Chapter 108
When I woke up again, the lights were dim, and someone seemed to be curled up sleeping beside me.
I wasn't too surprised, because it was a familiar feeling. I knew who was lying next to me.
The moment I moved slightly, Oscar woke up right away: "Emily? Are you awake?"
He slowly sat up and got out of bed, turning to look at me in the dim yellow light: "You slept for quite a while. How are you feeling now? Do you want some water?"
Though my throat was still hoarse and painful, I finally managed to make a sound: "Oscar—"
Oscar's voice was excited: "It's me, Emily. I'm here. Don't be scared, I've been here all along."
I nodded at him and asked in a hoarse voice: "I... want some water."
Oscar brightened the lights a bit. In the light, I could see his eyes glistening: "Okay, I'll get you some right away. Just wait."
As he spoke, he quickly got out of bed. This fool—had he forgotten about his own injuries? Couldn't he move a little more carefully? Yesterday, even the slightest movement made him uncomfortable for a long time. He really wasn't afraid of his wounds opening up.
I wanted to remind him, but he had already brought over warm water at just the right temperature, carefully feeding it to my lips with a spoon: "Be careful, it's hot. Take it slow."
The warm water slowly slid down my throat, and I felt much better.
Oscar didn't give me too much. After a few sips, he put the cup aside: "The doctor said you can't drink too much at once. Rest well, and tell me if you feel uncomfortable anywhere."
I gave him a small smile and asked softly, "Why didn't you go home? Don't forget you're a patient too."
Oscar held my hand while reaching out to stroke my somewhat messy hair: "You're my fiancée. If I don't stay with you, who will? Only when I'm by your side do I feel at ease, even if it's just sitting here watching you sleep."
After a moment, he couldn't help but smile bitterly: "We've really had bad luck lately, one after another ending up in the hospital. Do you think we should go pray together?"
The way he said it made me laugh too, though my chest felt a bit tight.
Seeing me frown, Oscar immediately asked anxiously: "What's wrong? Where does it hurt? I'll call the doctor."
I tugged at his hand and shook my head, saying in broken phrases: "I'm fine, you should rest."
Oscar looked at me with a smile: "I'll rest after I watch you fall asleep. Sleep peacefully, I'm right here with you."
I smiled at him slightly, but didn't fall asleep right away. I seemed to have slept too long already. Now, my mind was completely clear.
"Where's Michael?" I asked in a weak voice.
Oscar nodded: "He came by yesterday for a bit. After seeing you were asleep, he left."
Seeing his worried expression, I felt I should comfort him instead: "Everything's fine now. Don't overthink it."
He pulled my hand over and pressed my palm against his face, as if still shaken: "How can I not overthink it? I almost never saw you again. You don't know how scared I was when I got Michael's call. Thank goodness..."
His eyes reddened again, his voice choking up.
I reached out and gently pinched his cheek: "Oscar, if you keep this up, I'm going to make fun of you."
Oscar brought my hand to his lips and kissed it gently. The tingling sensation in my palm instantly spread through my whole body. I wanted to pull back, but he held on tightly, not giving me any room to retreat.
"Emily, I just want you to know that you are my life. You can't have anything happen to you. If anyone tries to hurt you, even if I have to sacrifice my own life, I'll make them pay dearly."
Watching him speak so earnestly, I felt warm inside. It seemed no one had ever cared about me this much. When these words came from his mouth, I didn't think he was just trying to sweet-talk me. If he could say it, he could do it.
I just kept looking at him without saying anything. He got a bit anxious and pulled my hand to place it over his heart: "Everything I'm saying is true. If there's one lie..."
I tugged at his hand. Oscar really was something—knowing how weak I was right now, yet still forcing me to respond: "I believe you, I believe you."
We've had some bad luck lately; we can't have any more bad things happen. We shouldn't even say such things.
Oscar broke into a big smile, beaming brightly. We looked at each other, and many words didn't need to be spoken.
When daylight came, I was taken for various tests again. When I returned after the tests, people started coming to the hospital room in waves.
Robert came first. He looked at me with concern, frowning: "Oscar told me you're okay now. I shouldn't have been kept in the dark yesterday..."
Oscar quickly answered for me: "We didn't tell you because we were afraid you'd worry."
Robert sighed: "I need to find a fortune teller to check if that house has ghosts haunting it. How can so many things keep going wrong, one after another? Emily, when you're discharged this time, move directly to the villa next door. I'll have everything prepared for you guys when I get back. Whatever you need at the hospital, I'll have the butler bring it over."
I smiled and thanked him: "Thank you."
"Why are you thanking me? We're all family."
Right after Robert left, Gregory came to the hospital again.
"Uncle Oscar, how is Emily?" As soon as Gregory came in, he wanted to come to my bedside to ask, but seeing Oscar blocking his way, he stopped in his tracks and forced a smile as he asked.
Oscar's voice was flat: "Why are you here again?"
Gregory pressed his lips together, not daring to meet Oscar's eyes, his hanging hand slowly clenching: "Uncle Oscar, I just wanted to see how she's doing."
Oscar glanced at him coolly: "She's your elder. It's appropriate for you to show some concern, but don't overdo it, or people will get the wrong idea."
Gregory's face turned red. He looked at me in the hospital bed, pressing his lips together, not knowing what to say.
Oscar casually sat by my bedside and turned to look at Gregory: "If there's nothing else, you should go to the company. I heard there's a lot going on at the company lately. You should focus your attention there."
I quietly tugged at Oscar's clothes and smiled weakly at Gregory: "Gregory, both the Brown Group and SoftGlow Biotech have partnerships with The Novagen Group. Right now, I can't manage company matters temporarily, so I'm counting on you for work."
The awkward expression on Gregory's face disappeared. He stepped forward, his eyes bright as he said to me, "Don't worry, you don't need to worry about the company. With me there, everything will be fine."
Oscar wanted to say something, but I stopped him with a look. He swallowed the words he was about to say, just reached out to tuck in my blanket, and lowered his head without saying more.