7. WHFL

Rafael slowly opened his eyes, the white light from the room lamp making him squint. The cold air and the distinctive antiseptic smell of the hospital immediately assaulted his senses. His head felt heavy, and the slow throbbing in his temples seemed to remind him that his body had not fully recovered.

Breathing heavily, Rafael tried to recognize his surroundings. He was on a hospital bed, an IV attached to his hand, with a monitor ticking quietly beside him. His gaze swept the room until it stopped on a figure he did not expect.

Aurora.

The girl sat in the chair beside his bed, her head bowed, sleeping in an uncomfortable position. Her hair was a little messy, her face pale, and her eyes puffy. Rafael looked closely at that face. Something inside his chest rippled-neither anger nor resentment, but a strange feeling that was so quiet, yet warm.

Slowly, as if driven by instinct, Rafael raised his hand, wanting to touch Aurora's face. He wanted to make sure that her presence was real, not a drug-induced illusion or a dream from when he was unconscious.

However, just before his fingers touched Aurora's skin, the girl's eyes opened.

Aurora was surprised to see Rafael awake. She jerked awake, standing up frantically. Her gaze sharpened, as if she couldn't believe Rafael was finally awake.

"Rafael!" she called, her voice shaking between relief and worry. She immediately turned around, rushing out of the room to call the doctor.

Rafael just stared at her retreating back, still unable to form words, but the strange feeling that had arisen earlier had not gone away.

A few minutes later, the door to the room opened. A middle-aged doctor in a white coat and a stethoscope around his neck entered with Aurora. His face was calm but stern, indicating that he had important news. Rafael tried to get up, but his body was still weak. Aurora rushed over and pressed his shoulder lightly, telling him to lie down.

The doctor then approached, checked Rafael's condition quickly and thoroughly, checked his pulse, monitored the monitor, then noted something on his small clipboard. After that, he turned to Rafael and smiled slightly.

"The surgery was a success, Mr. Rafael. You suffered a mild heart attack due to extreme fatigue and heavy emotional stress. It was fortunate that we were able to take medical action quickly."

Rafael just stared at the doctor weakly, unable to respond with words. The doctor then turned to Aurora, who was standing by the bed.

"If it wasn't for Miss Aurora, who immediately performed first aid and called the ambulance in time, the outcome might have been very different," the doctor continued.

"Honestly, if the treatment had been a few minutes late, you might not have survived."

Rafael was silent. The doctor's words echoed in his head. His gaze slowly shifted to Aurora, who looked down, as if not expecting praise for her actions. There was a distinct feeling creeping slowly in Rafael's chest, a mixture of gratitude, guilt, and something deeper that he could not yet name.

Aurora had saved him. The girl he had treated coldly and harshly was the reason he could still breathe today.

The hospital room was quiet, with only the soft sound of the air conditioner and the ticking of the clock on the wall. Aurora sat on a small sofa at the side of the room, busy peeling fruit carefully. Her hands moved slowly, but her gaze was blank, as if her mind was drifting somewhere. She had been off work for three days, directly asked by Rafael to care for her during her recovery period in the hospital. A request that sounded more like an order. Although she was tired, Aurora did everything without complaint.

On the bed, Rafael sat back with his laptop on his lap. Since morning, he had been immersed in his work. His fingers were still nimbly typing away, though his face sometimes looked like it was in pain. His body had not fully recovered, but the desire to regain control was overwhelming.

Suddenly, a loud cough broke the silence of the room. Aurora immediately turned around, hurriedly put down the knife and fruit she was peeling, and then approached Rafael with quick steps. She took a glass of water and offered it to him, then looked at Rafael with a worried expression.

"Can't you stop for a while, Rafael? Your body is not strong enough to be pushed like this," she said with a concerned tone wrapped in a hint of reprimand. "If you continue like this, it could relapse again. You've just passed a critical period."

But instead of thanking her or at least nodding, Rafael only turned his head briefly, his lips curling sarcastically. In a sharp tone, he quipped, "Who am I working this hard for?" That sentence hit Aurora harder than she expected. But this time, she didn't choose to stay silent.

"Even if you hate my father, that doesn't give you the right to take all your anger out on me, Rafael. I'm not him, and I never asked for any of this to happen either." His breathing was heavy for a moment before he added, "Besides, you don't have to work this hard. Aren't your men numerous? You could have delegated the work, but you chose to shoulder it yourself. Why?"

Rafael closed his laptop softly. His gaze was piercing, but this time there was a slight shadow of tiredness that he could not hide. "Because I don't want to repeat the same mistakes," he said coldly but firmly. "I trusted the wrong person, and look what happened. I almost lost everything."

The words instantly startled Aurora. She realized that Rafael was not only defending himself but also protecting something bigger than just pride and fear of betrayal. Still, she could not accept all the anger directed at her.

Slowly, Aurora placed the empty glass she had been holding onto the table. She took a deep breath, trying to control her emotions. Just as she was about to sit back down, Rafael's voice came again, this time in a slightly different tone.

"I want to go for a walk," he said suddenly, his eyes gazing out the window. "It looks like the air is quite nice this afternoon."

Aurora looked at him sharply, as if she couldn't believe the sudden request. But she knew that arguing would only make the situation worse. Wordlessly, she rose from her seat and stepped to the corner of the room, picking up the wheelchair that was neatly folded near the cupboard. She opened and locked it, then approached Rafael.

"Please sit down," she said flatly, but her hands were still ready to help Rafael move from the bed to the wheelchair. Although her heart was upset, responsibility remained her priority.

"Push it!" Rafael ordered, making Aurora stare at him sharply.

"You can move it yourself with the button in your hand. Why should I push it?" protested Aurora.

"I'm lazy," Rafael replied lightly. Aurora glared in disbelief that Rafael would actually continue to toy with her.

"Alright," Aurora replied, halfheartedly pushing Rafael's wheelchair out of the hospital. When they arrived at the park, the road went downhill. Aurora suddenly had an idea. She pushed the wheelchair with all her might and made Rafael scream in terror.

*_*