Chapter 82 - 50 Percent Survival Rate

[Megan’s dream while she was asleep beside Marco.]

It'd been two months since I had an encounter with a man who looked just like him. That was the last time I saw him and never followed him again. I would have liked to find him because based on his uniform, it looked like he was one of the employees of our company rival, but it was difficult because I didn't know his name. I didn't know him.

He was like in my dream, searching but with no clue how to.

Actually, I didn't have to blame that stranger in my dream because he didn't tell me to look for him. But since curiosity kills the cat, I was still doing it even though I felt like I was about to give up.

"Is that what you're reviewing for the meeting later?" Amy asked me when she put down my coffee on the table.

"Yes." I simply answered her without looking at her.

"Oh, I see. Running for president is really different," she told me laughing and I could even hear her whistling.

What's with her?

I frowned at her and raised my eyebrows. "What are you up to?" I asked her.

She raised a brow and walked around the table. "Nothing. Are you seriously don't want to date someone? How are you and Mr. Logan Saavedra?"

I was stunned for a minute because of what she said. I simply shook my head and started reviewing the papers again. "He's a complete jerk, Amy. Stop mentioning him or I'll fire you."

I could hear her laugh, so I just rolled my eyes.

"But what about him?" she said with a laugh and put the paper in front of my face.

I took that paper from her and hid it in my notebook.

"It's impossible."

"What? No! What's the news about the guy who looks like him? You haven't seen him?" she asked again.

I just shook my head at her and continued reading.

"It's a pity. It's weird. It's like it's just your dream. Until now, you haven't dreamed of him again?"

I heard her chewing that sound. I frowned as I couldn't think of every word in the book I was reading.

Disgusted, I closed it and looked at Amy. "What should I do? I still want to find him."

"I don't know. What is it? Even though that guy looks like him, he didn't show up either. What if you wait for him on that terminal?"

I put my hand on the side of my head. "I'm doing that every time I commute, Amy. That's why I don't go with you often anymore, right? But nothing really." I sadly told her.

I looked away from her. For a moment, I was stunned by the absence and immediately turned to Amy.

"Hey!"

I blinked quickly because someone hit my arm almost knocking me down.

"Sorry, miss. I'm in a hurry. The jeep is about to leave. Are you going to ride?" he hurriedly told me.

My eyes almost went out when I saw him in uniform, sweating while holding a black office bag that was quite large.

Shit!

"Oh! You're dumbfounded again. Let's go," he said laughing, and pulled me up to the jeep.

My mouth fell open for a moment and I calmed myself down.

Don't be too obvious, Megan. You're embarrassing!

"Here's our fare. Those are for two." I heard what he said so I immediately panicked.

"Hey, never mind. I have money." I shyly told him.

I was about to get my purse but I stopped when he held my hand.

"Don't. Go ahead, just think about it. It can't be taken back."

I could feel the intense heat all over my face so I just bowed down.

If before he was just across from me, now he was next to me. It was still crowded. And I was starting to fear that he might hear my chest pounding.

"Don't tell me, you were like that until you came down? Can you speak?" I heard him say so I looked at him hesitantly.

"Huh?"

I saw his smile more closely, which was the same as his, so I was terrified. It seems that I am currently looking at his face.. again. But this time, not in a dream.

"Where are you going to get off?" he asked.

I cleared my throat and simply peeked outside. "Third corner from here," I said to him.

I winced when his arm collided with mine again.

"Okay," he said and adjusted his grip on his plates.

I wanted to ask him if it was all his but I chose to keep quiet.

Later, I frowned when we passed where he was supposed to get off but still, he didn't care so I couldn't stop myself from touching him.

"Why?" he asked and almost his whole body was facing me so I simply backed away.

"Y-You're over it," I told him several times but he just smiled and looked ahead again.

I was not even answered. I couldn't see his expression so I just shrugged. Maybe he would go through something like that.

"Fare!"

I turned to the man next to me and handed over his payment then turned back to the front. "They say it's paid."

I saw his face again when he faced me and reached for the payment of the man next to me. He slightly smiled at me and turned back to the front.

"They say it's paid," he said.

I prepared myself to get off because our corner was near. I was about to speak to stop when he came to our corner but he got ahead of me.

"That's right!" he said almost shouting so that everyone could hear it.

My mouth fell open when he grabbed my wrist and grinned. "Let's go," he said and made me go down first.

I noticed the pain of a not-so-old woman and whispered. "Today's young people. It's time to have sex."

"Where are yours?" he asked when we got off so I looked at him.

"Why?" I will ask. He adjusted the grip of the plates he was holding and then continued walking. "I'm going to take you. Take it back for bumping into you," he told me jokingly.

I don't know if I should slow down or speed up like I planned because it's getting dark.

"That might make you late," I told him and took out my phone to text my father.

"It's okay. I'm used to spending the night. I have a group here in your neighborhood. I'll pass her plates to her." He answered me in a wordless manner so I just nodded.

"I haven't seen you in a while. I guess, you're busy. You're the heiress of the Hidalgo Empire, aren't you? The one and only Megan Hidalgo."

I suddenly felt butterflies in my stomach when he said that. It suddenly felt warm around even though it was windy today. I also felt like I was turning red.

He knew me. How?

"H-how did you know me?" I stammered to him.

He shook his head. My whole face got hotter when I saw his smile.

"Of course! Who wouldn't recognize you? Your family is famous around the world. I'm sure, you know that. That's why I was also surprised when I first got to ride with you in the jeep. I never thought . . ."

"You never thought I also commute?" I asked him laughing.

If I ever tripped now while walking, I wouldn't blame anyone. I just couldn't stop staring at him because it might be a long time before I saw him again.

He looked at me but also looked away. He was still wearing that beautiful smile. It was amazing.

"Well, I just thought you weren't the kind of girl I expected. Everyone said you were grumpy," he said and continued to face me so I stopped walking.

When we arrived at our gate, I was nervous that my father might see us.

"J-just here," I said to him.

His smile widened as he continued to stare at me. I turned to our house and saw Dad walking through the door, making me even more nervous.

"W-what.. why?"

I looked away when I found him still staring at me. I tightened my grip on the strap of my bag.

"You're beautiful." I heard what he said so I looked at him again. He was looking at our house while smiling. "H-huh? W-what.."

"Nothing. I said, go ahead. Come in." he said without looking at me.

I didn't move him anymore because it felt like there was a galloping horse in my chest. I quickly walked to our gate and opened it. I was about to go inside when he called me again so I looked at him again.

"W-why?"

"I'm Javier. See you tomorrow, Megan," he said then he waved at me.

~~

[Hospital].

Javier was startled awake as he felt his body ache. When he opened his eyes, Dr. De Silva immediately greeted him, prompting him to sit down.

"Hello, sir..."

"It's okay. Stay down." His doctor restrained him, trying to make him lie back down, but he just shook his head.

"I'm okay."

Weakened, Javier leaned back against the headboard of the hospital bed, meeting his doctor's sharp gaze.

Javier couldn't remember what had happened before he lost consciousness. All he knew was that he had spoken to Ava, and then nothing.

"You are one stubborn bastard," Dr. De Silva scolded him.

Javier's flushed face turned away, then he managed a bitter smile.

"Yvo asked me to beat you up. Where should I beat you so you can come to your senses?"

Javier winced at his doctor's words, not knowing what to say. Besides, he felt weak and couldn't think straight anymore.

“Your surgery has been scheduled for tomorrow morning. You can’t wait any longer. Thanks to your stupidity your prognosis is 50 percent with a little bit of doctor’s exaggeration.” Dr. De Silva continued to talk to him while his mind was flying.

In an instant, Javier felt a whirlwind of emotions in his heart.

Fear, apprehension, pain, resentment, and anger.

“Aren’t you scared?” Dr. De Silva asked him.

But Javier didn’t think of any but Megan.

“I thought I would be scared, but… I’m okay unlike I expected,” he confessed.

Dr. De Silva just nodded and smiled at him sadly.

“Is there anything you’d like to do before you die?” Javier’s smile faded when he heard that question from the old man, so he looked at him.

“Anybody you’d like to see one last time? Maybe some money to collect? If you haven’t confessed your love yet, go do it now. I will give you a special permit.”

Megan immediately crossed Javier's mind. He was momentarily stunned before he chuckled.

“Why are you laughing?”

“Do you really want to threaten your patient like that? My survival rate is almost fifty percent. Why do you keep saying that I might die?” Javier chuckled and shook his head.

“Because I like it. Do you have a problem with that?”

At that moment, they both burst into laughter. Shortly after, Dr. De Silva stood up and bid farewell to him.

"Get some rest."

Javier just looked at him, but before he could leave the room, Dr. De Silva faced him once again.

“What I’ve regretted the most recently is that I agreed to treat Megan Hidalgo at your request.”

Javier was taken aback when he heard that. Anger was evident in his doctor's and former professor's eyes as he looked at him.

“Knowing that she would go after you once she recovered her memories. I didn’t even stop it. I was rather helping… telling myself that it was my responsibility as a physician,” Dr. De Silva stated with firm regret.

Javier’s heart sank. He didn't understand why he felt this way. He hadn't anticipated that his condition would have this effect on the elderly doctor, especially since back when he was still a student, the doctor had been tough on him.

Dr. De Silva pointed his finger at Javier. “You make sure you survive the surgery. Survive and… let’s do a proper match-up with me.”