The Billionaire's Temptation: Love, Family and Revenge-Chapter 60: The Man on black

Dr. Charles looked even more concerned now. "It just doesn’t make sense," he muttered. "That drug shouldn’t be in her system unless someone gave it to her intentionally."

Ford’s fists tightened. "Just go and treat her," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "I don’t care how it happened right now—just bring her back to me, Dr. Charles."

The doctor met Ford’s desperate gaze and gave a firm nod. "Yes, sir. I will."

Without wasting another second, he turned and hurried after the nurses, who were already wheeling Elena away.

As the room emptied, silence filled the space, heavy and suffocating.

Ford stood frozen for a moment before slowly sitting down on the edge of the bed. His body felt heavy, his mind racing with worst-case scenarios.

What if she doesn’t recover?

His chest tightened painfully at the thought. His hands trembled as he ran them over his face, trying to steady himself.

Then, he remembered it—the way she had looked at him just before she fainted.

The confusion in her eyes. The coldness in her voice.

"I don’t know you," she had said.

Ford squeezed his eyes shut as tears welled up.

He had never felt so helpless in his entire life.

The door burst open, and Lily’s cheerful voice filled the room.

"Big bro, good morning!" she chirped, stepping inside with Kelvin close behind her. She looked around excitedly. "Where’s Elena? Is she in the restroom?"

Her eyes sparkled with happiness as she glanced toward the bathroom door, expecting to hear a response from Elena. But there was only silence. She frowned slightly and walked over, pushing the door open—only to find it empty.

Her smile faltered, slowly giving way to concern.

Kelvin, who had been scanning the room, turned his attention to Ford. His friend hadn’t moved an inch since they entered. He was sitting stiffly on the edge of the bed, his head down, his fingers clasped tightly together. There was an unusual stillness about him, something that made Kelvin’s stomach twist.

He stepped forward cautiously. "Ford, what’s wrong?" he asked, his voice calm but filled with concern. "Where is Elena?"

Ford didn’t answer. He didn’t even look up. His silence was unsettling.

Kelvin exhaled slowly, studying his friend. He hated seeing Ford like this—so lost, so broken. This wasn’t the man he knew. A part of him wanted to be angry, to blame Elena for whatever had caused this pain. Another part of him wondered if he should blame himself for letting Ford get close to her in the first place.

Lily’s heart pounded as she took in the scene. Something was terribly wrong.

She turned toward the bed, her breath catching in her throat when she saw it was empty. Elena wasn’t there.

No. No, she refused to think of the worst.

Blinking back tears, she walked over to her brother and slowly lowered herself to the ground beside him. She sat on her knees, her hands gently resting on his. Her heart ached just looking at him—he wasn’t just sad, he looked completely shattered.

"Big brother..." she whispered. Her voice trembled. "Where’s Ely? She’s alright, right?"

Still, Ford didn’t speak.

Lily’s chest tightened as tears welled up in her eyes. "Please, say something."

Finally, Ford moved. Slowly, painfully, he lifted his head and met his sister’s gaze. His usually strong eyes were now filled with sorrow, red and tired from sleepless nights.

Then, in a voice so broken it barely sounded like his own, he spoke.

"My Elena..." he swallowed hard, his throat burning. "...she can’t remember me anymore."

The words hung in the air like a heavy cloud.

Lily’s lips parted, but no words came out. Her heart ached as she watched the pain on her brother’s face. The weight of the moment pressed down on her chest, making it hard to breathe.

Kelvin clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. Anger boiled within him, threatening to spill over. He wanted to say something, to lash out, but the words wouldn’t come.

The room was silent, yet the air felt heavy with unspoken emotions. It was the kind of silence that made everything feel more real, more painful.

Ford closed his eyes, trying to steady himself. His emotions were like a storm inside him—rage, frustration, and helplessness all swirling together. He had prepared for this day, but nothing could have readied him for the heartbreak of hearing those words. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"What do you mean by that? How can you say she doesn’t remember you?" Lily’s voice trembled with anger as she stood up, her eyes burning with desperation.

Ford exhaled deeply. "She fainted. They’ve taken her back to the theater," he said, his voice low and filled with sorrow.

Lily’s hands clenched into fists. "Where is she? I need to see her."

Ford looked away, his exhaustion clear. "We have to wait," he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.

Without another word, he turned and walked away. Lily exchanged a glance with Kelvin, but Kelvin remained silent, his jaw tight. He had no words, no comfort to offer. Together, they followed Ford down the hallway until he stopped in front of a door.

"She’s inside," Ford said finally. "Let’s wait for the doctor’s feedback."

That was all he could manage. He felt drained, both physically and emotionally. His heart was heavy with disappointment. He had trusted Dr. Charles. He had believed that everything would go well. But now, everything was falling apart.

"What went wrong?" The question echoed in his mind, but no answer came. He had done everything he could. So why had this happened?

Lost in thought, Ford barely noticed his surroundings until something small crashed into his legs. A tiny toddler had fallen at his feet, her cry piercing through his thoughts. Her mother rushed forward, scooping the child up in her arms.

"I’m so sorry," she said, her voice laced with worry.

Ford looked at the little girl, her face wet with tears.

He forced a small smile, shaking his head. "It’s okay," he murmured.

As the mother walked away, Ford let out a slow breath. He envied the child’s simplicity. She cried, and then she moved on. But for him, there was no moving on. Not yet.

Not until he knew if she would ever remember him again.

Ford nodded, his mind racing. As he watched them leave, his eyes landed on the mother of the child who was almost out of sight, she was wearing a black blouse. Something about her felt familiar. Then it hit him.

"The man from last night!" Ford exclaimed, standing up so quickly that his chair scraped against the floor.

Kelvin frowned, confused. "What are you talking about?"

Ford turned to him, his expression tense. "Someone was watching us while we slept. I woke up in the middle of the night, but I couldn’t see the person’s face. I chased after him, but he was already too far. I’m sure he did something to Elena," Ford said, his voice firm with certainty.

Kelvin’s face darkened as he processed Ford’s words.

"I need you to help me get the CCTV footage from the moment I arrived here until today," Ford requested, his tone urgent.

"You know that’s not a problem. I’ll get it done," Kelvin assured him.

Just then, the doors of the operating room swung open, and Dr. Charles stepped out. His face was grim, and his voice carried the weight of bad news.

"Sir Ford, I think we found out too late," the doctor admitted with a heavy sigh. "We’ve done our best, but now, all we can do is wait. Gradually, she will remember, but not today."

Ford’s heart pounded. "Then when, Doctor? When?" His voice rose in frustration. "How do I even begin to tell her who I am?"

Dr. Charles sighed again, sympathy in his tired eyes. "I’m sorry, sir. Just give her time. She will be fine."

Ford clenched his jaw, his hands tightening into fists. Time. That was the one thing he wasn’t sure he had.

Two nurses appeared, gently pushing a hospital bed down the hallway. Elena lay unconscious, her face pale and peaceful, as if trapped in a dream she couldn’t wake from.

"She will be taken to her room now," the nurse announced softly.

Lily watched in silence, her throat tight with emotion. She couldn’t bear to stay behind. Without thinking, she followed them, needing to be close to her friend.

Kelvin remained at Ford’s side. Neither of them spoke, but the weight of the moment pressed down on them.

Ford exhaled slowly. He had never felt so helpless. Something had happened to Elena—he knew it deep in his bones. And whoever was behind it was still out there.

Ford’s hands clenched into fists as regret weighed heavily on him. His voice was thick with guilt as he spoke to Dr. Charles.

"I remembered something," he said, his gaze dark with frustration. "Someone came into the room last night. I didn’t see his face before he ran away. But I know—he did something to Elena. And I blame myself. There should have been security personnel at the door." His jaw tightened. "This shouldn’t have happened."

Dr. Charles frowned, concern deepening the lines on his face. "Really? But someone must have seen him," he reasoned. "We need to check the CCTV footage immediately."

Before Ford could respond, a nurse rushed toward them, breathless.

"Doctor!" she gasped. "She’s awake—so suddenly!"