if something important was slipping away, as if I were walking over the remnants of a life I had yet to fully recognize.

Belle
Without hesitation, I took the document and signed the power of attorney, granting me responsibility over Mr. Santorini as his relative. The hospital accepted without objection. They would continue his treatment, but I would watch over him closely. He would never be alone again.
Explaining who I really was would be complicated, but no matter what happened, I wouldn’t abandon him.
—"Mr. Santorini, today you’ll be able to go home with your family." —I informed him gently.
The man looked at me skeptically before turning his gaze to the nurse who was gathering his belongings.
—"Where is my family?" —His voice sounded tired.
I swallowed hard before responding firmly.
—"It’s me, Mr. Santorini. You don’t remember me because we’ve never met, but I am your granddaughter. Daughter of Juan Santorini and Melisa. If you don’t trust my words, I can provide the DNA certificate."
He slowly approached and, taking my chin gently, looked into my eyes. A tear rolled down his cheek.
—"From the moment I saw you, something told me I knew you." —His voice trembled with emotion.
I wiped away my own tears. Before he was a Santorini, this man had been the one who cared for me in the streets. He had been my family then, and he still was now. I would never tell him the whole truth. If I wasn’t his granddaughter by blood, I would be by my actions.
—"I will never abandon you, Grandpa." —I assured him.
He smiled warmly.
—"Call me Grandpa." —And he wrapped me in a strong, warm embrace.
After our emotional reunion, we went out for dinner—our first meal together outside the hospital. I observed him closely: his upright posture, the elegance with which he held his wine glass, the way he cut his meat with precision. He was not the same man I remembered. Before me was someone entirely different.
—"Is something wrong, dear?" —His voice pulled me from my thoughts.
I smiled and took a bite of my dessert.
—"I’m just happy to have you by my side. But I worry about everything you’ve lost over the years. I can work, so don’t worry about anything. I know we’re broke, but that doesn’t matter as long as we’re together." —I said with determination.
He chuckled softly.
—"We’re not broke, not as far as I remember. Maybe I should make some calls to old friends, but that doesn’t worry me."
—"But... I read the news from that time. When my father died, the family declared bankruptcy. Grandma couldn’t bear her loss." —Sadness clouded my words.
My grandfather’s expression darkened.
—"Those were difficult times. I thought Julian’s daughter had died too. I fell into depression and froze all my accounts. I allocated all the family’s money to a vault in the national bank."
My eyes widened in shock.
—"So we’re not bankrupt?"
He smiled confidently.
—"Of course not. And all those who enjoyed our downfall… will soon witness the Santorini family’s rise once more."
I held his hand tightly, feeling in my chest the certainty of a new beginning.