Grateful Heart

Chapter 3.

Grateful Heart.

Tori Nathan.

Very early the next morning, I breathed a sigh of relief that Lily had been stabilized by the hospital, even though one thing still remained.

"You must have a guardian angel, Tori," Dr. Shelby smiled with tired eyes as he stared at me in his office. "To be honest, I didn't believe that Lily could possibly survive to see this morning. The chief medical director personally called to attend to her case. Whoever your guardian angel is, you need to make sacrifices of thanks to them."

I could only smile in response. I was too weak and tired, but I was internally grateful for whatever my boss had done last night.

"Thank you, Dr. Shelby. For all your efforts so far. I'm really grateful." I thanked him genuinely. Without him, Lily could have actually died, it didn't matter if the chief medical director interceded later on.

"It's okay, Tori." He smiled warmly, the wrinkles on his face lifting slightly. "She will be under monitoring for the week. If everything is stable, she should be discharged by the end of the week."

"Okay, doctor." I nodded and was about to leave when he held me back.

"But, Tori," his voice got even lower, "you know this is still a palliative care. She needs a new heart. And... I don't know how long it will take before she relapses, but the timeframe is getting shorter and shorter." His eyes were hollow as he spoke. "I don't know if the Chief Medical Director will overlook the outstanding debts, but.."

He didn't have to complete his statement. I knew what he was getting at. This was just a calm before the storm.

"I understand, doctor. I'm working on it."

*

"The annual celebration party is mandatory, Tori. You can't weasel your way out of this one." Pamela said to me over the phone.

"But, Lily..." I turned to look at my little sister who was quietly watching me from the hospital bed. "She..."

"You need to at least celebrate that she isn't in a critical condition anymore. She is..."

"I'm sorry, Pamela, but my sister comes first. And I wouldn't be attending any annual celebration or any other celebration until she has fully recovered! Thank you for informing me." I clicked the call shut furiously.

Celebrate? Really? How long was the celebration going to last? I was still pacing around furiously when a strangled sound came from Lily's bed and I quickly shot towards her.

"Are you okay? Where does it hurt? Should I call the nurse?" I asked frantically as I looked around for any sign of discomfort.

Was it the pillow? I stared at her face and noticed that her eyes had watered slightly, as if she was about to cry.

"What is the matter, Lily?" My heart broke even more at that sight. "Talk to me. What is it? Where does it hurt, please?" I felt a deep welling in my chest and I was almost moved to tears.

"I'm sorry, Tori." She said in a small voice, a tear falling from her eye. "I'm sorry that I am a burden to you." Her small mouth quivered as she wrapped her arms around herself.

"You are never a burden to me, Lily!" I chastised her almost immediately. How could she say that? She could never be a burden to me! Did anyone whisper that nonsense into her ears?

"I wish I could just die so you wouldn't have to suffer like this anymore."

My blood ran cold at the statement she had just made. I could feel the blood rushing to my ears. How could she say that? Why would she say that?

"I'm not suffering, Lily." I kept my voice really calm and steady as I enunciated each word.

"You are!" She countered, choking slightly on her tears. "You barely have time for yourself. Your whole life is centered on me and my health. You don't even do things people your age are doing. You don't have a boyfriend like aunty Tamara. You don't come home late from spending time with friends! You don't have a life of your own! Your whole life revolves around me now!"

She was full blown crying now. My heart was clenched in pain. I did not know the right response to give her. She felt guilty. I didn't like her feeling guilty.

"Like now... I'm sure you blew off hanging out with your friends because of me."

"Lily..." I tried but she shook her head energetically.

"Can you— can you just have fun for once?" She pouted, the tears still running down her eyes. "So I wouldn't feel this guilty anytime I see you. Please, Tori."

"But, Lily. I can't. The..."

"I'm in the hospital, Tori. Dr. Shelby is on duty and I will be fine. The nurses love me, and aunty Tamara says she would be visiting me this evening. Please, Tori. Please..."

*

"Come on, Tori." Her eyes gleamed with mischief. "Live a little. If there is anyone who needs to relieve the most tension, it is you."

"Yeah." Silas concurred, "Today is the only day you have an off from all the three jobs you're working, you need this to de-stress."

My eyes swept the entire floor. I wonder whose idea it was in the Human Resources team to set the annual celebration dinner of the company in a club. I mean, the club was technically a subsidiary of the hotel, but still...

The sound systems blared loudly with disco lights flashing everywhere. The rooftop of the hotel was really lively with a sea of bodies dancing out their heart's content. My eyes landed on my colleagues who were pushing a cup of drink towards me.

I chuckled nervously. "No, guys. I'm really oka—"

"I'm sure that Lily would want you to have some fun."

And that was it. At the mention of my sister, everything changed within me. The guilt in her eyes when she stared at me... I didn't want that for her.

"Woahhh..." Payton, my coworker, continued shouting over the loud music. " You know what? Let's make this even more fun." Her eyes twinkled, and I knew I was going to regret whatever she was up to, but the alcohol was already taking its effect.

"Oh yeah?" My lips curled up in a smirk, "What do you have in mind?"

She looked around the club, and her eyes landed on a figure far behind me.

"Go talk to him." She pointed behind me with her eyes. "I dare you. Let's see if you can get your boss's bodyguards to crack a smile."

I grinned at her and snatched her half filled glass of alcohol, gulping it down my throat in one go for an extra boost of confidence. I stumbled past the sea of bodies until I came to a stop in front of the bodyguards.

They stood in front of the stairs that led up to the VIP section of the club, and immediately they spotted me, they blocked my way.

"The party is downstairs, ma'am." One of them said behind that black mask he wore around his mouth. "Please, turn back."

My face melted into my most beautiful smile and I fluttered my long lashes at them.

"I'm not interested in coming upstairs," I tilted my head with a seductive smile, "I'm only here to keep you guys company." I twirled my long dark hair in my pinky finger.

Tilting my head was the worst thing to do as my entire self tilted and I stumbled forward, holding the railing of the stairs for support.

"If you are drunk, ma'am, you need to—"

My eyes had unconsciously looked up and my breath hitched at the man who was staring down at me with those intense eyes of his. One hand casually held a crystal tumbler, the other rested in his pocket. Even from here, the aura of absolute control was evident. But something was… off. His usual razor-sharp posture had a slight looseness. His head was tilted back as he drained his glass, the line of his throat exposed. When his gaze, that was usually so calculating and so cold, finally swept down and locked onto mine, it wasn’t with detached observation. It was… intense. Unfocused.

He lowered the empty glass, his eyes never leaving mine. A faint, almost imperceptible sway. He was drunk too. I was angry at his management, but I still knew when to be grateful. I needed to personally thank him.

I pushed past the bodyguards, stumbling up the stairs towards him. This startled the bodyguards because they were not expecting it. They jumped towards me immediately and grabbed me by the arm, but Kaius lifted a finger and they froze behind me. The command was silent, absolute. The guards retreated back towards the stairs.

"I..." I swallowed as he stared curiously at my frame that was making its way towards him. "I just wanted to say thank you."

He did not reply as he kept staring at me. My skin prickled and an unknown feeling began welling up in me. When was the last time I felt this? My legs began to move on their own towards him, and he still stood there... watching me. Silently observing me with a forlorn expression on his face.

Until I tiptoed, in my hazy mind, and placed a cool kiss on his lips, only then did he move to grip my waist tightly.