ZEUS' POV
Her eyes were now half-open but can't she hear me?
"Ophelia." I tried calling her into consciousness.
She's blinking. "Ophelia." I called a few more times. Why isn't she moving or responding?
Can't she hear me? Should I get a little closer?
"Ophelia." I heard her grunt and she seemed to struggle, willing her eyes to blink.
"Henri, call the doctor." I ordered Henri as soon as he stepped into the hospital room.
"Ophelia. Say something." I moved closer to her. This woman who fell right in front of me, and in my own office, while on the job, seemed to be currently unresponsive.
Her lips started to move, "You… smell nice." Her voice was soft and tired.
I froze. Her words went pumping so much blood to my ears that I felt it grew red by the second.
What?
"Sir, Dr. George is here." Henri came in such bad timing.
"Uncle, how is she?" I asked as I straightened up and went for the chair beside the bed.
Dr. George Aurelion is my father's brother, so yes, he really is my uncle. He just doesn't have the same interest as the rest of my family but he does own this hospital.
Uncle was explaining when Ophelia cut him off. I guess she knew she had some gut condition and didn't want to let anyone else know. She later sat up to ask what happened when the doctor exited the room, I let Henri explain that one.
I still can't believe how that coffee jug had a leak. It's borosilicate, something that doesn't crack even in high heat. I might be paranoid but maybe, just maybe... Who could have done it? I know a lot of people are after my seat but who could be brazen enough to —
"...So that's why the LED display was fli— " Was Ophelia trying to explain about the espresso machine? That's just —
"Careless. Reckless. Stupid." I said flatly, cutting her off. "Did you really think I would prefer for an employee to have an accident in my office over having to purchase a new machine? I didn't think you would think so low of your employer."
"What? If I just let that be, it would've started a fire. What are you— " She still won't admit she was wrong, huh? How stubborn.
I stood up and started towards the bed as I pocketed one hand. That stopped her from talking. I stood tall as close as I can get to the side of the bed and stared down at her. Why am I being annoyed by how she just won't admit she was wrong, this obnoxious woman?
"You could've said something and we could've had the circuit breaker switched off." That silenced her. To emphasize how wrong she was, just in case she did not get it, I bent down so that my eyes were inches away from hers. "You. Weren't. Thinking." I said in the lowest, tightest, most annoyed voice I can throw at her.
But damn. She just gaped back at me, with that flustered hurt bunny look in her eyes. I can feel my ears heating up again. Whatever. I shot back up and headed out of the hospital room.
Henri followed me to the hallway a few seconds later. "Sir, are we heading back to the office?"
"Yes. Let her rest for now. Uncle will call if anything happens." I went out of the building in long strides. No one dared walk on my path. Just the way I like it.
A few minutes later, I am already in my office reviewing a sped up CCTV footage. Hmm... nothing suspicious. "Henri," I called out. My secretary came in with a tray that had my coffee cup on it.
"The coffee is from the cafe for now, I just thought you'd like it better in your cup." He explained.
"Thanks." I said, reaching for the cup. "I trust you've already ordered a new machine?"
"Of course, sir. I also had Chief Greyson pick up the machine for investigation." Henri said.
"Did he find anything while he was here?" I asked, my eyes not leaving the screen.
"Says it could be someone who has access to the building even during off hours as there were no signs of roughage or break-in." Henri said. "He estimates it happened right before work hours with the timing of the leak reaching the socket."
Interesting. Then it should be someone who knows of my routine on Monday mornings.
For the next few hours, I attended to my actual work, with the usual call from grandfather hounding me about still being single. I haven't told him about the morning's incident. It might turn out to be nothing... or if it's something then I should've found the solution before the news reaches him. My train of thoughts were interrupted as my phone buzzed on my desk.
"Uncle." I answered.
"Nephew. Your girl can go home in a few minutes after I talk to her about her prescription and her nutritional intake. Are you going to pick her up?" The voice teased from the other end of the line.
"Uncle, I told you, she's not — whatever. Just add it to my tab. I'll be there in a few minutes." Damn it. I can feel the heat coloring my ears red. What am I, a freakin' teenager?
Outside the hospital building, I saw Henri was following Ophelia out the entrance and ushering her towards the car. He opened the door and she peered in. I expected her to get in but she said she won't need a ride. She just makes it a point to be ever so antagonistic.
Annoyed, I retorted "Don't you think it would be so rude of you that we waited and you'll just take off?" as I turned my head to her.
Long-story short, she got in. I kept my gaze on my side of the window but I can feel Henri stealing glances at the backseat. When we reached The Patron, a bar some few blocks away from the office, she murmured her thanks and closed the door.
I found myself watching her as she was let in the bar by a muscular bouncer. That's when I realized Henri hadn't driven off.
"Why are you not driving?" I asked as I looked at him through the rear view mirror.
Henri smirked so knowingly and said, "Well, I thought you wanted to make sure she was safe." Satisfied with that statement and with my raised eyebrow, he drove off.
I stood under the pulsating cold water in my shower a few minutes after Henri dropped me off, willing to clear my head about the day's events.
An attempt? Could it be an inside job?
I paused when Ophelia's face appeared in my mind. 'You... smell nice.' I closed my eyes and faced the source of the pulsating water as if willing the pressure to clear my mind.
This is ridiculous. Why are my ears heating up under cold water?
The next day, I stood in front of the bathroom mirror staring at the dark circles under my eyes. I wasn't able to sleep properly.
Just ridiculous, I thought. I groaned myself all morning into getting ready. It wasn't long before Henri beeped in to let me know he's here. I wanted to focus on finding the culprit but... this girl's face will be the death of me.
"Henri, have HR come up at 8:30AM." I said as I got in the backseat.
"Of course, sir. And good morning." Henri said. I feel like he's getting more and more comfortable with speaking to me so casually.
"Ah, yes, good morning." I said as I unlocked my phone to call Chief Grayson. "Good morning, Chief!" I greeted as a toady voice answered from the other line.
"Another hoarse-voice morning again, cousin?" I felt my eye twinkle as he answered with a grunt.
Chief Johndrew Grayson is one of my many cousins on my mother's side. Relatives on my mother's side come from a wide range of professions. I think this was one of the factors that had grandfather agreeing when dad said he'd marry mom.
"Well, Cuz, someone made an attempt on you. I can't sleep on that." Drew, as I call him, said, still with a hoarse toady voice.
"That's not it. You went through a pack again, didn'tcha?" I guessed right, of course.
"Whatever," he said, dismissing my morning nags. "Check your CCTV footage. 6:58:34AM seems to be such a long second."
How could I have not seen that? "Thanks, Cuz." My voice was grim now.
"Keep an eye out and watch your back. I'll see you soon, Cuz." He bid goodbye and the call ended.
A few minutes later, Henri and I were already riding the service elevator up to the office.
I checked the CCTV footage as soon as I got to my table.
6:58:34AM lasted for about 20 seconds. It was replaced. So now, even the security department is on my list. I had Henri check who was on CCTV duty that day and shift, when Lawyer Byrne stepped off the elevators.
Henri waved him in and briefed him with yesterday's events. He worked on the documents needed for the situation and later was back with a folder of printouts and tabs.
I asked Henri to call Ophelia in to talk about possible offers that will benefit both her and the company. What's puzzling is that as soon as she stepped off the elevator, my heart started beating in my ear, more so when she reached my desk and started discussing with the HR. I struggled not to stare at her and let Byrne talk to her.
"Mr. Aurelion," I nearly jumped off my chair when she said my name. "I do not wish to claim any damages or sue for anything. All I want to do is to get back to work as there are a lot of tasks I have on my list." She said rather quickly.
My mind floated for a minute.
"I am aware but I assure you, I am fit to work thanks to the immediate care I received after yesterday's incident." She said as she faced me. I don't know where to look at this point but why is she so stubborn? Last night she didn't want to rest. Today, she's waiving paid days off following an injury so bad that she wound up at the hospital.
I stood up as she signed the waver. She said her thanks and turned to leave right after a few more signatures on Byrne's tabbed documents. I don't know why but I followed her to the door.
"Thanks, Henri. Oh, how's the espresso machine?" She asked as she got to the door where Henri stood.
"It's been replaced." I clicked an answer before Henri could. I think she got startled and didn't expect me to be right behind her.
Why did I do that though?
I think she mumbled an answer and hurried to the elevator.
Behind me, Byrne cleared his throat and said, "I'll go ahead and file this."
I wondered why he was so chatty but then I realized that I was blocking the doorway and seemed like my head was in space.
I caught the two, Henri and Bryne, sharing a quick gossipy look.
I cleared my throat which I knew gave my employees "the jolt" and with that, Byrne padded to the elevators.
I went back to my table as I answered grandfather's call.
"Pop," I answered as I sat on my chair. "How have you been doing?"
"Hungry, actually." He answered.
"Well, we can't have that." I said, rubbing my forehead. "Brunch is on me, where are you?" I stood back up and headed for the elevator. Henri saw and was about to follow me when my grandfather said that he's in a restaurant nearby so I waved Henri off.
"I'm already in the elevator, I'll be there in a few minutes. Stop nagging me over the phone will you?" I rubbed my head some more. "Yes, yes. I'm on my way." With that I ended the call. The elevator stopped on some floor.
Oh. Ophelia stepped in carrying a clipboard in one hand and a purple tumbler on the other, and turned to the elevator buttons. I tensed up. I don't think she noticed I was here. Let's fix that.
I took a step beside her and was wanting to back out of whatever urge I had — fix what? — but then as if I was a different person, I quipped, "You're not having coffee again, are you?"
"This- This is citron tea, sir." She said.
So she listens to doctors, after all. 'Your girl…' that memory of Uncle George assuming I was dating this woman crept up in my mind and turned my ears red. Just as the elevators opened, I stepped off and hurriedly walked out the entrance. Some outdoor air would do my ears good.
I looked around and found the restaurant my grandfather told me about.
"Pop," I greeted him as I pulled up a chair opposite his.
"I got you a Spanish omelet." He said, signaling the waiter for the ordered meal. "So, no girlfriend yet?" He said, forking a piece of fruit into his mouth.
The waiter set down my plate. "Ah, Spanish omelet and some nagging." I said sarcastically.
"But you know," Pop started again. "Your uncle did call me last night."
I dropped my head, clenching my jaw. I know where this is going.
"This Ophelia Ryte," Pop continued.
My ears, damn it. "She's just an employee, Pop."
"All I am saying is that in my strapping youth, I wouldn't have carried an employee running in a panic across the lobby." Pop watched me maliciously from above the rim of his spectacles as one of his eyebrows arched.
"I was just caught in the moment. It was an emergency and an employee was injured right in front of me." I explained in a slouch as I leaned on the table. Why is everybody so invested in this? It's not like I expressed any interest in her.
"You're gonna go down swingin' huh?" Pop teased me some more. "Well then, why did you pick her up from the hospital?"
"Pop, this is the first time someone was injured during work since you handed over the chair to me." I continued going through my omelet.
"So, so defensive." Pop did not stop at all. This is how the whole meal went down.
By the end of the badgering meal, I handed my card to the waiter but made sure Pop took his maintenance medicine before we got up. Allen, his driver, already had the car in the waiting area when we got out.
"Where are you off to today?" I asked as I walked him to the car.
"Just the mall. Look for some eye candy. Can't let you have all the fun, right?" He was being sarcastic for sure.
"Pop," I threw my head back with a groan.
"Go on with your day then." He said as he climbed up the backseat.
"I'll come by tomorrow." I promised as I closed the door for him. I watched the car drive off before I crossed the street back to my building.
Just as I was about to head to the elevators, I caught sight of someone from the corner of my eye and it just so happens she's walking towards my direction, busy paying close attention to two fluffy cupcakes in a carryout box with a see-through lid.
As if my legs had their own mind and will, I turned to face her way and stopped on her path. I expected she would look up any second now.
She didn't.
She walked right into me and dropped everything but the cupcakes.
It's that tumbler again. I bet that's coffee in there and not citron tea. She scrambled to pick up her planner, which fell open to a page with a charming doodle in it. I picked up the tumbler for her. This thing fell down on the street yesterday. It's dented. What's the use of a dented tumbler?
"Oh, let me take that off your hands, sir." She reached for the tumbler. "Sorry for bumping into you like that, I didn't see you there."
She then started to walk away but somehow stopped dead in her tracks as I said, "You didn't see me? Hmm.. and here I thought it was because I smell nice." I tilted my head. What am I doing right now?
I can tell she was startled. She paused and partially turned to look at me through the side of her eyes and said, "Yes, you do." Her eyes darted from my face down to my shoe. A corner of her lips tugged upwards into a one-sided smirk. Then she left.