The female nurse smiled kindly. "Your baby was born safely, although prematurely. For now, he is undergoing treatment in the special care baby unit."
A feeling of emotion mixed with sadness spread through her heart.
"Is it a boy or a girl, Nurse?" Aylin did not know the sex of her child during her pregnancy because she had never had an ultrasound due to financial constraints.
"It's a boy."
Aylin shed tears. She wanted to hug her son. However, when she woke up, the little baby was not by her side. She really wanted to scream.
"But he's okay, right?"
"His condition has been improving over the past few days. Hopefully, he can be discharged from the NICU soon."
The nurse's words did not immediately make Aylin breathe a sigh of relief. Now the woman was focused on the room where she was lying. This spacious room did not resemble a hospital at all, but rather looked like a luxurious hotel room. There were several facilities in it that were certainly not found in the third-class treatment rooms that Aylin was used to seeing.
"Nurse, who brought me here?"
"Your husband brought you here." Aylin's brow furrowed slightly. Her heart was filled with questions. Which husband? Aylin wasn't even married. Aylin shuddered at the thought of how much she would have to pay for several days of treatment in this room. Meanwhile.
Aylin's memory flashed back to the previous events. She had hurriedly left the hotel after realising that the engagement party was actually for Alvian and Riana. One thing that puzzled Aylin was why Riana was accompanied by a strange woman that night instead of her mother. Aylin was even more surprised to find Mrs Nana inside the hotel building, but not as the bride's mother, but as a worker helping to clean the dining utensils.
"What actually happened?"
Aylin was still lost in her own thoughts when the door to the room opened. In an instant, the atmosphere in the room felt tense for Aylin. How could it not? The person she feared most appeared there. Alvian Setyo Darmawan.
Aylin's body trembled. Within seconds, her forehead was covered in sweat. Alvian's presence in that place made her conclude that he was the one who had taken her to the hospital. Various terrible thoughts crossed Aylin's mind. She was worried about her son's safety.
Aylin looked away and didn't dare to look at Alvian anymore. She didn't know where to go to find a safe place to live. She felt surrounded by bad people.
After finishing her task of checking on him, the nurse left the room. Leaving Aylin and Alvian alone. Aylin wanted to scream and ask not to be left alone with this monster.
"How are you?"
Aylin was startled to hear the question. However, she found a friendly tone in Alvian's voice.
"I-I'm fine, sir." There was a tremor in Aylin's voice when she answered Alvian's question.
The handsome man with a million charms pulled up a chair and sat right next to Aylin's bed. It made the woman want to run away immediately to avoid him. But what could she do? Her body was completely weak. Even moving was difficult for Aylin.
"Oh yes, how did you fall down the stairs that night?"
For a moment, Aylin remained silent. She was afraid to answer, but she was also afraid to remain silent.
"I don't know, sir. I just felt like someone pushed me."
Alvian stared at the woman intensely. "Pushed?"
"Did you see the person?"
"No. I didn't see anyone."
Alvian paused for a moment. He was drawing conclusions in his mind about Aylin's answer. Could it be that Mrs Nana had deliberately pushed Aylin? After all, Mrs Nana had also been at the engagement party that night. Alvian thought he should investigate the hotel's CCTV footage.
"Thank you for helping me, sir. I'm sorry for troubling you. I'll reimburse you for your expenses as soon as I have the money."
Alvian did not respond with words or a smile. Instead, he just stared at her blankly.
"Actually, there's something important I want to ask you, and I want you to be honest."
Aylin sharpened her hearing to listen.
Aylin was still lost in her own thoughts when the door to the room opened. In an instant, the atmosphere in the room felt tense for Aylin. How could it not? The person she feared most had appeared there. Alvian Setyo Darmawan.
Aylin's body trembled. Within seconds, her forehead was covered in sweat. Alvian's presence there led her to conclude that he was the one who had taken her to the hospital. Various terrible thoughts flooded Aylin's mind.
Aylin looked away and didn't dare to look at Alvian anymore.
After finishing her task of checking on him, the nurse left the room. Leaving Aylin and Alvian alone. Aylin wanted to scream and ask not to be left alone with this monster.
"How are you?"
Aylin was startled to hear the question. However, she found a friendly tone in Alvian's voice.
"I-I'm fine, sir." There was a tremor in Aylin's voice as she answered Alvian's question.
The handsome man with a million charms pulled up a chair and sat right next to Aylin's bed.
"Oh, by the way, how did you fall down the stairs that night?"
For a moment, Aylin remained silent. She was afraid to answer, but she was also afraid to stay silent.
"I don't know, sir. I just felt like someone pushed me."
Alvian stared at the woman intensely. "Pushed?"
"Did you see the person?"
"No. I didn't see them."
Alvian paused for a moment. He was drawing conclusions in his mind about Aylin's answer. Could it be that Mrs Nana had deliberately pushed Aylin? After all, Mrs Nana had also been at the engagement party that night. Alvian thought he should investigate the hotel's CCTV footage.
"Thank you for helping me, sir. I'm sorry for troubling you. I will reimburse you for your expenses as soon as I have the money."
Alvian did not respond with words or a smile. Instead, he just stared at her blankly.
"Oh yes, where is your family? I want to contact your family to tell them that you are here, but you don't have a mobile phone."
Aylin felt her heart being cut by a knife. Alvian's question reminded Aylin of her loneliness. Yes, Aylin was alone in this world. She had no one to lean on or even just to complain to.
"I live alone. I have no one else, sir."
"So who sold you that night? And why were there so many bruises on your body that night?"
Aylin fell silent immediately. Only her eyes were filled with clear liquid, and Alvian saw that. For some reason, Alvian's heart ached to see the pain reflected in Aylin's eyes.
"Alright. No need to answer. I won't force you."
***
Aylin's confession about how she fell on the escalator raised questions in Alvian's mind. To prove his suspicions, he went to the hotel to ask for the CCTV footage to be played.
Along with Galih, Alvian was now in the hotel's control room. An employee was helping to play the CCTV footage taken from various angles.
"What time did the incident happen?" asked the hotel employee.
Alvian and Galih exchanged glances. If asked for the exact time, they might not know. "I don't remember exactly, but between seven and eight o'clock," Alvian replied.
The man sitting in the chair began to play the footage at the time requested by Alvian. The hotel was very crowded with guests. Alvian's brow furrowed when he saw a clip of Riana and Mami Trisha, aka the fake mum, talking at the entrance with Bik Nana. Riana even hugged Bik Nana.
"Don't you find their interaction strange?" asked Alvian.
Galih watched the recording Alvian showed him. "It looks normal. Isn't Bik Nana Riana's former maid? Maybe Riana and her mother are greeting Bik Nana."
Alvian nodded slowly. However, he then remembered his first meeting with Aylin at the café where he worked. "But Riana once said that Aylin was her former neighbour. If Aylin is Bik Nana's daughter, that means they used to be neighbours, right?"
Alvian racked his brains. He tried to make sense of the series of strange things he had discovered. It felt very odd that Riana seemed to respect Bik Nana so much, yet on the other hand, she hated Aylin, who was supposedlya call girl.
Finally, Alvian's attention turned to the monitor screen showing the moments when Aylin hurriedly left the hotel ballroom. Alvian's eyes flashed with anger when he saw Bik Nana following Aylin and pushing her until she fell down the escalator.
Alvian's fists clenched so tightly that his veins stood out. Anger made his body feel hot as if it were being consumed by fire. Especially since after pushing Aylin, she just walked away.
"Bastard! What kind of mother is she!" Alvian grumbled angrily.
Galih glanced at Alvian. He shuddered. This was because Galih had never seen Alvian this angry before. Although he seemed a little arrogant and cold, Alvian was the type of person who was good at controlling his anger.
"Not only did she almost kill Aylin, but she also almost hurt my child. Just wait and see how I will get my revenge."
Alvian was unable to calm his anger. At that moment, he felt his blood boiling. Seeing the CCTV footage of Aylin falling down the escalator, landing on her stomach first, made his body ache.
And after seeing the CCTV footage, Alvian could conclude that the one who had beaten Aylin to a pulp that night was none other than Bik Nana. Alvian couldn't wrap his head around it. After all, even animals without reason have the instinct to protect their young. But why would Bik Nana, a human being, be so cruel as to hurt her own daughter?
All the evidence that had just been discovered changed Alvian's perspective a little. Aylin did not look like a call girl. Rather, she looked like someone who needed protection.
"Copy this part!" Alvian handed his mobile phone to the hotel clerk.
"Are you going to report Bik Nana to the police?" asked Galih.
Alvian grinned meaningfully. "It would be too comfortable for that woman to go straight to prison. I will show her another form of retribution."
"What kind of retribution do you mean?"
"You will find out later."
Galih shuddered at Alvian's cold tone. He knew better than anyone how terrifying Alvian could be when he was really angry.
"Wait a minute! You're not planning to kill someone, are you?" Galih didn't know why that ridiculous thought crossed his mind. What was clear was that he now saw Alvian as a volcano ready to spew hot lava.
"I already said that prison and death are too easy punishments!"
***
"Where are you going?" Alvian shouted when he entered the room and found Aylin about to get out of bed.
Aylin, surprised by Alvian's arrival, almost fell over and accidentally dropped the bottle of infusion fluid on the floor. This caused the infusion needle stuck in her wrist to be pulled out. Luckily, Alvian quickly caught her small body, so Aylin did not fall to the floor.
"Why are you so careless?" Alvian, who was panicking, shouted again.
Aylin just grimaced in pain, lowering her head to hide her tears, then slowly rubbed her wrist, which was extremely sore and bleeding slightly from the forcefully pulled-out infusion needle.
"I want to go to the bathroom," she whispered fearfully, hiding the tears that were already streaming down her cheeks.
"Why don't you just call the nurse?" There was emphasis in Alvian's tone. It made Aylin's whole body tremble. Alvian seemed very fierce and liked to shout. "What do you want to do in the bathroom?"
"Pee." Earlier, the doctor had removed the catheter that had been attached to her body, so Aylin had no choice but to go to the bathroom to urinate.
Without saying much, Alvian immediately lifted Aylin's body and carried her to the bathroom. He sat the woman on the toilet.
"Hurry up and pee!"
Aylin plucked up the courage to lift her head and look at the man. Because Alvian did not come out of the bathroom, she stood confidently beside him.
"What else?" Alvian asked when Aylin remained silent.
"Aren't you going out first? I'm embarrassed." Yes, it would be very embarrassing for Aylin if Alvian accompanied her to the bathroom. Especially if he had to see her private parts.
Alvian let out a long sigh through his nose. There was no way he could leave Aylin alone in the bathroom. It was too risky. Especially since she was still too weak physically. She couldn't even stand on her own, and even the slightest movement seemed to cause her considerable pain.
"I've seen you without a stitch of clothing before. So why should you be embarrassed now?"
That hit home! Alvian's blunt words left Aylin speechless.
Alvian then chose to turn his back on Aylin.
"I can't leave you alone in the bathroom. What if you fall and your surgical stitches open up?"
"Yes, sir. Sorry for troubling you."
Actually, Alvian felt a little surprised at himself. If this were any other woman, he would have felt uncomfortable. However, it was very different with Aylin. His heart refused to ignore her.
"Are you done?"
Aylin replied in a soft voice. This made Alvian turn around.
"Want to wash your face too?"
Aylin looked at the man. Although he seemed very fierce, he was quite caring. Aylin nodded weakly. Her face and body did feel very sticky now.
After finishing, Alvian carried Aylin back to her room and laid her on the bed. He then hurriedly left to call the doctor to reinsert the IV needle. Additionally, Alvian was worried that the incident of falling from the bed earlier might have caused her surgical stitches to open.
Sure enough, Aylin's stitches in her stomach were bleeding, although not much. So the doctor had to examine her.
Throughout the doctor's treatment, Aylin felt a stinging pain around her stomach. Alvian could see how much Aylin was in pain. Her hands clenched the bed sheets, her eyebrows and eyelids furrowed.
Alvian bent down and hugged the woman. Aylin's eyes widened. Suddenly, all the pain and soreness she had been feeling seemed to disappear. It was replaced by fear. Fear that Alvian's current kindness was only an act for a specific purpose. One of those purposes might be to take her baby.