Chapter {4}

Three hours later

I woke up miserably to the sterile antiseptic that sent a sharp, uninviting scent to my nostrils.

My eyes fluttered open to the soft beep of a machine monitor. A translucent IV line snaked from my arm to a hanging bag of fluid, and my body felt mercilessly heavy, wrapped in bandages around my bloodied, stained head.

The pain was sharp like broken glass shards, and my memory still felt blurry. It was trying to remember something tragic.

I blinked slowly, adjusting to the sterile light, and felt the weight of healing … of survival.

“What happened?” I muttered, scanning through my environment like a lost, confused cub looking for its mother. The white sheets lay under me, soft and warm.

“You’re safe now,” my ears twitched to that sound. That voice was strikingly recognizable.

I didn’t flinch. Instead, I lifted my weak head slowly, meeting the man who had been locked up in the back of my mind like a prisoner.

Jayden!!!

I blinked twice, staring at him like I had just seen a ghost.

It was a dashing figure, appearing before me in a long, white, flowing gown.

Maybe an angel, if I wasn’t mistaken.

“Impossible. How…? When did you…?”

He smiled, cutting in between my words. “I came in two days ago, Nyra.”

“I’m happy to see you again. You’re still as gorgeous as ever.” He cooed at me.

Was he kidding me? I was a complete shadow of myself… a mockery.

I never imagined that I would see Jayden again. It’s been a complete seven good years since Zarina and I heard of him.

And now he appears before me looking all handsome and manlier.

Growth and puberty did quite a fantastic change in him. I was highly impressed.

My lips had parted to respond when the TV screen flashed a bold headline: ‘Billionaire Heiress, Ms Nyra Harassed by a Drunk VIP Guest in Exclusive Lounge... identity still unknown.’

That’s not what happened. That bastard had tipped those hungry bartenders, not to mention his name, but mine.

He also had someone blur out his face.

“What happened to you? Who was that man? Did he do all these to you?”

“First of… how did I get here? And what’re you… doing here… dressed in a white coat?” I cut in.

“You were brought in yesterday night, past nine,” he replied.

“One of the cleaners found you lying lifelessly on the cold ground, barely breathing.”

“He suspected you were in danger because you took so long inside the room. But I’m sorry… he couldn’t say the culprit’s name.”

I heaved a sigh of relief after Jayden told me what happened.

I was grateful to whoever he was. Without his help, I could have been dead by now.

“Nyra, what were you doing there alone? Draven shouldn’t have let you go all by yourself.” He paused, his deep blue eyes narrowing.

“Where is he?” The way he looked at me… it was like he could see everything I was trying to hide.

He continued.

“Two weeks ago, I got a text from her… Zarina, about your wedding. By the way, I just wanna tell you— congratulations, Nyra” He flashed a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

His teeth were perfect, but something behind them felt cold.

It felt like it. Maybe I saw it wrong. Or it could be the medications messing with my brain.

Just then, the door went wide open, revealing Zarina running towards me, circling me in her arms.

Her soft blonde strands of hair fell over me like a comforting veil.

“I warned you not to go there, Nyra. You’re so stubborn. You don’t listen to anyone but yourself,” she bristled, checking me out like I just stepped out of a time healing machine.

“He did this to you… Draven? That asshole will pay dearly.”

“No… Zar.” I gave her a pleading eye not to drag this further. Jayden was here listening to our conversation. It felt embarrassing for me.

“Don’t try to defend him this time. I shouldn’t have let you go there alone. Anything could have happened; you could have been dead.”

“What about the cops? Was he apprehended?”

I nodded. “No! His name wasn’t disclosed. Besides, I was told that they found me lying unconscious on the floor… naked.”

I dragged that last part slowly and quietly.

“He was too fast for me. I couldn't escape in time,” I held my bandaged head, flickering back to the memory.

At last, it was over… for a while.

We heard a sudden cough from behind. Jayden was standing there, unintentionally eavesdropping on our conversation.

Gosh! It felt embarrassing.

Their eyes found each other, lingering longer than expected. Zarina hadn’t seen Jayden since he vanished… no calls, no messages, just silence.

“Hi, Zarina… It’s good to see you again.”

“Yeah… same… Jay,” she replied.

Her eyes met mine for a second.

For a moment, I saw a flicker of pain and sadness that felt like a lost treasure kept in a golden chest, hidden inside a deep cave.

Jayden was cool, but it still couldn't conceal the glint of buried affection that escaped his pretty eyes.

I’ve always felt they kept secrets tucked away in the deep shallows… secrets the world should never know. Not even me.

But what was it?