Chapter 2

When Alexander opened his eyes again, he was greeted with the stark, pale ceiling of a hospital room.

He turned his head slightly and saw Louise standing by the window, her slender silhouette outlined in gold by the morning sun.

"You're awake?" She turned around, her voice dark and icy. "Is your life really that worthless, Alexander?"

Alexander opened his mouth, a sharp sting shooting through his cracked lips.

"I've told you before," Louise said, approaching the side of his bed and staring down at him. "No matter how much you do for me, I'll never like you."

Alexander lowered his gaze, his long lashes casting a shadow across his face.

He wanted to tell her that he wasn't doing all this for her, much less to win her affection, but the words died on his lips.

How was he going to explain that? Was he supposed to tell her that he was only doing all of this because of a promise he had made to Isabelle?

In the end, he kept his eyes lowered and muttered, "I understand."

He knew she did not like him. He knew that better than anyone.

Louise fixed her eyes on his pale side profile, feeling her chest tightening inexplicably. She averted her gaze, her tone softening involuntarily. "I'm giving you a week off. Rest up."

She paused. Her mouth started moving before she could think, and she added, "I'll be staying here for the next two days."

Alexander's head snapped up, a glint flashing in his eyes.

"Are you that happy that I'm staying?" Louise asked, her eyes narrowing.

He nodded slightly, staring at her face that looked so much like Isabelle's. "Yes. I'm very happy."

Louise felt her heart stir. Just as she was about to say more, her phone suddenly began to ring.

"Louise…" It was Charles, his voice choked with sobs. "I sprained my ankle. I need someone to look after me…"

Louise subconsciously glanced at Alexander.

He understood her hesitation instantly, and he flashed her a faint smile. "Go take care of him. I'm fine."

Louise remained silent for a moment before grabbing her coat. "Call me if you need anything."

With that, she turned and left without looking back.

The moment the door to the hospital room clicked shut, the smile on Alexander's face vanished. He stared up at the ceiling, his eyes stinging, yet not a single tear would fall.

Not long after, there was a commotion outside the hospital. Alexander could hear the nurses whispering in the hallway.

"Have you heard? Ms. Lawrence booked out the entire floor of the VIP wing for Mr. Seaton. She even had all the medical equipment and staff moved over there!"

"Wow. She's really spoiling him…"

Alexander listened quietly while lying in his hospital bed, his face devoid of expression.

His wounds needed to be dressed, but the nurses were nowhere to be seen.

After waiting for a long time, he managed to pull himself into a sitting position. He reached for the antiseptic on his bedside table and began slowly applying it to his wounds.

The antiseptic stung, making his wounds flare with pain. His hands were trembling violently, and he lost his grip several times. The bottle fell to the floor, shattering and covering the floor with glass shards.

When he leaned down to pick up the pieces, the movement tore at his wounds, causing him to hit the ground hard. His knee scraped against one of the glass shards, and it instantly started bleeding.

Even though his vision was going dark from the pain, he gritted his teeth and did not make a sound. He simply pulled himself back up.

Over the next few days, he would occasionally pass by Charles' room. The door was ajar, and he could see Louise sitting by the bedside, tenderly feeding Charles soup. Her eyes were filled with a softness she had never shown Alexander.

Alexander stood outside, watching silently for a while. He thought that Louise must have truly loved Charles.

Isabelle would probably be overjoyed if he helped them get together, right?

On the day Alexander got discharged, he gathered his belongings and had just left his room when he ran straight into Charles.

He instinctively stepped aside to make way for him, but Charles suddenly stumbled and crashed to the floor.

"Ow…" Charles frowned. "That hurt…"

He heard rapid footsteps coming from behind him. Louise grabbed Alexander by the wrist, her grip so tight it took him by surprise.

"Can't you watch where you're going?" she snapped.

"Don't blame Alexander, Louise," Charles said, looking up with a soft voice. "Maybe he's just… upset that you've been taking care of me the past few days. That's why he…"

Alexander was dumbstruck. He hadn't even touched Charles. In fact, they hadn't even exchanged a single word. Why was Charles making it sound like he had done it on purpose?

"That's not true," Alexander began, trying to explain himself. "Why would I be jealous? I—"

"Enough!" Louise cut him off sharply, flinging his hand away.

Caught off guard, his waist slammed against the doorknob. His newly healed wound tore open, and the sudden, searing pain made his vision go dark.

Louise loomed over him with a piercing gaze. "This is my final warning to you. Stay away from Charles."

She bent down to help Charles up, handling him so gently it was like he was made of glass.

Right before they left, Charles wrapped an arm around Louise's waist and shot Alexander a triumphant grin.

Alexander slumped against the wall and slowly slid down to the floor. Fresh blood had already stained his shirt.

He watched Louise's retreating figure and suddenly felt a wave of exhaustion unlike anything he had ever known.