Chapter 6

ADELINE

There are some times when you feel you have been pulled from the very brink of the underworld.

This was one of them.

There was a freaking, continuous and annoying ring in my head that forced me to open my eyes.

The ceilings were white, disturbingly so.

I blinked at it slowly, not even needing someone else to tell me that I was in the hospital.

Machines beeped close by. The sheets felt stiff and unfamiliar. My throat felt like gravel. Then I noticed someone's presence beside the bed.

My eyes widened immediately as I turned to know it was a familiar face.

Firstly? It was. So damn familiar.

Disturbingly familiar.

He was sitting beside my bed. One leg was crossed over the other. He was peeling an apple like he owned the room. Arrogance radiated from him in waves. I was caught between feeling confused and irritated.

I must be hallucinating. . My brain was making up images.

In what world was Nikolai Rye Sterling sitting calmly beside my hospital bed?

That maniac.

"If you're waiting for me to disappear," He began, not bothering to look up, "you should stop holding your breath. You've already done enough of that. You're about to die from lack of oxygen."

Fuck. Not a hallucination.

My lips trembled as I just stared at him.

What the hell was he doing here? I tried to sit up but it only made it seem like I was dragging onto something— the IV drip.

"You’ve got some nerves, Skye. A lot actually." He finally stated, raising his head up as he turned to stare at me, his left brow raised. "I thought you would never wake up."

From someone else? That would have felt like such a beautiful thing to say, but the way he said it, with a glint in his eyes and fucked up smirk hanging at the corner of his lips, it seemed to me like he relished the idea of me dying.

“Oh really? Sorry to disappoint you then." I wished I could muster up the energy to roll my eyes.

My vision wavered as I tried to push myself away but before I could even succeed in doing that, his hand was on my shoulder in the space of a second as he pressed me back against the pillow.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" He almost half yelled and I was taken aback, knocking his hand away on instinct.

"I'm fine. By the way, what are you doing here?" I finally asked.

From the time I woke up till now, all I had been struggling with was…how did I get here? But everything was a blur of hazy darkness, the ringing in my head getting increasingly annoying anytime I tried too hard.

"Are you tryna play amnesia with me? He scoffed, rolling his eyes, sticking a sliced apple into my mouth before I could react, "Don't tell me you forgot how you begged for me to save your life."

I was about to disagree when the door opened and a doctor came in, a nurse trailing him behind.

"You're awake," the doctor said. He smiled. "How are you feeling, Mrs…" He trailed off, looking between us like he was asking for a name.

"Sterling." Rye replied immediately.

I swerved to glare at him, disgust crawling up my face.

I don't remember a lot of things but I damn right remembered my name.

"Keaton." The doctor stared at us in confusion.

"Sterling," Rye shot back.

"Adeline Skye Keaton." I pressed on, anger rising up my gut.

"Doctor, you can't blame my wife. In fact, you should check on her. Her brain, particularly. " Rye turned to the doctor. "She's been disoriented since she woke up."

"Your wife?" I almost yelled and had to clasp my palm over my mouth in shock.

His wife? That's not right. That's not supposed to be right.

I did…have a husband. But bloody fuck not, Nikolai Rye Sterling!

“Miss, you have such a sweet husband. He's been here for you through—" She stopped immediately after getting a glare from the doctor.

I was still though, trying to remember.

The fake pregnancy party. Delilah. That wine! My fingers trembling on my phone as I tried to call Nova.

I looked up sharply. I must have dialed Nikolai

Dear heavens. I facepalmed myself as I bit down on my lips.

Knowing this maniac, he wouldn't have just saved me.

"You are recovering well," The doctor was saying but I couldn't even pick up on most of the words he was saying, "The compound will stay in your system for a few days. You might feel dizzy. You might feel tired." He turned to Rye.

"She needs monitoring through the night. As her husband, you should check on her every hour. She might need help going to the bathroom and any other thing she needs."

Excuse me???

"No!" I yelled, wincing as I had banged my hands on the bed, tugging the drop connected.

"She's independent." Rye winked. This son of a bitch.

"Do you not know how to do your job properly? Or something?" My voice was dry and hoarse but clearly, everybody , Rye and the doctor included, needed to be put in their place, “I just said he's not my husband! Why wouldn't you—"

The doctor held up his hand, cutting me off immediately.

"I am just a doctor. And my only job here is to save your life, but your husband is such a good man that has stayed outside that door for hours begging for anything to be done to save your life.”

"You might have marital issues but it's clear as day to anyone that he loves you and that is not something you want to let go of.”

I blinked, my eyes snapping over to Rye.

He was smiling.

Motherfucker had the guts to smile? And to my absolute dismay, he winked. The corner of his lips curving up into a smirk.

"Both of you. Just follow these instructions."