I woke up to the sight of a drip hanging above me. Beside me, Greyson sat on a chair.
I weakly shifted my eyes and noticed Mum and Dad seated on a couch at the far end corner of the room.
I slowly moved my body, trying to sit upright.
"Miss Vicenza? You are awake," Greyson called softly, immediately standing to place a pillow behind my back for support.
"What did I tell you about taking things from strangers?" my mum's voice cut through the room.
Both of them stood and walked toward my bed.
Not even a single "How are you?" or "Are you okay?"
Just straight to the lectures.
"I am okay… if anyone cares," I said, taking a long, tired breath.
"Another thing is that he is my classmate. No harm was intended," I added quietly.
"Still, that is no excuse to trust anyone and take whatever is given to you," my father's deep voice echoed.
"Vicenza, we are at this point in life because we never trusted anyone. Everyone around you is your rival and enemy," my mum said, adjusting the creases of her suit.
Look who is speaking, when you leave your daughter in the hands of a butler while you travel for business, I thought bitterly.
"Yes, we know what you are thinking. But Greyson is an exception," my dad said, his tone calm but firm.
Exception? What did Dad mean by that?
"We have to go. Turns out you were just being dramatic and fainted. As you can see, it is nothing serious. The doctor said you can be discharged tomorrow morning," my mother added, already picking up her purse.
"See you later, darling. Daddy and Mommy have businesses to run and tend to," my father said, kissing my forehead.
And just like that, they left.
The room fell into an awkward silence, with Greyson still standing beside me.
Then I felt it—warmth on my cheek.
Greyson was wiping away my tears.
I didn't even know when I had started crying.
I guess Mum's words had cut deeper than I expected.
You were just being dramatic and fainted.
Sometimes I wondered if I was adopted… the way her heart felt so cold.
I sat up and wiped the remaining tears from my cheek.
"How are you feeling, Miss Vicenza?" Greyson asked softly, his eyes filled with concern.
"I'm okay… thanks for asking. The swelling has reduced," I replied, forcing a small smile.
"Would you like me to bring you anything, Miss?" he asked, standing up. His tall frame cast a shadow over me.
"Could you please charge my phone and get me coffee?" I asked quietly.
"Understood, Miss Vicenza. I will be back in a minute," he said before leaving the room.
The door clicked shut behind him.
The room smelled faintly of air freshener. The curtains swayed gently with the wind, and the humidifier released a soft scent of rosemary and cloves.
My mind drifted back to the argument I had with Li Wei.
Maybe I was being too sensitive… no, he was the one acting all sensitive.
But still… maybe I should hear him out?
Greyson's POV
The moment I saw Vicenza lying in that hospital bed, something inside me twisted painfully.
She looked vulnerable… fragile in a way I had never seen before.
Her parents, however, didn't seem panicked at all. In fact, they were almost completely composed—too composed.
When she woke up, I felt a wave of relief wash over me. Yet even then, her parents immediately began lecturing her about something she couldn't control.
I understood she was the only child of the Kuguma family, an important one at that. But still… they could have shown at least a little concern.
The moment tears slipped down her cheeks, I found myself wiping them away without thinking.
I knew I was crossing boundaries by getting too close to her. But I was human too. I had feelings.
And I knew she was overwhelmed in that moment.
"Sir… here is your coffee order," a waitress said, pulling me out of my thoughts.
End of POV
_____________
The door to my room slowly opened.
"Here is your coffee, Miss Vicenza. I also got you some cake," Greyson said, placing everything on the side table.
"Thank you," I said simply.
"Is this strawberry cake?" I asked after taking a bite. "It's so delicious and soft."
"That is why I got it for you. I know it is your favourite," Greyson replied, opening the coffee cup for me.
"How did you know it's my favourite flavour?" I asked, sipping my coffee.
"The day I cooked for you at the mansion, I saw boxes of strawberry milk stacked in the fridge," he said, glancing at me.
"What if the milk belonged to someone else?" I teased.
"I figured they were yours… because you are sweet, just like the flavour suggests," he said playfully, ruffling my hair.
My face instantly turned cherry red.
I laughed. "That was so cringe… even for you."
"Good to see you smiling, Miss Vicenza," Greyson said softly.
Did he do that on purpose… just to make me smile?
He walked across the room to grab a magazine.
"Could you pass me my phone on your way back?" I asked.
"Here you go, Miss Vicenza," he said, handing it to me.
The moment I switched it on, it buzzed nonstop.
"Seems you left some business unattended to," Greyson said, eyes still on the magazine.
I had messages from Tracy and Li Wei.
I opened Tracy's message first.
TRACY: Girl, are you okay? Respond when you see this.
ME: Of course, I'm fine. I regained consciousness a few hours ago.
It had already been sent. She was probably asleep—it was 1 a.m.
Then I opened Li Wei's chat.
He had sent countless messages… all apologizing.
The last one was long. Almost poetic.
LI WEI: Dear, I am really sorry for my actions earlier. I didn't mean to lash out at you. It's just that I'm slowly getting attached to you. I know we've only been chatting for a few months, but we are close enough not to be strangers… and not close enough to be lovers. Yet.
I stared at Li Wei's message for a long time.
My fingers hovered over the screen.
He had apologised… properly this time.
A part of me wanted to reply immediately.
Another part of me still felt tired, emotionally drained.
Finally, I typed slowly.
ME:It's okay… I'm not mad anymore.
I hesitated, then added:
I am actually in the hospital now
I pressed send before I could overthink it.
Almost instantly—
The typing indicator appeared.
Then stopped.
Then appeared again.
My heart tightened slightly.
A few seconds later, his reply came through.
LI WEI:Hospital?
Just that.
Short. Sharp. Different.
Then immediately another message followed.
LI WEI:What happened? Are you okay?
I could almost feel the shift through the screen—the calmness gone, replaced with something tense… unsettled.
Before I could reply, my phone rang. Incoming video call.
His name flashed on the screen.
I froze.
Greyson, who had been quietly reading across the room, looked up at the sound.
"…You should answer that," he said softly.
My thumb hovered over the screen.
And for a moment, I just stared at Li Wei's name as the call kept ringing.