Chapter 3 A New World That's Not Entirely Strange

Knock! Knock! Knock!

That afternoon, Alina was startled by a knock at 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 awake at last. I'm Dr. Nathan Carter, chief of surgery here."

Alina studied him calmly.

"Dr. Carter," she murmured, making sure she remembered the name.

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

Alina knew that this was a test. If she claimed complete amnesia, it might arouse suspicion. But if she acted too confident, it would be even more suspicious.

So she chose the middle way.

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

Dr. Carter nodded, apparently satisfied with her answer. "That's normal. You suffered a minor head injury, so it's understandable if some memories are still foggy. But don't worry, you'll get better."

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

Dr. Carter handed her a pill.

"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 you return to duty."

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

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

A small grin formed on her lips. "Detailed medical reports. I may 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 was Alina's official return as Dr. Aileen Monroe. Her first day back wasn't as difficult as she had expected. She was so busy that she hardly noticed the time passing.

When she looked at the clock in her office, it was 2 a.m. 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 room.

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

Tonight, she had a clear target - the hospital's administrative office.

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

She stopped at a door marked "MEDICAL RECORDS & ARCHIVES.

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

She tried the locked door handle. Of course, no one wanted to sit around and guard a file room all night. But for someone who had once been a Mafia leader, this was nothing. In a matter of seconds, she picked the lock and slipped inside.

The faint glow of the computer screen lit up the room. She quickly began to search for the files she needed. Her fingers moved quickly over 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 file has a backup. No file should just disappear without a trace."

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

Beep- The screen flickered. A message appeared. "You shouldn't search 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 immediately shut down the computer and slipped out of the room before anyone could catch her.

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

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

For a split second, Alina was taken by surprise.

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

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

It was a weak excuse, but fortunately the nurse didn't seem too suspicious. "Oh, you must have forgotten," the nurse said kindly. "This room is always locked at 4 p.m. and will not be opened until 8 a.m. tomorrow."

Alina's mind was already forming backup plans in case the nurse became more suspicious. But after hearing the explanation, she decided to hold back.

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

"I hope this helps, Doctor." The nurse smiled before leaving.

Back in her room, Alina took a deep breath. Her heart was still racing after everything that had happened.

"Good thing she believed me... But... who sent this message?"