33. ACCIDENT

The stage was alive with excitement, the room buzzing with anticipation as the event continued. Alina stood at the center, her cohost Jason by her side, as they presented the latest segment of the evening. She smiled nervously, gripping her cue cards tightly, trying to keep her composure in front of the crowd.

Out of nowhere, a loud creak echoed through the room. Alina glanced up, her eyes widening in horror as the spotlight above her swayed dangerously, its cables fraying. Her breath caught in her throat, and for a second, the entire world seemed to slow down.

Before she could react, a sudden rush of movement caught her eye. Caelan, who had been standing at the side of the stage, broke into a sprint. His eyes were locked on the spotlight, then on Alina. Without a second thought, he threw himself toward her, arms outstretched as he yelled her name.

“Alina, move!”

But it was too late. The spotlight gave way, plummeting towards her.

In a split second, Caelan reached her. He crashed into her, pushing her out of harm’s way just as the spotlight slammed into the stage where she had been standing. The two of them tumbled to the ground, their bodies colliding in a heap as they hit the floor with a thud.

Alina gasped, the impact of the fall knocking the wind out of her. She shrieked in shock, her mind reeling as she tried to process what had just happened. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest, the adrenaline coursing through her veins.

Caelan groaned beside her, his face twisted in pain. The spotlight had grazed his leg on its way down, and the sharp sting made him wince as he tried to shift his weight. He forced a tight smile, looking over at Alina to make sure she was okay.

“Are you alright?” he asked, his voice strained.

Alina nodded weakly, still dazed from the suddenness of it all. “Y-Yeah… I think so,” she managed to say, her voice shaky.

Jason, her cohost, had seen the whole thing. His eyes widened in alarm, and without hesitation, he rushed over to the two of them, dropping to his knees beside Caelan. “Oh my God, are you guys alright?” he asked, his voice laced with concern.

“I’m fine,” Alina muttered, sitting up slowly, her hands trembling as she pushed herself off the ground. She glanced at Caelan, guilt washing over her as she saw him trying to hide the pain in his leg.

Jason noticed, too. “You’re not fine,” he said, his tone firm as he looked at Caelan. “Come on, let’s get you to the infirmary.”

Caelan shook his head, wincing again as he shifted his leg. “It’s just a scratch,” he said through gritted teeth, trying to downplay the pain. But Jason wasn’t having it.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Jason insisted. “That thing hit you pretty hard. Let’s go.”

With Jason’s help, Caelan slowly got to his feet, leaning heavily on him as he tried to take a step. His leg buckled slightly under his weight, and he grimaced, but Jason steadied him. The audience was watching, murmuring in concern as they saw Caelan’s obvious discomfort.

Alina, still sitting on the stage, felt a pang of guilt. “Caelan, I’m so sorry,” she whispered, her voice barely audible over the noise of the crowd.

Caelan glanced down at her, his eyes softening despite the pain. “Don’t be,” he said quietly. “I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”

Jason carefully guided him off the stage, heading toward the infirmary with a determined look on his face. Alina watched them go, her heart heavy with the weight of what had just happened. She had nearly been crushed by that spotlight, and Caelan had saved her without a second thought.

The realization hit her hard, leaving her shaken, but also filled with gratitude for the man who had risked himself for her.

The atmosphere was a blur of noise and movement, but Alina could only focus on one thing—Caelan’s retreating form as Jason helped him off the stage. She slowly stood up, her legs shaking beneath her, still trying to shake the daze from the near-death experience. The gasps and murmurs from the audience faded into the background, and all she could hear was the pounding of her heart.

She had almost been crushed.

And Caelan… he had thrown himself into harm’s way without hesitation.

Alina’s fingers trembled as she pressed them against her lips, her thoughts spinning. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself, but the adrenaline still coursed through her veins, making it impossible to stay calm.

“Alina?” A voice startled her. Emma was rushing toward her with wide, worried eyes.

“Are you okay? Should we call someone?”

“I—I’m fine,” Alina stammered, though she wasn’t sure she believed it herself. “It’s Caelan who’s hurt…”

Emma nodded, glancing toward the direction Caelan had been taken. “We’ve got someone checking on him now. He’ll be alright, I’m sure.”

But Alina wasn’t convinced. She couldn’t shake the image of his pained expression as he tried to walk, the way his leg had buckled under him. Guilt gnawed at her insides. He had gotten hurt because of her.

Without thinking, she bolted off the stage, ignoring the startled cries of the organizer behind her. She needed to see Caelan. She needed to know he was okay.

Her feet carried her swiftly through the corridors of the event hall, her heart racing faster with each step. The infirmary wasn’t far, and soon, she spotted Jason standing outside the door, pacing anxiously.

“Jason!” she called out, her voice breathless as she approached.

Jason turned, his face lighting up with relief when he saw her. “Alina, thank God you’re alright.”

“I’m fine,” she replied quickly, glancing past him toward the closed door. “How’s Caelan?”

Jason frowned, rubbing the back of his neck. “He’s in there. The nurse is looking at his leg now. I told him to take it seriously, but the man is a serious headache."

Alina’s chest tightened. Of course, Caelan would try to shrug off his injury. He wasn’t the type to make a fuss, even when he should. She took a step toward the door, hesitating for a moment before pushing it open.

Inside, Caelan sat on the edge of a small bed, his jacket discarded and his shirt sleeves rolled up. His expression was tense as the nurse carefully examined his leg, but when he saw Alina enter, his face softened.

“Alina,” he said, his voice calm despite the pain. “You should be resting. You had a scare.”

She blinked at him in disbelief. “I should be resting? You’re the one who got hurt!”

The nurse gave them both a look, finishing her examination before speaking up.

“He’s going to be fine,” she said reassuringly. “Just a bruise, nothing’s broken. I’ve wrapped it up, but he should stay off that leg for a while.”

Caelan grumbled something under his breath, clearly not liking the idea of being sidelined. But Alina wasn’t having it. She crossed her arms, her brows furrowed. “You’re going to listen to her, right?”

Caelan leaned back on his hands, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “If it makes you feel better, then yes.”

Alina exhaled, the tension in her chest slowly loosening. The fear that had gripped her heart since the incident was finally starting to subside. Caelan was okay. He had saved her, and despite the injury, he was going to be alright.

She walked over to him, her eyes searching his face for any trace of pain. “Thank you,” she whispered softly, her voice barely audible. “You didn’t have to do that.”

Caelan’s gaze met hers, steady and unwavering. “Of course I did.”

Their eyes lingered on each other for a moment, the air between them thick with unspoken words. Alina’s heart thudded in her chest, a mixture of gratitude and something deeper swirling inside her. Before she could dwell on it, the door swung open, and Jason stepped in, breaking the moment.

“You’re not planning on leaving, are you?” Jason asked, raising an eyebrow at Caelan.

“The nurse said to rest, not stroll out of here like nothing happened.”

Caelan chuckled, shaking his head. “I’ll stay put, don’t worry. I wouldn’t want to make you worry about me, too.”

Jason rolled his eyes. “Good. The last thing we need is you making this worse. Or your fans would eat us alive. After all you are the hottest youngest CEO of China.”

Alina stood beside the bed, watching the playful exchange between the two. Despite the situation, it felt comforting to see Caelan in good spirits. But deep down, she couldn’t shake the unease that still lingered. Tonight had been too close. If Caelan hadn’t acted as quickly as he did…

Her thoughts were interrupted by the faint buzzing of a phone. Caelan's phone lit up on the table next to him, the screen flashing with an incoming call. Jason glanced at it briefly.

“Will is calling you,” Jason said, giving Caelan a curious look.

Caelan hesitated for a moment before reaching for the phone, picking it up, he talked into the phone.

"I am fine, okay." He huffs and hangs up the call.

Alina glanced between them, unsure what the call was about, but sensing that tonight wasn’t the time to ask. Instead, she focused on the present, relieved that things hadn’t ended in disaster.

For now, they had all come through the night in one piece. But something told Alina that things were far from settled.