A new world that was not entirely unfamiliar.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

That afternoon, Alina was startled by a knock on the door. A tall man in a doctor's coat entered, his face vaguely familiar in Aileen's hazy memories.

"Dr. Monroe," his deep voice was firm. "You're finally awake. I'm Dr. Nathan Carter, head of surgery here."

Alina studied him calmly.

"Dr. Carter," she murmured, making sure to remember the name.

Dr. Carter observed her closely. "Do you still remember me?" There was a hint of doubt in his tone.

Alina knew this was a test. If she claimed complete memory loss, it could raise suspicion. But if she acted too confident, that would be even more suspicious.

So, she chose the middle ground.

"I'm… a little confused after the accident," she said, furrowing her brows slightly. "But I still remember some things."

Dr. Carter nodded, seemingly satisfied with her answer.

"That's normal. You suffered a mild head injury, so it's understandable if some memories are still foggy. But don't worry, you'll be fine."

Alina gave a small, unreadable smile. "We'll see."

Dr. Carter handed her a tablet.

"There's a lot of work waiting for you, but for now, focus on your recovery. I want you to start reviewing these medical reports before returning to duty."

Alina accepted the tablet without hesitation. If this was part of the role she had to play as Aileen Monroe, then she would do it.

Once Dr. Carter left, she stared at the screen. Various patient reports, anatomical diagrams, and surgical notes were displayed in detail.

A small smirk formed on her lips.

"Detailed medical reports. I might not understand all the terminology… but at least I know how to perform emergency surgery."

She caught her reflection on the screen—those green eyes staring back at her, filled with secrets.

"Don't worry, Aileen… I won't let you down."

---

Tonight marked Alina's official return as Dr. Aileen Monroe.

Her first day back wasn't as difficult as she had anticipated. She was so busy that she barely noticed time passing.

By the time she glanced at the clock in her office, it was already 2 AM. The hospital was much quieter now—most of the staff had either gone home or were resting in the break room. Only a few doctors remained in the emergency unit.

Dressed in Aileen's slightly loose white coat, Alina walked through the silent hospital corridors. Over the past few days, she had been discreetly investigating different areas.

Tonight, she had a clear goal—the hospital's administrative office.

"If there's one place that holds information about Aileen's accident, it's here."

She stopped in front of a door with a "MEDICAL RECORDS & ARCHIVES" plaque.

This room was far from the busy hospital wards, located in a secluded area. Conveniently, Aileen's office was nearby.

She tried the door handle—locked.

Of course, no one wanted to sit around guarding a records room all night.

But for someone who used to be a mafia leader, this was nothing.

In mere seconds, she picked the lock and slipped inside.

The dim glow of the computer screen illuminated the room. She quickly began searching for the files she needed. Her fingers moved swiftly across the keyboard as she typed:

"Aileen Monroe"

But what appeared on the screen was not what she expected.

"File Not Found."

Alina's eyes narrowed.

"Impossible. Every medical record has a backup. No file should just disappear without a trace."

Something was off.

Before she could think further, something even more shocking happened.

Beep—

The screen flickered. A message popped up.

"You shouldn't be looking for this."

Alina's breath caught in her throat.

This wasn't a coincidence.

Someone was watching her.

Her pulse quickened. Instinct kicked in—she shut off the computer immediately and slipped out of the room before anyone could catch her.

But just as she stepped into the hallway, she ran into a nurse.

"Dr. Monroe?" The nurse looked at her suspiciously. "What are you doing here this late?"

For a split second, Alina was caught off guard.

But she quickly composed herself. She couldn't make excuses—there were no other rooms in this corridor.

"I was looking for a patient's file," she said smoothly. "But it turns out the archive room is already closed."

It was a weak excuse, but luckily, the nurse didn't seem too suspicious.

"Oh, you must have forgotten," the nurse said kindly. "That room is always locked at 4 PM and only reopens at 8 AM tomorrow."

Alina's mind was already forming backup plans in case the nurse grew more suspicious.

But after hearing the explanation, she decided to hold back.

She gave a small smile. "Is that so? Alright, I'll come back tomorrow. Thanks for letting me know."

"Hope that helps, Doctor." The nurse smiled before walking away.

Back in her room, Alina exhaled deeply.

Her heart was still racing after everything that had happened.

"Good thing she believed me… But… who sent that message?"