He is sick

The tall, obstinate trees swayed gently in the light breeze and the sounds of passing birds as the dew on their leaves kissed the morning sun. The curtains in the white-painted room lifted a speck, and sunbeams fell on the sleeping man on the bed. His eyes quivered twice as he heard greetings from his associates. The first view he saw was not the beautiful one he dreamed about every night, but a white ceiling, and he realized he was in a hospital room.

"What am I doing here?"

His voice was croaked, and his head was heavy. A dull pain throbbed in his neck.

"Boss, we found you unconscious last night. You had a fever, the doctors said, you need to stay under observation and rest for a few days."

He was taken aback. The night before, he remembered seeing her, holding her in his arms. It felt so real. How did he end up fainting in the street? Where had she gone? Was it all just a dream? No, it couldn't be. he felt her warmth and heard her voice calling his name in the cold, wet night. It was too vivid to be an illusion. But then, where had she disappeared to?

"Have you seen anyone around? " He asked, his voice still weak.

"No, you were lying on the ground, and nobody else was there." James shook his head.

James had left to get him a cup of coffee, but when he returned, the man was gone. He searched everywhere,  but couldn't find him. Checking the surveillance footage, he saw him running downstairs about an hour earlier. Concerned, James went down and found his car still in the garage. After looking around, he discovered him near the fountain, lying on the ground. What had driven him to jog here in the middle of the night?

"Give me the surveillance footage from the last night," Iden demanded, wanting to verify something.

"Boss, I checked the cameras last night, but the ones in the streets and gardens are not working."

He ran his hands through his thick and shiny black hair in frustration, and their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of a woman. She looked elegant her sense of style demonstrated her family's wealth, and she was set to marry the most nobleman in the country.

"I brought black chicken soup and breakfast. I cooked it for the entire morning." She set the most exquisite, unimaginably expensive breakfast on the table. She did not want to miss anything, unsure of his preference. 

"Why don't you take care of yourself? I am really angry." She pouted like a spoiled child. She approached him trying to help him sit up, but she was stopped,  by a bodyguard who entered with the nurse.

The nurse wheeled in a medical cart and approached him. She gently leaned in to take his temperature and adjusted his pillow. 'This smell, the scent of her collagen, is very familiar'. He closed his eyes, breathed it in, as she held his hand to insert an IV drop.

His eyes snapped open at her gentle touch, electrifying him.  He stroked the place where she touched with his thumb, his gaze never leaving her busy figure. She never lifted her eyes at him or anyone else.

His eyes trailed her as she turned back. Her eyes swept across the breakfast table. She pushed her cart and spoke under the mask." At this time, anything but porridge will be detrimental to his health." She proceeded without looking back. Leaving the astounded man behind.

"Halt" Iden snapped, his voice cutting through the room

"Stop her!" he yelled again, yanking out the IV drip. That voice -it was unmistakable. Even in death, he could never forget it. It's her.  His steps were unsteady and clumsy.

"Iden don’t move. " Aana shouted, trying to hold him back. He pushed past her dashing outside.

"Ellaya," he called, spotting the nurse moving forward with her cart. He ran after her, grabbed her arm, and yanked the white mask. The young nurse was terrified, her eyes wide with fear and awe.

"I apologize," he muttered, realizing she wasn't Ellaya.

She was not her, someone else. Once again, he was duped and left with a question mark. However, he was certain: the woman from last night and the nurse, or those purplish eyes, were real and not just a dream.

She was nearby, hiding her presence, somewhere around him. Nonetheless, he vowed, he would find her and deal with her with her as he saw fit. This time, instead of letting his emotion take over, he calmly returned to his room.

In the dark utility room, Ellaya's knees gave away and she slid to the floor. She was still wearing nurse's clothes. She did not sob or cry but could not even control her tears. Last night, she was so caught up in her memories that she had no idea he had appeared in front of her and hugged her. For a brief moment, she forgot about her own presence and reminisced about the past, hugging him back and calling his name as she had done years ago.

 Reality hit her hard and she quickly inserted a needle into the pressure point causing him to lose consciousness. She dragged him to the flowerbed and waited for James to find him. Hiding under a tree, she watched him taken to the hospital but couldn't bring herself to follow. She promised herself, she would never cry for this man again, but his simple hug proved her wrong. Sitting under the tree, she cried all night. When the sun rose again the logging to see him bring her to the hospital. She knocked out a nurse and took her place.

Her cell phone beeped, shattering the silence of the utility room. As she read the message, her heartbeat quickened: "You will regret your life if you do not show up."