Wyneth said, "Hang in there a little longer. Once we find the doctor, you can take a break." Then, unsure if Hayden had caught her words, she asked, "Did you hear me?"Hayden gave a soft chuckle. "Yep." Rising to his feet after their brief rest, he felt much better. Though he took some support from Wyneth, it was not much. She braced herself, ready to help."You can lean on me more if you need to," Wyneth offered.Hayden smirked. "I'm not sure you'd manage if I leaned in completely."Wyneth thought she heard a flirty tone in what was a simple comment. She gave him a questioning look. But seeing Hayden's drooping eyes and gaunt face—even with his mask on—she realized how sick he was. He looked really tired, so she doubted he meant to flirt. Shrugging it off, Wyneth continued to help him.Despite their masks, the pair could not hide their striking looks and got many curious glances. Wyneth kept her head low, hoping to avoid recognition. In a crowded spot, Hayden opened his coat wide
Wyneth walked forward, leaning slightly on Hayden. As they moved through the bustling hospital, many eyes were drawn to them. Despite wearing a mask, Hayden's handsome features made him stand out. Some, recognizing him, discreetly snapped pictures. Onlookers also noticed a woman tucked inside Hayden's coat with only the hem of a theatrical costume peeking out. Her face, however, remained hidden.'Stage costume? Is she an actress too?'"Are we there yet?" Wyneth, feeling like she had been under Hayden's coat forever without seeing their path, asked, "Why is it taking so long? You sure you know where we're going?"Hayden smiled slightly. "Yeah, we're almost there.""Oh." Wyneth just kept pace with him.It seemed like an eternity before Wyneth heard Hayden say, "We're here."'We're here?' She cautiously peeked from the coat. Everything was silent around them; it looked like they were alone. Hayden quietly watched her as she took in the surroundings. When their eyes locked, she notic
Wyneth was speechless. 'So it wasn't only Hayden who couldn't recognize me.'"Hey, Hayden," Simeon said, eyeing Wyneth's outfit. "Is she wearing a costume? Is she one of your actresses? When did you guys get such a pretty actress?" Simeon remembered some good-looking performers from Hayden's company, but there was something unique about Wyneth's beauty. Just one look at her, and it felt like the whole room lit up.Hayden did not respond. He looked even more drained after Wyneth mentioned "Simo". 'Why does she sound so friendly with him? Earlier, didn't she just call me by my first name, Hayden?' Trying to keep his composure, he said to Simeon, "I'm here to see you, not to answer a bunch of questions."Simeon, catching on to Hayden's ill appearance, quickly lost his joking mood. "You okay?" He slipped off his lab coat. "Come on, we should get you checked."Hayden turned to Wyneth. "Stay here.""But you're with Simo," Wyneth replied, eyes widening. "I should head back to the set."
Simeon gave Wyneth a once-over and asked with a grin, "Why did you call me Simo? Do we know each other? I don't remember ever meeting someone as beautiful as you."Wyneth rolled her eyes at his comment. "Where's Hayden?" She quickly changed the subject."He's in one of the hospital rooms," Simeon replied.Wyneth frowned. "He's been admitted?" 'This is serious.'"Yeah, he passed out right after we left," Simeon added.Wyneth's face paled. "Passed out? What happened to him?""He had a stomach bleed." Simeon, now relaxed after Hayden was settled, said, "How do you know me?"Growing impatient, Wyneth asked, "Which room is he in?""I'll take you there," Simeon offered.As Wyneth adjusted her face mask and followed him, Simeon teased, "Do you work for Hayden's company? How do you know him? I've never seen him this close to any woman. Do you like him? Or does he like you?"Wyneth was quickly getting tired of Simeon's chatter."Oh, right, why did you call me Simo?"She sighed. "Sim
Wyneth's concern stemmed from the three years Hayden had spent in a coma; she had to watch him in that state every day.Seeing her worried expression, Simeon reassured her, "He's just unconscious right now. He'll come around soon. There's no need to panic.""He had internal bleeding in his stomach and you say 'there's no need to panic'?" Wyneth shot him a displeased look.Simeon replied, "Exactly, there's no need. Catching these issues early is key. With the right hospital care and a few dietary changes afterward, he'll be just fine."Wyneth was still worried, especially remembering how long it took for Hayden to wake up before.Simeon, seeming unaware of the mood, said, "Hey, didn't you mention you were heading out earlier? I can stay with him. You should go."Wyneth rolled her eyes. Instead of snapping at him, she asked, "Aren't you supposed to be working?""Not today. With Hayden in this condition, I arranged for a colleague to cover my shift. I'll be here for anything he nee
"Let go."Distracted, Hayden did not respond right away to Wyneth's gesture for him to let go. He gazed at her, his eyes shadowed with exhaustion."I won't."Wyneth's eyes flashed with impatience. "If you don't let go, I'm going back to the set." Not waiting for a response, she added, "You know what was said earlier. I'm not a doctor. Staying here won't help you."Hayden gave Simeon a resentful look. Caught off guard, Simeon rubbed his chin, trying to decipher the sudden tension. After a moment of hesitation, Hayden finally released his grip."Fine, you two can exchange numbers," Hayden conceded.Wyneth and Simeon quickly shared their contact info. Once they had exchanged numbers, Simeon asked with a grin, "Wyn, are you working at Hayden's company now?""No," Wyneth replied, shaking her head. "I'm not involved with his company."Hayden fixed his gaze on her, a hint of earnestness in his eyes. "Didn't you once ask for my company? I was ready to hand it over."She raised an eyeb
"Let's not bring up the past," Wyneth said.Noticing the change in Wyneth's expression, Simeon quickly glanced at Hayden, catching his furious look. Understanding that he might be going too far with his jokes, Simeon said, "I just remembered there's some urgent work I need to take care of. Can you stay with Hayden for an hour? I promise I'll be back as soon as I finish."Wyneth's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "I thought you mentioned someone else was taking over for you?""Yeah, someone's covering my shift, but there's a patient with a unique situation. I'd really feel better checking on them myself.""Really?""You don't believe me?" Simeon said, holding up his hands. "Why don't you come with me? We can have a nurse stay with Hayden. But nurses can't always be around; they're busy." With a grin, Simeon thought, 'Didn't I make it obvious enough for her?'Wyneth gave him a quick look, then sighed. "Fine, I'll stay here, but hurry back.""Sure thing. I'm heading out." As he moved to
'Nervous?' Wyneth looked at Hayden, trying to grasp what he meant. "Who's nervous?" she shot back, her tone sharp. Pulling her hand away, her face became stern. "I'm here because you're sick, covering for Simo. But when he returns, I'm out of here."Wyneth tried to center herself. 'I can't believe I panicked like that. It took Hayden pointing it out for me to even notice.' She knew she could not go back to how things were before. The last three years had deeply affected her. Just seeing Hayden in bed brought back fears of him not waking up, trapping her in a cycle of endless waiting and dwindling hope. She dreaded those moments, especially when she was alone in the hospital room. Thankfully, she had now snapped out of it.Hayden noticed her reaction to his words. He pressed his lips together as the room returned to silence. Deep sadness settled in Hayden's heart. Though he had hoped his illness would gain her sympathy, receiving it did not lift his spirits. The gap between them seeme