As soon as they got back to the Cory Mansion, Rachel said, "It's time for us to get certain things out into the open, Lila."

"Y-yes?"

Rachel held up a wedding ring: "Do you recognize this?"

"Ah -"

"Jordan Stark gave it to me last night, thinking it was mine. Where did he get it, Lila?"

"How should Ah know?"

Rachel sighed. "Do I give the impression of being stupid? Fact: Yesterday, you tried to steal my wedding ring. Fact: Last night, Jordan Stark gave me what he thought was my ring. There's a connection between those two facts. Stark ordered you to steal my ring, didn't he?"

"Yes!" said Lila, lifting her chin in defiance.

"Why?"

"Ah don't know! Zack said it was a test of mah ingenuity."

"Zack Wilder? He works for Lumina?"

"Yes."

"And how long have You been working for Stark?"

"Ah don't wo'hk fo' him! " said Lila, "Zack said he'd help me - that he'd make Matt marry me!"

" That he'd 'make' him marry you? How?"

"Zack says, if you wawnt somethin' enough, you kin make it happen."

Rachel shook her head. "If you even Thought you were in love with Matthew, there might be some excuse for you." she said, "But you're only interested in the Cory money!"

"It's not the money!" said Lila. "Ah wawnt Jasmine to have a real home, with her mother And her father! Ah wawnt mah baby to have all the thangs Ah didn't have!"

Right on cue, they heard a baby cry.

"That's Jasmine!" said Lila, "May Ah -?"

"Yes, Go to your daughter." said Rachel. "We'll talk about this later, when Matthew gets home!" she added, as Lila ran upstairs.

****

Down at BCUH, Tito slipped into the file room. Now all he had to do was fine some nice x-rays of a brain tumor for Remy to show Nick.

****

Meanwhile, Josie had stopped by Carlino's.

"It's just terrible about Sofia!" said Paulina, "How could Lila Do a thing like that?"

"She says she didn't do it." said Josie, "She claims she had hysterics because she saw a man in dark clothes attacking Sofia."

"Do you believe her?"

"Joe doesn't." said Josie, "But we looked everywhere on the docks - we even had a police diver search the bottom of the bay, - and we didn't find a weapon. If Lila's guilty, what did she do with it?"

"Come to that, I never thought Lila was the type to do something so - violent." said Paulina.

"It was violent, all right." said Josie, "There was so much blood that you couldn't even see the leopard-skin pattern of Sofia's headscarf!"

Cindy, who was sitting at a nearby table, poking a salad with a fork, sat up straight. 'Leopard-skin?' she mouthed.

****

Tito looked around. Everything was back where it belonged, except for the one set of medical records that he was taking with him. They would never be missed! As soon as Nick saw them, he'd hand over the cash, and Tito would be on his way to Miami!

Tito went out into the corridor, just as Nick got off the elevator. He ducked out of sight in a hurry.

****

Matthew was sitting by Sofia's bed while her doctor examined her. There was a tentative knock at the door. Nick came one step into the room.

"Have I come at a bad time?" he said, "I could come back later."

"No, I'm through for the moment." said the doctor. "Come in."

Nick came farther into the room.

"Hi, Sofia." he said, "Joe said you wanted to see me."

"Nick." Sofia stretched out her hand. After a second's hesitation, Nick took hold of it.

"I - guess - we're gonna have to - postpone the wedding." said Sofia.

Nick and Matthew exchanged flabbergasted looks.

"Don't worry about it." said Nick. "You get some rest. I'll - uh - see you later."

He turned to go. "Don't I get a kiss?" said Sofia plaintively.

"Uh - sure," Nick touched his lips to the least bruised part of her cheek.

Outside the room, Nick and Matthew both turned to the doctor for an explanation.

"What the heck was that about?" said Nick, "She's talking like we're still engaged!"

"Cranial trauma has been known to cause lacunar amnesia." said the doctor.

"Huh?"

"It is not uncommon for someone who has suffered a blow to the head to lose their memory of the events immediately preceding it."

"But - Sofia's forgotten the whole last year of her life!" said Matthew.

"The condition is probably only temporary." said the doctor.

"How long before it goes away?"

"It might be hours - or days - or weeks."

"Weeks?"

"In the meantime, it's important that Sofia be kept calm and quiet. She must not be upset or agitated."

"What are you saying?" said Nick, "If Sofia thinks we're engaged, I should just go along with it?"

"You can forget that idea right now!" said Matthew.

"Mr Cory, what is more important?" said the doctor, "Sofia's health - or your pride?"

Note: Originally, I was going to have Sofia be killed, but this is better (:-D)