23

As she saw her reflection in her eyes, he sighed heavily. "Your blood cell count is dropping rapidly, and your body's immunity is decreasing. Currently, it seems to be heading in an unfavorable direction, but still manageable."

Geoffrey's words struck her heart one by one. At this point in time, it was only four months away from the time she had late-stage leukemia in her previous life. She thought that if she fought against fate, she wouldn't repeat the same mistakes.

"Am I in the late stage already?"

"Don't overthink. It's not as serious as you imagine."

If it became more severe, she would become a vegetable. How could he keep it from her to this extent?

"I'm tired. Please leave."

Aileen pulled the blanket over and turned her back, refusing to talk to him. Geoffrey opened his mouth to say something but closed it again. "I'll come back later."

The sound of the door closing made her body instantly lose strength, and the pain became clearer.

It would have been better to know earlier. At least when that day arrived, she wouldn't panic and be at a loss like in her previous life. At least she still had time to do what she wanted and have fewer regrets in this world.

Outside the ward, Geoffrey didn't leave. He sat on a chair, looking somewhat desolate.

About ten minutes later, he took out his phone and dialed a number, exuding a cold breath. "Check Cary's recent activities."

Around 1 a.m., inside the ward, the sleeping woman trembled restlessly, and sweat soaked her bangs.

In her dream.

She walked through an empty airport terminal, looking around, but there was no one in sight. The silence was so profound that she could only hear the "click-clack" sound of her high heels. The scene seemed strangely familiar, sending chills down her spine.

"Aunt?" she called out.

Only the echo responded.

"Bert?"

Still, no one answered.
When she turned around, she saw a man with scruffy facial hair, and a pair of snake-like cold eyes staring straight at her.

As she lifted her leg to move forward, instinct made her take a step back. The emaciated man followed her movement, his limbs moving strangely out of sync, neither fast nor slow.

Seeing her take another step back, the man suddenly grinned maniacally and rushed towards her. She shuddered in horror and started running, but no matter how hard she tried, the distance between her and the man closed in.

Glancing back, they were only a step apart, and in an instant, he grabbed her and tightly clutched her neck with his rough hand.

The man greedily stared at her, and his enlarged face awakened her memory. It felt like the more she struggled, the more excited he became. He raised a cold gleaming knife and said, "Give me your blood and bone marrow..."

As the knife tip seemed to pierce her neck, an image of a man in a black suit flashed through her mind.

"Aileen!"

She suddenly opened her eyes, still frightened, and stared at the ceiling, tears streaming down.

"Another nightmare?" The voice spoke, and she fell into a broad and warm embrace.

"Don't be afraid, it's okay."

Seeing the familiar handsome face, memories from her past life rushed back into her mind. Aileen whimpered softly, and the large hand gently patted her trembling back. Although he didn't know what she dreamed of, a profound sense of regret filled his heart.

"Geoffrey, whatever happens, can you please avoid doing illegal things?"

The hand on her back paused.

"Alright, I'll listen to you."

Geoffrey kept her in the hospital for a week before letting her go home. The furnishings in the house were almost the same as when she left. It was evident that he hadn't been home much recently. Aileen's attention fell on a bottle on the wooden table in the living room.

Unfortunately, these flowers that she hadn't had time to take care of had lost their fragrance. Several petals hung limp on the stems, barely holding on.

"If you like, I'll order new ones for you tomorrow."

Seeing her gaze fixed on the flowers, the man carried his luggage into the house and said as he passed by her.

"No need, I'm not familiar with arranging flowers anyway. It would be a waste to have them just wither away in a flower shop."

"These flowers are meant to experience blooming and withering. Perhaps, to them, being picked by someone who cares is more meaningful and valuable than wilting silently in a flower shop."

Her amber eyes froze for a moment, the first time she saw him say such a long sentence.

The wound wasn't on her foot, so she could walk, but the injury from her lower leg to her knee was quite serious. During the days at home, she either lay in bed or sat on the sofa, rarely moving. Sometimes, when she came downstairs to eat, Geoffrey would carry her.

He suggested bringing meals upstairs, but she refused one by one. To be honest, she found it a bit exaggerated.

During this time, it seemed like she was being kept by Geoffrey. He came home on time every day, one hour at noon, and off work at 5:30 in the evening. He tried different ways to cook every day and fed her until she became rounder, changing her heart-shaped face into an oval one.

Looking at herself in the mirror in the dressing room, she felt that if this continued, she wouldn't be able to fit into her skirt.

Life was peaceful during this month, and Aileen had almost forgotten what happened at the Westin Hotel. After the last call, Cary didn't contact her again, and there were no more news about Angie on the internet. Occasionally, her aunt called her from the UK, asking about her well-being and also inquiring about gossip between her and Geoffrey.