I woke up to find myself wrapped in Aec's arms, his gentle breathing a soothing melody against my ear. I slowly lifted my head, taking in the sight of his peaceful face. For a moment, I forgot about the cold, calculating CEO I had grown accustomed to. Instead, I saw a fragile, vulnerable side of him, one that made my heart skip a beat.
As I gazed at him, I felt a pang of tenderness wash over me. I carefully freed myself from his grasp, trying not to disturb him. My movements were quiet as I slipped out of the bed and made my way to the bathroom.
Once inside, I closed the door behind me and let out a soft sigh. I approached the sink, my eyes meeting my reflection in the mirror. A flush rose to my cheeks as I recalled the events of the previous night. I turned on the faucet and splashed some water on my face, trying to clear my mind, then I noticed a mark on my chest.
"Oh my..." I rubbed on it tirelessly like the water was going to wash the mark away...
I reached for the towel to dry my face, my eyes drifting to the door thinking... Would things change between us? Would he still be the same cold, distant CEO, or would he let his guard down a little more? I shook my head, chuckling softly to myself. I was getting ahead of myself. One step at a time, I thought, as I finished getting ready.
I took a deep breath, trying to compose myself. I glanced at my reflection, making sure I looked presentable and suddenly I stepped out of the bathroom, my heart still racing from the sudden rush to get out.
I had just finished washing my face and was about to calm myself down when I heard Aec's panicked calls. I quickly opened the door to find him struggling to wear his pants, his face twisted in a mixture of panic and relief.
Before I could even process what was happening, Aec rushed towards me, pulling me into a tight hug. I was taken aback by the sudden movement, but my arms instinctively went around him, and I patted his back, trying to soothe him. "Are you fine?" I asked, my voice soft with concern.
Aec didn't respond, instead holding me tighter. I could feel his heart racing against my chest, and I could sense the fear and anxiety emanating from him. I continued to pat his back, trying to calm him down. As we stood there, I couldn't help but wonder what had triggered Aec's panic. Was he worried about his mother? Or was there something else going on?
I pulled back slightly, trying to look up at him. "Aec, what's wrong?" I asked, my voice gentle. Aec's grip on me tightened for a moment before he slowly relaxed, his breathing slowing down. He looked down at me, his eyes searching mine. "I thought you left," he whispered, his voice barely audible.
My heart skipped a beat at his words. What did he mean? I thought back, and I realized that he must have panicked when he woke up and didn't find me beside him. I felt a warmth spread through my chest at the realization that he cared so much about me.
I looked up at him, my eyes meeting his. "I'm right here," I said softly, trying to reassure him. Aec's eyes locked onto mine, and for a moment, we just stared at each other, the tension between us palpable.
I sat beside Aec on the bed, still patting his head as he seemed to be calming down. But suddenly, he pulled back, his face twisting in a mixture of embarrassment and annoyance. He cleared his throat, turning away from me, his cold demeanor returning like a switch had been flipped.
I chuckled awkwardly, feeling a bit angry at the sudden change in him. "Don't even start," I said, my voice laced with irritation.
Aec turned to face me, his expression softening as he took in my angry look. I stood up, trying to head to the other side of the bed, but he grabbed my hand, fear flashing in his eyes. "Where are you going?" he asked, his voice low.
I raised an eyebrow, trying to brush him off. "Just over there," I replied sarcastically. He let go of my hand slowly, and I added, "We don't have all day. Let's go see your mom. Get dressed."
Aec nodded, and we both showered and got ready. When we were dressed, he asked, "What would you like to eat? I'll order something."
I shook my head. "We can get something on the way. Let's just go."
As we left the hotel and got into the car, I told him, "We need to stop by a flower shop and get a fruit basket."
Aec's face furrowed into a thin frown, but he didn't say anything until I asked, "What's wrong?"
He looked at me, a hint of amusement in his voice. "You want to get me flowers?"
I rolled my eyes, frustrated. "Don't think you're that important," I said, adjusting my gown.
Aec looked at me, a small smile playing on his lips. "Do you need help with your gown?" he asked.
I chuckled. "I'm still recovering, thank you."
He smiled, and the tension in the car dissipated slightly. We stopped by the flower shop and got the flowers and fruit basket, and then headed to the hospital. As we walked into the hospital room, I could feel Aec's eyes on me, but I ignored him, focusing on his mother instead.
I hurried towards Ace's mother, and she greeted me with a warm smile. "Sharon, my dear," she said, opening her arms for a hug. I hugged her back, feeling a sense of affection for this woman who had taken a liking to me.
"How's your health?" I asked, pulling back to examine her face.
"I'm getting better and stronger," she replied, her voice weak but optimistic. "Ace is just not allowing me to go home."
I glanced over at Ace, who was standing behind her, his voice deep and authoritative as he spoke up. "I want you to get properly treated before you go home, Mom."
His mother nodded obediently. "Okay, my son."
Then she turned to me, a mischievous glint in her eye. "How was your night, my darling?" she asked, her voice dripping with curiosity.
For a moment, I felt a flush rise to my cheeks as I was reminded of the previous night's events. But I pushed the thoughts aside and smiled brightly. "Last night was fine," I said, trying to sound casual.
Ace's mother looked at me with a knowing smile, but thankfully, she didn't press the issue. Instead, she asked me to sit down and tell her about my plan for the day. I sat down beside her, and we chatted for a while, catching up on each other's news. Ace stood by the window, watching us with a quiet intensity, but I tried to ignore him and focus on his mother.
I couldn't help but laugh as Ace's mother teased him about snoring. "I hope Ace's snores didn't keep you up all night," she said, a mischievous glint in her eye.
I giggled, and we both burst out laughing. Ace, on the other hand, looked embarrassed. "Mom, you know I don't snore," he protested, his voice rising in indignation.
I couldn't help but add fuel to the fire. "Oh my God, I had to control myself. He was snoring so loud," I said, trying to keep a straight face.
Ace's mother and I laughed again, and Ace just stood there, looking at us with a mixture of embarrassment and amusement.
Just then, the doctor came in and examined Ace's mother. "How are you feeling today?" he asked.
"I'm feeling better," she replied, smiling at him.
The doctor nodded. "That's great to hear. I think you're doing well enough to be discharged today."
Ace's mother's face lit up. "You see, I can go home," she said, turning to Ace. "Just let me go home," she pleaded.
She then turned to me, a sly smile on her face. "Tell him I can go home, I'm fine," she said, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
I looked at Ace, trying to keep a straight face. "Well, you can see Mom is strong. Just let her go home," I said, trying to sound persuasive.
Ace's expression was unreadable, but then he nodded. "No problem. We're going to be taking her home today."