Chapter 18
A gentle breeze drifted through the open window, carrying the scent of rain-soaked earth and the distant chorus of birds waking to the world. Kathy beneath her blanket, letting the quiet moment linger, the muted light painting soft shadows against the walls. She watched Anthony, peaceful in his sleep, his chest rising and falling in time with the hush of the morning. For a while, the world was only the two of them, suspended in the hush that comes before the day truly begins. In that silence, Kathy felt a sense of hope she couldn’t quite name—a promise folded into the clouds above, waiting to unfold as the hours passed. The nurse came into the room again to check on her to see Kathy finally sit up in the bed.
“Good morning, how are you feeling?” asked the nurse
"It's a beautiful morning, but rain's on its way," Kathy said, "look at those clouds rolling in."
Yes, there's a lot for Mother Nature to do. Do you have an appetite?” questioned Nurse
“Yes, I can eat anything,” said Kathy, her stomach rumbling with hunger.
“Here is the menu—please select your items, and I will write down your order.”
“Thank you,”
Kathy perused the menu, hoping to find something light to start with, avoiding anything too heavy.
“I'd like miso soup, chicken dumplings, and a bottle of water, please.”
"Excellent choice! I'll bring it to you shortly."
The nurse departed from the room. Anthony is sleeping soundly; he must be exhausted. Last night, the nurse told Kathy that she had been unconscious for three days. Her last memory is of being on the ground, covered in blood; now, she's in the hospital, having been in Anthony's lap. Kathy worried about the hospital bill, looked around for her bag but couldn't find it. Hopefully, she didn't lose it somewhere in the woods. She looked to her right and saw her bag sitting on the nightstand. As she walked toward him, Anthony opened his eyes, reaching for it.
“You are now conscious. Are you feeling any pain or hunger?”
"No, Anthony, I'm fine. I just need my bag so I can call my boss and tell him I'm okay."
Kathy checked her phone and saw numerous messages from her father, sisters, and colleagues. She began with the group chat.
“Good morning, boss and colleagues. I'm doing fine, just recovering in the hospital. I hope everything's alright without me. I don't know when I'll be back at work. I want my men to protect the women you're working with. Stay safe, and I'll return one day.”
Everyone responds to messages; then, as the nurse arrived with her food tray, her phone rang—it was her boss.
“Yes, boss. What is it?”
“I'm so glad you're alive and recovering; don't worry about returning to work, you'll still be paid. Your husband told me about your accident.”
“Thanks,”
Kathy hung up the phone, and Anthony came to sit beside her on the bed. As she lifted the lids from the tray, the aroma of the soup made her mouth water, and she tasted it before calling. It looked and tasted delicious; it was light as well. After eating a piece of chicken dumpling, she thought it was very good, but she felt Anthony’s gaze upon her while she ate. He sat beside her on the bed, placing a hand on her waist as if she might vanish. While she is eating her breakfast. Miles brought Anthony's reports into the room. As he read the paperwork, she gazed into his golden eyes, wondering if they had both been deceiving themselves, even about the images shown to her while unconscious. After eating breakfast, she examined her left arm's cast. With his golden eyes on Kathy, Anthony gently covered her hand with his.
“You should be with your family; I'm fine being alone.”
"Rest easy, you're staying put until you recover." We're all very busy helping my brother right now.
“Please be truthful with me, Anthony. Are you blind?”
"Yes, I may be blind, but through my wolf Max's eyes, I can see everything. Beta Miles is the only one who knows about this secret."
"Whenever you mention Beta, others immediately reference Alpha. Can you explain the meaning of that?”
“I will explain everything to you,” he said, his voice low and serious.
Kathy wasn't surprised by Anthony's explanation; she had a secret of her own, waiting until she found her mother's diary at her father's house. Kathy feigned marriage to Anthony, only to end their pretend relationship and cut off all ties. To escape her father's pressure, she'll marry Harvey Crawford, a decision that will deeply hurt Anthony given his efforts on her behalf.
"Kathy, what's going through your head?"
“Um…. when I get release from the hospital. Can we go to my father house to get my things,”
“Anything that you want. You must be tried won’t you get some sleep. I will come back later.”
You're right, I am exhausted.
Anthony kissed Kathy's forehead to help her rest; he moved a table to make room for her, then left after she saw him talking to a guard who would stand outside her room. But she needs to find a way to leave the hospital without the guards seeing her leave her room.
The room grew still, and a slow heat spread beneath Kathy's skin, an unpleasant warmth echoing the strange shower incident from before. Beads of sweat gathered at her brow. Throwing off the blanket, she yearned for some cool air. She tried to stand, but swayed and fell to the floor, the IV dislodging and causing a small amount of bleeding. Not wanting to call for help, she crawled to the bathroom, luckily managing to open the door and pull herself inside before somehow closing it behind her, despite her weakness. Kathy lay on the cold floor, hoping to cool down.