The Billionaire's Forgotten Wife-Chapter 81: When Memory Favor Another

Zeke spent the next hour sitting on the floor with Freya and Jonah, helping them build Lego sets. What started as a simple activity turned into something more. Quiet laughter, shared ideas, and a bond that formed naturally between them.

When Freya finally finished building a small Lego dog, she beamed with pride.

"Look!" she said excitedly to Jonah and Zeke. "I finished it!"

Zeke smiled. "It looks great."

Without waiting, Freya jumped up and ran across the room.

"Grandma Clara! Mommy! Aunt Cass!" she called out, showing off the Lego dog.

Then she walked over to Claire’s bedside, her voice softer as she leaned close.

"Look, Claire. I finished it. When you wake up, you can have it. It’s for you."

And then, Claire’s eyelids fluttered.

Freya gasped, her eyes wide. "Claire? Are you awake?" she whispered. "Look at this. I built it myself!"

Cassidy’s head turned sharply at the sound of her daughter’s name. She stood quickly and rushed to the bed.

"Freya, did you say Claire’s awake?" she asked, her voice almost trembling.

Freya nodded quickly. "Yes."

Zeke, who had been sitting closest to Claire, stood up at once and stepped closer to the bed. He saw Claire blinking slowly, her eyes beginning to focus.

"Claire..." he called softly, almost breathless.

Claire turned toward his voice, confused, her gaze still hazy from sleep.

Cassidy knelt by the bed, gently cupping Claire’s cheek with her palm. "Claire, sweetheart. You’re awake?"

Claire’s eyes shifted, and when she saw Cassidy clearly, her lips parted slightly. "Mommy..."

Georgia, Clara, and Jonah were already gathering around, watching in stunned, quiet relief.

Claire looked at each of them, her expression tired but slowly waking into recognition.

"I’ll call Dr. Myers," Clara said quickly.

Not even four minutes later, Dr. Myers entered the room. He didn’t bring a clipboard this time, just the stethoscope draped around his neck. He looked slightly surprised, but his expression quickly shifted to calm focus as he approached the bed.

"Third time’s the charm, huh?" he said gently, stepping closer. "Hello again, Claire."

Claire looked at him, alert and peaceful. Her eyes followed the sound of his voice.

Dr. Myers didn’t perform a full exam this time. He knew this moment had been a long time coming, and he didn’t want to disrupt it.

He simply placed two fingers on Claire’s wrist, feeling her pulse for a few seconds. Then he rested the back of his hand on her forehead, warm and steady.

"Heart rate’s calm. She’s alert. Color looks good."

He smiled down at her and leaned in slightly.

"Claire, can you blink twice for me?"

Claire closed her eyes... once... twice.

Dr. Myers nodded in approval. "That’s perfect."

"Any pain?" he asked, glancing at Cassidy and Zeke. "Has she shown any discomfort?"

"She said ’Mommy’ again. No sign of pain," Cassidy replied, her voice trembling slightly.

"Good. Let’s keep her on the current pain meds, then. No changes tonight unless she shows distress." He looked back at Claire, his voice soft. "You’ve done more than enough today, sweetheart. You’re doing so well."

Then he turned to the rest of the room. "Her condition’s looking good. Give her time to recover."

Back at the bedside, Claire slowly closed her eyes again. Not out of exhaustion this time, but out of peace.

***

The clock above the door read 10:02 p.m.

Outside, the city had settled into quiet night. The hospital room had quieted. Clara, Georgia, Freya, and Jonah had gone home an hour ago.

Now, the room held only three people.

Claire. Cassidy. And Zeke.

For the fourth time, Claire eyes had opened again.

Dr. Myers arrived not long after. He checked her vitals, observed her responses, then gave a small nod.

"She’s awake, but still needs plenty of rest. And keep her comfortable."

With that, he left the room.

Claire lay still, her eyes open, quiet in the dim light. Scanning the room with quiet curiosity. There was no dazed blinking or drifting off again. She was present.

Cassidy sat close to the bed, holding Claire’s hand gently in her lap. Zeke stood a few feet back, quiet, unsure where exactly he belonged in the moment.

Claire’s gaze settled on her mother first. She blinked slowly. "Mommy?" Her voice was still raspy, but a little stronger than earlier.

Cassidy leaned forward with a smile that trembled on her lips. "Yes, baby. I’m right here."

Claire stared at her for a long moment, her small fingers curling slightly around Cassidy’s.

Then her eyes drifted sideways to the tall man standing at a distance.

Her brows furrowed, just a little.

"You..." Her voice cracked, but she pushed through the whisper. "You’re the uncle who I saw at my preschool..."

Cassidy’s breath caught. Zeke blinked, frozen in place.

Claire’s brow furrowed as she studied him closer. "You told me... you know Uncle Xavi."

Zeke’s throat tightened. He tried to speak, but nothing came out.

Claire looked around the room, eyes widening. "Where is he? Why isn’t Uncle Xavi here?"

Zeke’s jaw clenched. His eyes darkened for a second, and something heavy settled in his chest.

Cassidy leaned forward, gently squeezing Claire’s hand. "Uncle Xavier came earlier. But he had to go, sweetheart."

Zeke looked away, silent. His throat worked like he was trying to swallow something bitter.

Cassidy noticed.

Claire turned to him again. Her small voice broke the tension like a pebble tossed into a still pond.

"You look sad."

Zeke’s gaze returned to her. The jealousy faded, replaced by something quieter, more tender.

"No, Claire," he said softly. "I’m just really happy you’re awake."

Claire leaned back against her pillow, her eyes wide but a little sleepy again.

"Will Uncle Xavi come tomorrow?" she asked, her voice soft, hopeful.

Cassidy gently brushed a strand of hair from her daughter’s face. "We’ll see, baby. For now, just rest, okay?"

Claire nodded slowly. Then, almost in a whisper, she added, "I miss him."

Zeke didn’t move.

The words hit harder than they should have. Claire wasn’t doing anything wrong. She was just a little girl speaking from her heart. But the ache that rose in Zeke’s chest was immediate.

She missed Xavier.

She had asked for him the moment she woke up. Because she remembered him. Because they were close. Because he had been there.

Not Zeke.

Not the man who had sat silently beside her hospital bed. Not the one who had fought to get her the best doctors. Not the one who had stood frozen in fear outside the OR. Not the one who nearly lost his mind when he thought she might not wake up.

She didn’t know.

Zeke looked down, his hands slipping into his pockets again like he needed something to hold on to. His throat tightened, and for a second, he couldn’t even swallow.

Because the truth was, he had no place in her memories. And the realization cut deeper than he was ready to admit.

Cassidy turned toward him quietly.

She saw it. The shift in his posture. The quiet devastation he was trying to bury. And her heart ached too. Because this wasn’t something she could explain away or fix.

Claire had every reason to miss Xavier. And Zeke had every reason to hurt.

Claire’s breathing had already started to slow, her lashes fluttering. And then she was asleep again.

Zeke stood still, unmoving. His gaze remained on her tiny, sleeping form.

"She doesn’t know," he said finally, his voice barely more than a breath. "She doesn’t know I’m her father."

Cassidy looked at him gently, her voice low but sure. "She will. When the time is right, we’ll tell her. And she’ll understand."

Zeke’s eyes stayed on his daughter. His jaw clenched, but he said nothing more.

***

New novel 𝓬hapters are published on fre ew𝒆bnovel.com