Calista remained silent as she waited for Lucian to continue. She had a hunch that his question carried no good intentions. Lucian shifted to the edge of the bed to create space for her to lie down."Come here."The beds in public hospitals were three feet wide. Accommodating someone as tall as Lucian was hard enough as it was. There was hardly any space for him when he lay flat in bed. Moreover, they were in a hospital. The nurses could enter to make their rounds at any time. Calista didn't want to be caught in his bed. It would be embarrassing to be reprimanded for occupying a patient's bed. Having just woken up, the man's voice was still husky."Aren't you tired?""I can't just sleep here even if I am tired …”A nurse walked in without warning right after."We need to check you for your temperature, Mr. Northwood."Calista stepped aside as she stifled a yawn. She hadn't slept much last night because she was worried about Lucian. Now that she knew that he was fine, she cou
Yara grew more livid with every word. Was Timothy some kind of donkey that refused to listen to reason? No matter how she protested, he was adamant about not allowing her to leave. Although she had protested very hard, it failed.Amid their stalemate, she ended up spending the night on the couch in his office. If she was going to suffer, she wasn't going to make the arrangement pleasant for either of them. Since the office had no separate break rooms, she took up the only three-person couch. With nowhere for the man to sleep, he spent the night going through documents.Yara could barely hide her triumphant expression as she watched Timothy. If it was a fight he wanted, she was going to beat him at his game.The man remained unperturbed. Safe for the faint circles around his under eyes, no one would've been able to tell that he had stayed up all night. He was speaking to Lucian about the Lancaster Group's illegal fundraising activities. With how lively he seemed, he didn't look
Lucian had to define their relationship while Calista still cared about him. It'll save him unnecessary complications. However, some things could only be said in a specific circumstance. It would be hard to bring up a topic once the moment passed.Calista was made uncomfortable by Lucian's gaze. Her eyes darted around the ward to meet two curious stares from the bed next to theirs.They were in a double-bed ward. The patient in the adjacent bed was a girl roughly 19 years old. The girl there to accompany her was close in age. She looked away in embarrassment as soon as she realized she had been caught eavesdropping. Lucian was at a loss for words. It was now utterly impossible for their conversation to continue.His expression screamed how unhappy he was as he began mindlessly scrolling his phone for news. He vented all his grievances on the screen. The forceful and vigorous swipes could've easily shattered the screen. The news of Kyros kidnapping him and triggering explosives
Lucian's severe expression worried Calista. She set the container aside and pulled the curtains shut."What's wrong? Does your leg hurt?"He suffered from a broken leg. His left calf was in a particularly severe state. It was a comminuted fracture that put him in a cast. A few of his ribs were cracked too."Yeah," he replied.When Calista reached out to touch it, it was hard to the touch. She wasn't a professional. She was unsure if the pain was normal after surgery."I'll call for a doctor to check on you …"She reached for the call bell by his bedside. But, before she could touch it, Lucian grabbed her by her waist. He rested his palm against her lower back and pulled her close.She was worried about accidentally falling on him and making his injuries worse. So, when she noticed what Lucian was trying to do, she went along with it and sat down at the edge of the bed. The man held her by her wrist rather than her hand. Calista had welts on her hand. They weren't deep and had
Calista stared at him and blinked slowly. Lucian had tubes inserted when he was wheeled into the ICU yesterday. It was only after she signed the papers today that he was transferred to a regular ward. He had been unconscious then. When he woke up, the nurses only came in to measure his temperature and blood pressure. Lucian hadn't shown any signs that he needed the restroom. So, she didn't pay much attention to it.When had the catheter been removed?Seeing her confusion, Lucian openly admitted, "It was when you went downstairs to get takeout."Calista was at a loss for words.Selena was unaware of what was going on between the two. All she knew was that Lucian needed to go to the bathroom. She had asked about his condition at the nurse's station moments ago. He had a moderate concussion, fractures in both legs, rib fractures, and mild internal injuries. Each of these conditions frightened her.She had no experience in taking care of severely injured patients. What was she s
The wheelchair-bound man looked up at Calista. The lights above him reflected in his dark pupils. Gone was the ferocity in his eyes. Lucian had a bandage around his head with bloodstains down his neck. His leg was also in a cast. The sight presented an image of suffering. Calista wasn't angry to begin with. Even if she were, seeing him in this state would only tamp her anger."I'm not angry."Lucian raised a brow."Really? But you haven't spoken to me for over an hour."He was taken aback at first. Then, a wave of grievance crashed over him. His emotions were on full display, making it easy to grasp his current state of mind.He was a person who could smoothly navigate the business field full of scheming men. How could he openly express his emotions? It had nothing to do with who he was speaking to. Rather, it was a habit deeply ingrained in him. Lucian acting this way was intentional.Calista didn't respond. She turned the faucet to hot water. While waiting for the water t
Lucian smiled purposefully."She wanted me to put in more effort."Nothing quite like mending a relationship with a child in the mix."Huh?" Calista expressed her confusion.Seeing how Lucian had no intention of elaborating, she didn't bother to pry. After everything was packed up, Calista wheeled him to the single-bed ward. The nurse who came to conduct routine checks was already at the door. So, she followed them. The bed in the ward was also three feet, except it also came with an extra cot for chaperones.Seeing how Lucian's gaze shifted between the two beds, the nurse rattled off routinely, "The beds cannot be moved. You cannot merge them into one bed."Calista said nothing. She didn't know if it was just her imagination but she had a feeling that the nurse was glancing at her lips out of the corner of her eye.The nurse left after measuring his temperature and blood pressure. Before she did, she reminded them. "Do not lock the door."Calista hadn't had much sleep last
The lack of oxygen left Calista's mind blank. His words had her asking, "What?"Lucian said nothing. He propped his hands against the bed and showed her what he meant by his actions.Calista was startled. Who would've thought that a patient who had just been released from the ICU this morning would be so agile? He was climbing around like a primate. She was worried that his ribs would break before the injuries in his legs healed.Lucian had become more proficient at climbing in and out of bed after the experience from previous attempts. He was already sitting on her bed before Calista could utter a word to reprimand him.Trying to accommodate two adults on a three-foot-wide bed, especially when one of them was a tall man, was quite the challenge. It was probably due to his weight that the bed creaked with every move. Calista was worried that the noise might be heard by people passing through the corridor outside. She couldn't afford to be disgraced because of this man.Just as