Chapter 3: Saved by a stranger

The first voice Camilla heard when she gained consciousness was from a doctor.

"She will be fine. She's just under a lot of stress and extremely fatigued. She will need a lot of rest."

Another voice spoke out. "I was so close to hitting her." From the sound of his voice, he seemed relieved that she was okay.

"You're lucky the car stopped just in time." The doctor replied. "It would have been a fatal accident. Do you know if she has any relatives we could reach out to?"

"We don't know her." The other man spoke again. "I was driving too fast and almost didn't see her in the middle of the road. I don't even know who she is."

There was a short bout of silence, and then the doctor spoke out.

"I really appreciate your help in bringing her here, Mr Donovan. I know how risky this is for you. We will get in touch with her family if they live in the city."

Mr Donovan. The name sounded strangely familiar to Camilla. She waited for him to speak.

He did after a while. His voice was musical, deep and alluring to the ears, with a raspy tinge. His words were unrushed, and it flowed out like honey.

"I did what every good citizen would do." He said, brushing the doctor's gratitude aside. "Consider her medical expenses covered, Doctor Steven. Good day."

Suddenly realizing that he was leaving, Camilla tried to open her eyes. She wanted to thank him for rescuing her, and bringing her to the hospital. She wanted to see the face of the man who saved her.

But her body remained weak and exhausted. Opening her eyes was so difficult. She finally managed to crack her eyelids open.

She saw the doctor who was wearing a white coat, with a stethoscope around his neck. Beside him was a much younger man, with curly brown hair, wearing a pair of glasses. She knew immediately that he was the driver who almost hit her.

And then her gaze moved over to the third man. He was tall, with wide broad shoulders, enclosed in a perfect tailored tux. He turned towards her and she could the side of his face. Before she could make out what he looked like, he turned away and stepped out of the room, followed by the doctor.

Camilla then shut her eyes as exhaustion took hold of her. She hadn't been able to see his face and she regretted it because she wouldn't be able to thank him personally.

She slipped into a deep slumber, with the stranger's deep voice resounding within her.

...

Derek stood by the door of the VIP ward, staring at the pale, blonde woman on the bed.

She looked like she had gone through hell. He remembered how she had staggered unto the highway, dragging a box behind her. He remembered jerking forward on his seat when she suddenly collapsed.

Jeremy, his assistant, had been on high speed, and it was by sheer luck that the cadillac didn't climb over her.

Before he left the ward, he cast one last look at her. He saw her open her eyes and look around. She had the bluest eyes he had ever seen, like the colour of the ocean. When she looked towards him, he turned away and exited the room abruptly.

He had done the right thing by saving her and covering her hospital expenses. But he couldn't let her see him. He couldn't risk the press discovering it.

Imagine the headlines– Billionaire CEO and most sought-after bachelor, Derek Donovan, heroically saves helpless woman from impending car crash.

They would twist the entire story and it would rouse a lot of unwanted question. If there was one thing Derek hated, it was the attention of the paparazzi and the media.

That was why he did everything he could to steer clear of their radar.

"Boss, I'm awfully sorry for this." Jeremy pleaded as they walked towards the car. "I wasn't looking..."

"Forget it Jer." Derek replied, slipping into the back seat of the car. "Accidents happen. Be grateful this didn't turn out worse. Now let's get out of here before anyone else recognizes me."

"Yes boss." Jeremy chuckled and started the car. With a screech of tires, he sped out of the hospital.

Derek leaned back on the headrest and shut his eyes. He had to meet up with his mother for lunch and he didn't want to arrive late.

When he let his thoughts trail off, the image of the blonde woman with blue eyes appeared before him and he snapped his eyes open.

What the hell? Why we he still thinking about her? It was unlike him.

He grabbed the bottle of vodka on the cupholder beside him and took a long drink. The harsh taste cleared his mind and pushed the image of the woman away.

Woman were off-limits to him, and he intended to keep it that way.

...

Days later, Camilla finally felt completely better and well enough to leave the hospital.

Doctor Steven checked her vitals and ran some final tests until he was sure she was perfectly okay.

"You're under a lot of stress, Miss Rosenberg." He said, taking off his glasses. "Try to take some days off work, or whatever it is you're doing."

Camilla didn't have the heart to tell him why she was so stressed, so she just nodded.

"We couldn't get a hold of your family." The doctor continued. "Do you have someone you can call to come pick you up?"

"No." Camilla said, shaking her head. Who could she call? Nick? She would rather take her own life than call the man who was the cause of her predicament.

"You need someone to come drive you home. I wouldn't advise you driving on your own."

"My sister lives a few blocks away." Camilla lied, hoping the doctor wouldn't keep questioning her. "I can go over to her place and have her drive me home."

"Alright then. Remember to get a lot of rest."

"Thank you doctor." Camilla said softly. Then she looked up and a small frown creased her brow. "Doctor Steven, can I ask you something?"

"Yes, Miss Rosenberg?"

"The man who saved me and brought me here, do you know who he is? I would like to thank him."

"I'm sorry Miss Rosenberg, but he requested to be kept anonymous." Doctor Steven said with a warm smile. "If you want, I can help you deliver whatever message you would like to pass across to him."

Camilla sighed. She didn't have any message to pass across. She just wanted to thank him for his generosity.

"Just tell him I'm grateful for his help." She said and quietly left the hospital with her box.

She had nowhere to go, and only had a few dollars left in her purse. No family. No home. No place to sleep.

And it was all because of Nick Sinclair.

She walked for a few minutes before stopping to rest by the side of an alley. Tears threatened to pour from her eyes but she held them back. She wouldn't shed a single tear for the bastard. He wasn't worth it.

All she had to do was find a safe place to sleep for the night.

Suddenly someone grabbed her and dragged her into the alley.