Chapter 12
That night, I barely slept. My dreams were chaotic and fragmented, swirling with disjointed images that left me restless and uneasy. When I finally woke up, my pillow was damp with tears. I stared at the ceiling for a long time, feeling an inexplicable sense of dread that lingered even as the sunlight streamed through the curtains.
When I glanced at the clock, I realized it was already well past noon. I had slept far longer than I intended. Sitting up in bed, I tried to shake off the strange heaviness that had settled over me. Maybe I should head to the social security bureau to check in or at least get some work done to distract myself.
Just as I was contemplating my next move, there was an urgent knock at the door. The sound startled me, and I hurried over, opening it to find Amanda standing there, her face pale and full of worry.
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“Amanda?” I asked, surprised.
Without a word, she grabbed my hand, her grip tight and trembling. “Miss Greer, it’s terrible! Mr. Winslow… he’s fallen into a coma again. The doctor says he’s in a vegetative state now!”
I gasped, disbelief washing over me like a cold wave. “What? That‘ s impossible! He was fine just yesterday!”
Amanda’s voice trembled as she
explained, “Yesterday, Mr. Winslow suddenly went berserk and rushed downstairs in a frenzy. He lost his balance and fell… It was horrible. He was covered in blood when they found him!”
My heart clenched painfully. Could it be… was Adrian chasing after me yesterday when I saw him by the window? Had he hurt himself trying to follow me?
The thought sent a pang of guilt surging through me. What was he thinking? How could he be so careless?
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“Take me to the hospital, now!” I said without hesitation, grabbing a coat and rushing out the door with Amanda.
The hospital was a flurry of activity when we arrived. The hallway outside Adrian‘ s ward was packed with people–friends, business associates, and a host of wealthy elites. Among them were several elegant young women from prominent families, all looking concerned as they whispered amongst themselves. Their presence only reminded me how out of place I was in Adrian’s world.
Amanda guided me straight into the ward, bypassing the crowd. My entrance drew several surprised looks, and I could feel the weight of their curious stares, but I ignored them.
Inside, I saw Abigail sitting by Adrian‘ s bedside. Her normally composed
demeanor had crumbled–her eyes were red and swollen from crying, and she clung to Adrian’s hand as though her life
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“Take me to the hospital, now!” I said without hesitation, grabbing a coat and rushing out the door with Amanda.
The hospital was a flurry of activity when we arrived. The hallway outside Adrian‘ s ward was packed with people–friends, business associates, and a host of wealthy elites. Among them were several elegant young women from prominent families, all looking concerned as they whispered amongst themselves. Their presence only reminded me how out of place I was in Adrian’s world.
Amanda guided me straight into the ward, bypassing the crowd. My entrance drew several surprised looks, and I could feel the weight of their curious stares, but I ignored them.
Inside, I saw Abigail sitting by Adrian‘ s bedside. Her normally composed demeanor had crumbled her eyes were red and swollen from crying, and she clung to Adrian’s hand as though her life
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depended on it. Her grief was palpable, filling the room with a suffocating
heaviness.
My gaze
shifted to Adrian, lying motionless. on the bed. His face was pale but still as strikingly handsome as ever. He looked like a fallen angel, too beautiful and still to belong to this world.
A lump formed in my throat, and I had to fight back tears. Why did this have to happen? What had he done to deserve this?
Amanda spoke up, breaking the silence.
“Abigail, I’ve brought Miss Greer.
Perhaps she can wake him up.”
Abigail turned to look at me, her
expression a mixture of desperation and something else I couldn’t quite place. She nodded faintly, stepping aside to let me approach.
I hesitated for only a moment before leaning close to Adrian, my voice soft but trembling. “Adrian… I’m here. It’s me.
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Please, wake up.”
There was no response.
Abigail‘ s sobs grew louder, and Amanda gently led her out of the room, leaving me alone with him.
I took Adrian’s hand in mine, holding it tightly as tears spilled down my cheeks.
“I’m so sorry,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “This is all my fault. I never should have come back to see you…”
As I cried, I suddenly felt a slight movement–his fingers twitched against mine. My breath hitched, and I looked up to see his hand slowly closing around mine.
“Adrian?” I whispered, barely daring to hope.
Then, his eyes opened. Those familiar, piercing eyes gazed back at me, and a faint smile tugged at his lips. He looked alive, vibrant… completely unlike the man I had feared lost.
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You.
words.
“You should call me ‘honey,
he said,
his voice steady and clear. “Say it again. Actually, say it a hundred times.”
I stared at him, stunned. “But… what happened to you? The coma, the fall…?”
Adrian chuckled softly, bringing my hand to his lips. “I was faking it, my silly girl. I had the doctor help me stage this so you‘ d come back to me. And now you‘ re here.”
I blinked, completely dumbfounded. My emotions were a whirlwind of confusion, anger, and… something else I couldn’t
name.
“You… you staged this?” I managed to
ask.
He nodded, looking far too pleased with himself. “Exactly. Listen carefully, Miss Greer. You‘ 11 keep pretending to care for me while my mother arranges our wedding. Once we‘ re married, I’ll
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‘miraculously recover. Got it?”
I was too shocked to respond. Before I could say another word, he closed his eyes again and resumed his motionless state as if nothing had happened.
Just then, Abigail returned, her sobs echoing in the room. “Miss Greer, did he show any signs? Anything at all? The doctors say his condition is even worse than before. Please, tell me there‘ s hope!”
I quickly wiped my tears, forcing myself to appear composed. “Abigail,” I said quietly, “I tried everything, but… Adrian didn’t respond at all. I’m so sorry.”
Her shoulders slumped, and she looked like she might collapse from the weight of her grief. Amanda hurried to support her, and I watched in silence, my mind reeling from everything that had just happened.
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