chapter 12

Derek’s eyes stay on Lewis for only a moment before his expression changes. He doesn't have to say much before Lewis can understand that he was in trouble.

“Paulo.” Derek calls.

Paulo entered immediately.

“What did I say about this young man? He asked.

Derek got no response from Paulo but his expression was enough to answer.

“Take him away,” Derek ordered.

Lewis' eyes snap up. “What? I just finished checking…”

“Out! Now,” Derek repeated coldly.

Lightly, Paulo grabs Lewis’s arm and pulls him toward the door. Lewis looks back at the old woman helplessly, but she only watches with quiet curiosity as Paulo escorts him out of the room.

The door closes behind them. And for a moment, the room remains quiet.

Derek walks closer to the bed and adjusts the blanket around his grandmother slightly.

“How are you feeling, Mama?” he asked.

Now, his grandmother was shocked to see what just happened. She flashes him a frown.

“Why are you harsh on that young man?” She asked without answering his own question.

“He is none of your concern, ma,” Derek responded calmly.

“He is my doctor,” she said, flashing him a scrutinizing look. “I don't know how I got here but I know he knows how to do his job. He is a kind man,” she added with a smile on her face.

Derek was surprised to hear his grandmother talk about Lewis as if they knew each other before. “Have you met him before now?” He asked, frowning.

She smiled gently. “No. But I know a good man if I see one.”

Derek scoffed. “A good man? Sure you do,” he said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

“At least, he is much better than you,” she said suddenly, causing Derek to be surprised.

“What?” Derek asked in disbelief. “Did you just compare me with that…”

He didn't get to finish his words before his grandmother interrupted him.

“You can argue all you want but not with me,” she said.

Derek stared at her as he waited for her to continue.

“I know that the young man can never be responsible for his grandmother's health issues, unlike you,” she added.

“How did I cause your health issues, Mama?” Derek almost laughed as he asked his grandmother.

His grandmother studied his face for a moment, the soft stare slowly fading away from her face.

“Derek…”

He glanced at her. “Yes?”

“You are the reason I fainted yesterday…”

Derek already had a feeling he knew where this was going, but he listened without interrupting her.

“I saw the news.”

He sighed quietly. Of course, she saw everything about him and she believed them more than she believed her grandson.

“What news?” he asked, unsure of the particular one she saw this time.

Her eyebrows knitted together as she spoke. “They were saying terrible things about you.”

Derek leaned back slightly. “Mama, they say terrible things about me all the time,” he said.

“This was different and disgusting,” she countered.

“What exactly did you see?”

She hesitated before answering.

“They said you were involved in dark activities,” she finally answered.

Derek almost laughed. “Dark activities? Am I running a ritual pub?”

She eyes Derek.

“Are you into prostitution?” She asked suddenly.

Derek’s jaw tightened slightly, but he kept his tone steady. “Grandma.”

She looked at him carefully now. “You shouldn't believe everything you see in the media. You know how people talk.”

She listened without interrupting.

Derek leaned forward slightly. “The media likes drama. They make up stories about people with money.”

Now, a frown etched on her face. “But they sounded very sure,” she countered.

“They always do,” Derek replied calmly.

She looked uncertain but Derek gently took her hand.

“Do you trust me?” he asked calmly.

She sighed. “You know I do.”

“Then don’t believe those things.”

The old woman studied him for a long moment.

Finally, she nodded slowly. “Alright. But what if I see news about you getting married.”

Derek shook his head in disagreement. “You can't believe that either.”

“Why? It was a good thing,” she said.

For a moment, Derek watched her with amusement. “Don't you get tired? You ask me the same question all the time.”

“That's because I want a different answer from you,” she countered.

“You will never get a different answer. Mama, I'm not getting married. Not in this life, not in the next one.”

“Is it because of your parents?” she asked him.

Derek glanced at her.

“My parents? I don't remember having parents.”

“Derek,” she called his name like a warning. “Your parents will always be your parents no matter how much you deny it.”

Derek’s expression hardened. “I don't remember having parents,” he said firmly.

She frowned slightly.

“You are the only family I remember having,” he added.

“I'm your grandmother, not your mother, Derek. I know they did stupid things to themselves but that…”

“You should be focusing on resting,” Derek interrupted her gently. “Your health was more important than my past.”

Before she could protest, the bedroom door opened quietly.

Paulo stepped inside.

“Boss.”

Derek turned his head slightly.

Paulo held up his phone.

“Can I speak to you for a moment?”

Derek noticed the serious look on his face. He stood up.

“Excuse me, Mama.”

She nodded as Derek followed Paulo outside into the hallway. The moment the door closed behind them, Derek crossed his arms.

“What is it?”

Paulo handed him the phone. “You might want to see this.”

Derek looked down at the screen. His frown deepened as he tried to read.

“What was this?” he asked.

“News.”

Scrolling down, Derek's eyes narrowed in horror.

“Why was the entire city looking for the paramedic?”

Paulo shrugged.

“Well…”

Derek looked up.

“Well what?”

Paulo scratched the back of his neck as he tried to drop the bombshell on his boss. “Apparently he’s kind of famous.”

Derek stared at him in disbelief.

“Famous?”

Paulo nodded. “He’s won the Selfless Citizen Award several times.”

Derek blinked once.

“For what?”

“Saving people,” Paulo replied. “Off duty, on duty… it doesn’t matter. The guy helps everyone.”

Looking back at the phone, several headlines filled the screen.

Beloved Paramedic Missing! City Hero Lewis Baker Disappears! Community Calls for Search Efforts.

Slowly, Derek lowered the phone.

“And everyone knows him?”

Paulo nodded. “Pretty much.”

Derek exhaled sharply. “You brought the city’s favorite citizen into my house.”

Paulo shrugged again before he answered. “He tried to obstruct our work.”

Derek flashed him a glare. “Now, he will obstruct my own work.”

“How was I supposed to know he was the city’s golden boy? It's not like he carries his award with him everywhere.”

Derek's hand ran across his face in frustration.

“This was exactly the kind of attention I don't need in my life.”

Paulo stayed quiet as he thought of the perfect solution to save them from the mess they got themselves into.

Derek turned toward him again. “You brought trouble into my house.”

Paulo raised both hands in a dramatic way.

“Technically, you slept with the trouble.”

Derek’s glare sharpened.

Immediately, Paulo cleared his throat as he dropped his hands.

“Yes, it was a very unfortunate situation, but we'll come up with a solution. We always do.”

Derek looked back at the phone one more time, then at Paulo again.

Then he muttered under his breath. “This is unbelievable.”