Part 53

Antony returned to the house and headed straight to the kitchen, looking for utensils before transferring the porridge he had bought into a bowl and placing it on a tray along with a glass of warm water that he had poured from the dispenser.

Claire was still lying with her back to the door. The girl's body seemed to be shivering slightly, and her breaths appeared short and shallow. Antony set the tray on the nightstand and then touched the back of his hand to Claire's forehead.

Hot. It seemed he would have to force her to go to the hospital this time.

"Claire, eat your breakfast first," Antony said, touching the girl's shoulder. Claire let out a soft groan but then turned to look at Antony. "I ordered your porridge just the way you like it," he said. Claire furrowed her brow. "I called Flavia, and she said to just say 'Aunty C's porridge,' and the vendor would understand," Antony explained plainly.

"You shouldn't have..."

"I didn't tell Flavia that you were sick and staying here, so don't worry," Antony answered Claire's unspoken question.

He helped Claire sit up and lean against the headboard. He then picked up the porridge and was about to feed it to her, but Claire refused.

"I'm not that weak," she said softly.

Antony knew that Claire didn't have the strength to argue with him. However, the girl always found a way to reject whatever he wanted to do. But Antony couldn't just give up. Every desire had to be achieved with effort, and more effort would yield better results, right?

Claire finally started to eat the porridge. Perhaps because her appetite was currently lacking, she could only finish half of the portion Antony had bought. Afterward, she took all the medication Antony had opened from its packaging.

"Should we go to the hospital and get a blood test?" Antony asked as he took the porridge from Claire's hands. Claire fell silent and then shook her head.

"Why not? Isn't it better to make sure of your condition right now?" But once again, Claire shook her head.

"No, Sir. I'm sure I'll be fine after getting enough rest and taking my medication," Claire gently declined.

Antony could only gaze at her in silence. He couldn't force Claire to do what he wanted. So, he just nodded and helped the girl lie back down. He tucked her in and made sure Claire was asleep before leaving the room.

Claire woke up, her body drenched in sweat. She opened her eyes and felt the room was quiet. Had the man already left? she wondered. For some reason, imagining Antony leaving her alone filled her with emotions she had never experienced before.

Empty? Lonely? She had been the one to ask him to leave her alone all this time. So why did she now feel reluctant?

Claire pulled back the blanket and wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand. She needed to go to the bathroom.

Claire looked down, searching for the sandals she usually wore but couldn't find them. A chill spread through her body when her feet touched the cold tile. Goosebumps immediately rose on her skin, but Claire forced herself to walk slowly toward the bathroom while holding her still-uncomfortable stomach.

Feeling the bathroom floor was even colder than her bedroom floor, Claire shivered again. She hurriedly took care of her needs. When she opened the bathroom door, she was surprised to see Antony pacing in front of it.

"Sir?"

Antony quickly walked over. "Are you okay?" he asked, panicking. "Sorry, I was in a video conference in the living room. When I came back, the bed was empty." He looked genuinely remorseful.

He helped Claire walk back to the bed, using the back of his right arm to support her while his left hand gently wrapped around her waist.

Claire smiled. And for some reason, the discomfort she had felt earlier was now replaced by a warmth, as warm as the touch of the man's hand on her waist.

"Are you going home?" she asked as she noticed Antony's outfit was different from this morning.

Antony looked down at the dark gray sweater and long jeans he was now wearing and shook his head. "It's a habit of ours to keep spare clothes in the car. So while you were sleeping, I decided to take a shower," he replied honestly.

Claire smiled upon hearing the man's answer. So Antony hadn't gone anywhere since earlier, and Claire was glad about that.

Claire sat up on the bed and pulled her legs back up. Antony helped her by tucking the blanket around her waist. "Do you want to eat something? It's almost lunchtime," Antony offered again. Claire glanced at the clock on the nightstand and suddenly felt hungry too.

"Is there anything you want to eat? We can order online," Antony suggested once more. "How about chicken soup?" he proposed again.

Imagining the clear broth with vegetables like carrots and a few other ingredients made Claire's mouth water. She nodded, and Antony smiled. "Wait a moment," he said before leaving the room.

In less than five minutes, Antony returned with a tray containing two bowls and a glass of water. Claire furrowed her brow. Antony grinned mischievously.

"Soup is the best dish when you're sick. This isn't my cooking; I'm not as good as the main character in a romance movie," he said playfully, causing Claire to chuckle. "I asked someone to make it and bring it here. I hope it suits your taste."

Hearing the word "someone" made Claire feel a bit uneasy. But it seemed Antony understood the expression on her face because he quickly explained. "My mom made this soup," he said.

"Mrs. Quirino?" Claire was taken aback. Antony nodded. "Does she know you're here?" Claire asked, her surprise growing. Antony nodded again. "But..."

"Enough about that. You'd better finish the soup first. If you want more, there's plenty in the kitchen," Antony replied. Claire simply stared at the man in silence before shifting her gaze to the soup in front of her.

The savory taste of the broth, combined with the chicken and the sweetness of the vegetables in her bowl, increased Claire's appetite. She even forgot that Antony was still there, and she didn't hold back as she finished the entire portion he had prepared for her.

"Do you want more?" Antony offered as he noticed that the rice in Claire's bowl was gone. Claire shook her head. She truly felt full at that moment.

Antony took the tray and placed it on the nightstand. He then handed over the medications Claire needed to take, and she accepted them without much comment. "Why don't you want to go to the hospital?" Antony brought up the topic again.

Claire looked at him and answered honestly, "I don't like needles. And I also hate the smell of hospitals."

"Why? Do you have some kind of trauma?" Antony asked curiously.

"Something like that," she replied softly. "When I was a kid, my mom took me to the doctor. The doctor gave me a shot in my butt, and I don't know what happened, but I couldn't walk for a few days afterward. Since then, I've hated needles," Claire stated firmly.

"Did your mom not complain about that?" he asked, displeased. Claire shrugged. "That could be considered malpractice. Was the doctor new?"

"I don't really remember who that doctor was, and I don't want to remember," she said quietly.

Antony fell silent, suddenly feeling angry at the unknown doctor who had caused Claire to suffer for days due to his actions.

"Do you want to sleep again?" Antony asked after a while. Claire shook her head. "Do you want to read?" Claire shook her head again. "Do you want to watch something?" he offered again. Claire only chuckled.

"What's so funny?" Antony asked, confused.

"I just feel uncertain that this is really you. Have you been possessed by something while you've been taking care of me here?" Antony furrowed his brow at Claire's formal question.

Once again, the girl had shifted into her formal mode, even though just moments ago, Antony had thought Claire's defenses had crumbled when she had wanted to chat with him.

"You don't really know me, Claire. What you know about me is from what you've heard from others," Antony replied. Claire fell silent. "Have you really hated me all this time?" he asked again.