Chapter 11. Hidden Malicious Intent (3)

"If she could kill her husband without being caught, then she could do the same thing to Erik. But for now, Stefani wanted to win Violla's heart first and make her hate Erik. That way, her plan would be much easier.

Now, only Violla was in the room. The two women whom she knew as her stepmother and stepsister had already left.

"My necklace," Violla remembered her necklace. She immediately stood up and walked towards the door with difficulty.

It was now midday, and she was restless. She wanted to retrieve her necklace, but she didn't know where it was now.

She could still feel the signal from her necklace, which meant that it was still in the hospital. But where? The building was very large and spacious.

She didn't know where to go, and she was afraid to wander around looking for her necklace. She didn't want people to suspect her.

"Violla...."

A shout was heard, and it made her startle. Her body wavered, and she almost fell backward.

"Miss Violla..." The next moment, a warm embrace enveloped the small girl's body.

Suddenly, a handsome man appeared and hugged her tightly. He had a tall stature and a broad, sturdy chest.

With Violla's small body, the girl had difficulty moving.

When Violla wanted to break free, a sobbing voice was heard.

'Wait! Is this man crying?' thought Violla.

"This is a miracle, a miracle. Thank you, God," the man said hoarsely. "Thank you for waking up, dear. Thank you for enduring and surviving your critical period. Thank you." He deepened his embrace, and without realizing it, his actions made it difficult for Violla to breathe.

"Miss... It has been a year since the last time I hugged you. I am very happy now that everything is okay. I will protect you from anyone who wishes to harm you. I have promised myself that I will risk my life to protect and keep you in good condition."

Violla froze. If her guess was correct, the man was Erik, a man who was talked about by her stepmother earlier.

But why did it feel a little different? Stefani warned her to be careful of Erik, but his treatment of her felt more sincere than anyone else.

"Ah... it hurts, let go of me," Violla pushed the man's body away.

She was on the ground, and everything around her was very unfamiliar. She had to be careful.

"Miss..." The man was surprised, his expression mixed with sadness. His eyes looked teary.

"I'm sorry, Miss. I was very happy and forgot that my behavior hurt you. I'm sorry, forgive me, Miss."

Violla did not respond; she stepped back a few steps.

"Miss, I am Erik, your uncle. I am not someone you should be wary of," the man spoke in the softest voice possible.

"Don't be afraid, Miss. If you have to trust one person in this world, it's me," he said again."

During the journey, Doctor Daniel had already told him about Nonna Violla's overall condition.

"Uncle Erik?" murmured Violla.

The man nodded. "Yes, dear."

"I can't remember anything about you," said Violla.

Erik sighed deeply. "That's okay with me, Miss. Seeing you standing in front of me in good health is more than enough to make me happy. Doctor Daniel has told me about your condition," he said again.

Violla nodded, suddenly feeling awkward and not knowing what else to say.

"I saw you wanted to leave the room earlier. If I may ask, where do you want to go, Miss? Maybe I can help you," Erik said when he didn't get any response from Violla.

The girl shook her head. "I...I feel bored in this room, Uncle. Can you accompany me to get some fresh air outside?"

"Of course, gladly, Miss. But don't take too long. Later in the afternoon, you have to undergo a CT scan examination."

Violla nodded. She didn't know what a CT scan examination was; she just nodded as if she understood the man's words.

Leaving the room, Erik accompanied Violla as promised, pushing the wheelchair slowly in the hospital corridor. They went up and down the lift until they finally reached the first floor. Erik stopped when an ambulance siren sounded loud.

Several nurses and doctors suddenly appeared from nowhere while pushing a stretcher. Several passers-by immediately stepped aside to give way to them.

"Looks like someone is seriously injured," Erik muttered unconsciously, but his voice could still be heard by Violla.

"Uncle..." she called.

"Hmm? What is it, Miss? Do you want to go back to the room now?" Erik replied.

Violla shook her head. "Can I ask you something?" the girl asked as she looked up for a few seconds.

"Ask me anything, Miss. Don't hesitate."

"If someone enters the hospital because of a serious injury and goes into a coma or even dies, where do all the things attached to the person's body go, do you know, Uncle?" Violla asked.

Erik fell silent. He suddenly remembered the incident that happened to his brother.

"It will be taken by the victim's family, Miss. Are you worried about something? All your belongings are already safely kept. I will give them to you if the doctor allows you to leave this hospital," Erik said after being silent for a few minutes.

"What about my father's belongings?"

Erik's forehead furrowed. "Everything is in a safe place, Miss," Erik answered. Had Miss Violla already heard the news about her father?

"Miss, what did Doctor Daniel tell you?" He was curious.

Nonna Violla suffered from amnesia. She shouldn't remember anything. But her question...

"Nothing, Uncle. He just said that I have to undergo a CT scan examination later in the afternoon," Violla replied.

"Miss... Did anyone else come to visit you before I arrived here?"

Violla shook her head, intentionally lying because of her stepmother's message.

"What's wrong, Uncle? Why do you ask?" Violla asked. "Oh, I forgot. Dr. Daniel also told me that my father died in the accident."

Erik breathed a sigh of relief, as he had been thinking the worst. He had thought that Stefani and her daughter had visited Violla without his knowledge.

"It's okay, Miss. I just wanted to know," Erik said.

Violla looked at Erik and asked, "Are you worried about something, Uncle?"

"No, Miss. Everything's fine. Did Dr. Daniel only tell you about your father's passing?" Erik asked.

"Yes, Uncle. Nothing else," Violla replied.

Suddenly, Erik rubbed Violla's head, surprising her.

"From now on, you can consider me your father, Miss. I promise to protect you, just like Mr. Stefan did," Erik said. "If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask."

One thing that confused Erik was Violla's expression. She had shown no emotion when talking about her father. Could amnesia erase someone's emotional responses to anything?

"What if the victim is a stranger, Uncle? Or if she has no family at all? Or if the victim dies and no one knows who they are... What happens to their belongings?" Violla asked.

In her heart, Violla smiled. She had arranged several questions in her head without arousing suspicion. Taking advantage of the situation and her late father, she tried to get the answers she needed.

'Firstly, if I wanted to take my necklace, I have to know where would it be?' Violla though.