Snapping back to reality, Jessica placed a towel soaked in cold water on the man's forehead and leaned down to examine his face again.
She hadn't found any identification on him over the past two days; even his cellphone was missing, likely lost during the fall. Despite his bruised and battered face, it was clear that he was a man of striking appearance.
After staring at the man's face for a while, she glanced over at Danielle by the bed, her mind swirling into a brief haze, before turning her attention back to the man.
She pushed aside the damp, ink-black hair sticking to his forehead with the towel and continued to scrutinize his face.
A vague scene from around five years ago suddenly flickered through her mind.
Then, the phone on the wall cabinet's jarring ring shattered the silence. Jessica's hand trembled near the man's forehead as she hurried to answer the call.
Mackenzie's voice came through the phone, tinged with irritation: "Why did you bolt after a few drinks at the crew's Sunday night dinner? The sponsors just started warming up to you because of your performance in the last project, and you just up and left?"
Jessica glanced at Danielle, still sprawled out on the bed, then walked a bit farther away with her cell phone before speaking. "I had to rush out to pick up Danielle that night; the maid we had hired returned to her hometown, and there was no one else to pick her up."
"Don't use Danielle as a shield, Jessica. Do you think I don't know you've been dodging deliberately? All the financiers are big shots with industry clout. For a high-budget production like this, countless people are vying for the secondary female lead. You've got a chance to collaborate, and you bolt from the dinner party? Are you trying to piss me off?"
Jessica attempted to defend herself, "I did explain that I had to leave because of an emergency."
"I get that you're keeping an eye out, making sure those guys don't get handsy, but look, there's a flood of new talent barely in their twenties, all young, all beautiful, all sweet talkers. And you? You're already twenty-four! If you keep snubbing the financiers, you'll be pushed out, left with no acting career. Keeping your daughter a secret has been stressful enough for me these past few years. Can't you make things easier for me? Even if you don't want to get involved in all of that nonsense with the financiers, couldn't you handle it with a bit more tactful?"
Jessica knew Mackenzie was looking out for her. She softened her tone, "What I did before I left the other night was pretty tactful. I didn't offend anyone. The financiers were too drunk to even notice me leave. It's been two days now. Why are you so angry all of a sudden?"
"Have you not seen the news these past two days?"
"No."
"The CEO of Pegasus Global Holdings is missing. Rumor has it he was murdered. Looks like there's going to be a major shake-up in this renowned domestic conglomerate. Heaps of actresses who had any ambiguities with companies or relatives linked to the Harriman family are now using Pegasus Global Holdings as a buzzword to rub off on them. Just yesterday, Kelin snagged the lead role in 'Robots of the Universe' because of this trend. Kelin has been nipping at your heels since you started in the business, and her momentum is only growing. Sometimes, I wish I could transfer her cunning, her emotional intelligence for wooing men, into your head!"
Jessica responded with an indifferent "okay," getting straight to the point, "So did I actually offend the financiers?"
There was a slight pause at Mackenzie's end, followed by a clearing of the throat, "No."
But then Mackenzie fired back, "But you can't do this again!"
"Got it."
After hanging up, Jessica turned back to attend to Danielle, only to receive a text from Mackenzie: [Can't make it to the office today? We need to talk about some new ideas for the costume fitting for the new project, along with the details that need tweaking.]
Jessica texted back: [Let's meet tomorrow. A new rabbit just arrived at home today, all battered and bruised. I need to take care of it.]
Mackenzie: [You might as well switch careers and become a veterinarian.]
Jessica set her cell phone aside and walked towards the door, glancing at the "new bunny" on the bed who was still unconscious from severe injuries and running a high fever.
If this person died in her house, she would probably end up trending just like Mackenzie wanted, but not in a good way. The headlines would surely read: "An unidentified male body was found in D-list actress Jessica’s home ."
For three whole days, the man on the bed remained in a deep coma, only waking up on the evening of the third day.
Everything around him was unfamiliar—the stark white walls, the plain single bed, and a white teddy bear next to the bed. Gabriel Harriman's eyes were sharp and cold.
Having narrowly escaped death, he did not remember whom he had asked for help. He certainly hadn't expected to wake up in such a place.
"Wow! You're awake!" A sweet, childish voice suddenly rang out a few feet from the bed.
Danielle ran to the bedside, her cute little body clamoring onto the bed, and then flopped down next to him: "Does it still hurt?"
The sudden arrival of Danielle instantly shattered the silence of the room.
Gabriel's expression stalled as he turned to look at the little girl who'd squeezed next to him and then at her bright, sparkling eyes.
His hand, hanging on the side of the bed, moved subconsciously, but the Danielle reached out a soft little hand and pressed it against his wrist: "Mommy said you can't move when you're getting a shot, or you'll get a big swollen bump!"