All Chapters of While You Were Sleeping, I Waited: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

(Author’s POV)Far above the glittering skyline of London, the city lights shimmered beneath the dark velvet sky while expensive cars moved like streams of gold across distant roads. Inside one of the most prestigious and expensive hospitals in the entire United Kingdom, silence ruled the upper VVIP floor.At the end of the corridor stood a private room which itself was larger than many luxury apartments. Warm cream walls, soft dim lighting, polished wooden flooring, a sleek couch near the glass window, a small refrigerator and fresh lilies on the side table.Moonlight slipped quietly through the tall glass windows. Its pale silver glow fell directly upon the young woman lying motionless on the hospital bed.Ruby Vale is twenty-five years old now. Her long dark hair spread softly over the white pillow while her pale face remained still and peaceful, almost as though she were simply sleeping after a tiring day. A few IV drips were attached to her fragile hand, and faint scars near her

(Author’s POV)Ruby did not know when exhaustion finally pulled her back into darkness. Her mind had been drowning in too many emotions at once. Even in unconsciousness, her thoughts continued spiraling endlessly.One moment she remembered the warmth of the unknown man gently holding her hand, and the next, Vivian’s venomous words tore through her heart again. ‘You should’ve died that night’. The pain lingered deep inside her chest even after sleep overtook her.Then slowly, warmth touched her face. Ruby frowned faintly inside her mind as unfamiliar brightness pressed against her closed eyelids. For two years she had been trapped in endless darkness and now sunlight was touching her again.Her consciousness slowly returned, heavier than before but clearer somehow. The silence of the room surrounded her while distant sounds filtered into her ears, the soft hum of air conditioning, footsteps in the hallway, birds chirping faintly outside the glass windows.Ruby gathered all her strength

(Author’s POV)The following days passed quietly but painfully for Ruby Vale. For the first time in two years, they passed with awareness. Every morning Ruby woke up to sunlight streaming through the tall hospital windows instead of endless darkness. Though her body remained weak, little by little, she began regaining control over herself.At first, even the smallest movement felt impossible, lifting her fingers exhausted her, turning her head caused sharp pain through her neck and shoulders and speaking more than a few sentences left her breathless.Her muscles had stiffened terribly after remaining unmoving for two years, and sometimes frustration overwhelmed her when her body refused to cooperate no matter how hard she tried but Ruby endured it silently.Every day the doctor visited her twice, once in the morning and once in the evening. He carefully monitored her recovery, checked her healing fractures, adjusted medications, and encouraged her through each small improvement.The

(Author’s POV)The mansion was silent, too silent.As evening slowly settled outside, the golden rays of the setting sun painted Ruby's room in shades of orange and gold. The beautiful view would have once fascinated her. She would have stood by the window with a book in her hands, admiring the sky while waiting for dinner but now she merely sat in her bed, watching, thinking and existing.Hours had passed since she returned from the hospital. Not once had Vivian come to visit her again. Not a single servant had appeared asking whether she needed water or medicine. The room remained untouched. The silence remained unbroken.Two years ago, before the world went black, Ruby would have rationalized this isolation. ‘They’re just busy’, she would have told herself, a practiced smile masking the ache in her chest. ‘Father is managing the firm, Mother is hosting a charity committee, Vivian is caught up with her university friends. I shouldn't be needy’. She used to be an expert at building e

(Author’s POV)The next two weeks passed in complete secrecy.To everyone inside the Vale mansion, Ruby Vale remained exactly what they believed her to be, a fragile woman who had just awakened from a two-year coma and could barely stand without assistance and she intended to keep it that way.None of them knew that behind closed doors, everything was changing rapidly. The key to her success was a young maid named Lily. A young, incredibly naive maid. Whenever Lily came to clean the room, Ruby would speak to her casually, offering soft smiles and a gentle voice. She played the part of a lonely, tragic daughter perfectly.Through these seemingly innocent conversations, Ruby skillfully extracted the daily and weekly schedules of her mother, Camilia, her father, Richard, and her sister, Vivian.With this vital intelligence, Ruby and Marcus, the exceptionally skilled physiotherapist Clara had brought in, were able to coordinate their secret sessions well in advance.The mansion’s securit