The beeping of a monitor. A sharp scent of antiseptic. A ray of dull sunlight filtered through the hospital blinds.
Evander's eyes fluttered open. A jolt of pain surged through his temple, pulling a soft groan from his lips. His head felt like it had been run over by a train, and everything was a haze—until one memory broke through.
"Where's… she?" he mumbled, the words thick on his tongue.
His voice was barely above a whisper, but Alina heard it. She had been sitting right beside him, clutching the edge of her chair so tightly that her knuckles had turned white. Her heart sank at his first question—not how am I? or what happened? but where is she?
Her brows knit, and something stung at the back of her eyes.
Before she could speak, a nurse who had just finished checking the IV looked up and said casually, "A woman brought him in. Said she found him unconscious by the roadside and knew who he was."
Alina turned her head sharply.
A woman?
The nurse continued nonchalantly, already walking out, "She left after he was admitted. Didn't leave a name."
Alina's mind flickered back to that moment—at the hospital entrance, she had seen a woman dressed in black, with a face hidden under a wide-brimmed hat. She had assumed it was someone else's relative. Now… the puzzle pieces wouldn't fit.
Who was she?
Why had she brought him here?
Alina glanced at Evander, who now looked confused but was slipping back into a haze of pain. His eyes closed again. She sat silently beside him, her thoughts spinning in quiet chaos.
---
A few hours later, he was more awake, and the silence between them was deafening.
The tension in the room was thick, nearly unbearable. Alina stood by the window, arms folded, trying to gather herself.
Evander finally broke the silence. "Why were you with him?"
She turned, her brows raised.
"Ren?" he clarified, venom lacing the name. "You left with him after… everything. After what we shared."
Alina inhaled sharply, crossing the room in slow, purposeful steps. "I didn't leave you. You left me. Emotionally. Mentally. That night you drank and drove, Evander—"
His fists clenched over the sheets. "Because you were so close to him, and I thought you —" He stopped, jaw tightening.
"You thought what?" she asked, voice rising. "That I fell for someone else overnight? That I would betray us just like that?"
"Do you even like him?" he snapped. "Is that why you didn't come after me?"
The accusation hit harder than a slap. Her entire body went still.
For a split second, her hand rose on impulse, trembling in the air, ready to slap him—but she stopped.
Instead, her fingers slowly reached for his face. She cupped his cheeks gently, her thumbs brushing against his slightly bruised skin. She leaned in, her forehead resting against his.
He stiffened.
Her voice trembled with fury and softness, both.
"You should not drive after drinking, Evander. Do you even know what could've happened? You almost killed me by doing something that stupid."
Her lips quivered. "If something had happened to you... I don't think I could have survived it."
A tear slipped from her eye and landed on his cheek. His heart cracked at the sensation.
She was shaking, not with rage—but fear. A kind of fear he had never seen in her. The kind that came from love.
---
Evander couldn't hold back anymore. His hand shot forward, grabbing her waist and pulling her into his lap. Despite the pain, despite the dizziness, he needed to feel her close.
She gasped, but didn't resist. Her fingers slid to the nape of his neck.
Their breaths mingled. His nose brushed hers.
His forehead leaned into hers again, this time softer, like a promise.
Alina's lips parted. Her fingers trembled against his cheekbones. She closed her eyes.
He leaned in slowly.
So close.
So close.
Then—
Knock.
The door creaked open.
Ren.
Alina and Evander jerked apart instantly, breathless and flustered.
Ren raised an eyebrow. "Sorry. Didn't mean to interrupt the healing process."
Alina stepped back hurriedly, her face flushed.
Evander scowled. "What do you want?"
Ren placed a brown paper bag on the side table. "The nurse said you hadn't eaten anything. Thought I'd drop something off."
His eyes briefly met Alina's. There was something sharp in them. Then, without another word, he walked out.
The silence returned. This time heavier. Not from anger—but something unfulfilled.
---
Alina sat beside Evander again, more composed now. But her mind hadn't let go of that nurse's words.
She placed a gentle hand on his wrist.
He looked at her.
"Evander," she began quietly, "earlier… when you woke up, you asked, 'Where is she?'"
His brows furrowed. "I did?"
"Yes," she replied, searching his face. "And the nurse said a woman brought you here. Claimed she knew you. Do you… do you remember anything? Was it someone you know?"
Evander's mouth opened—but before he could answer, the door swung open.
Click.
The air shifted.
A woman stood at the entrance, tall and elegant. She wore a fitted black coat, dark maroon lipstick, and a confident expression that belonged to someone who always got what she wanted. Her sharp eyes scanned the room like a spotlight.
"Sorry to interrupt…" she said smoothly. "But were you talking about me?"
---
Alina turned slowly, her stomach sinking. The room dimmed, as if the walls themselves were holding their breath.
Evander froze. His lips parted, but no words came out.
The woman stepped further inside, heels clicking against the linoleum floor. She was tall & beautiful, almost the same age as evander. Beautiful curly hairs, perfectly dressed and sharp features. Her aura was magnetic—chilling.
Alina rose from her chair instinctively, as if to shield Evander. "Who… are you?"
The woman's gaze flicked to her briefly, then back to Evander. "You don't remember me, do you?"
Alina's heartbeat roared in her ears.
Evander's hands gripped the blanket.
"Well How is your health now..?" the woman asked. You should not drive after drinking. You haven't changed a bit Evander.
Why are you here? Evander asked a bit rudely.
"Did you think I wouldn't find you after all these years?" the woman replied.
Alina's head snapped toward him. Years?
The woman smiled. A slow, eerie curve of her lips.
"Let's not keep secrets anymore. It's time we all told the truth."
Alina's breath caught. Her world was spinning.
And just like that, everything they had built—every truth, every kiss, every promise—now teetered on the edge of one woman's presence.
Who was she?
What was her connection to Evander?
And why did he look like he'd just seen a ghost?