CHAPTER 143
"Arianna.."
Her heart skipped a beat.
In the four years she had tried to woo him, Xander had always ignored her and never even given her a second glance. She thought that Xander did not know who she was or even what her name was.
To her surprise, he knew who she was and called her by name.
It was the first time that voice had called her by name after all those years. The way he said "Arianna" was just as wonderful as she had imagined.
However, she seemed to be on the verge of death…
She was still so young, yet her life was already reaching its end before she could even win Xander's heart.
Despite all that, she had no regrets about saving Xander.
She wanted to open her eyes and take another look at him but couldn't bear the weight of her eyelids. Moments later, she plunged into complete darkness.
At that moment, Arianna wandered in the darkness for what felt like an eternity, unable to find her way out. Then she heard Xander's voice again, still calling her name.
She followed the sound, and suddenly a large ray of light appeared in front of her. Gathering all her strength, she ran towards it, and as soon as she stepped into the light, her eyes fluttered open.
A nurse was checking her blood pressure. Noticing that Arianna had woken up, the nurse smiled and remarked,
"You're finally awake, young lady. If you hadn't woken up soon, your family and your boyfriend would have been really worried!"
Arianna heard that and couldn't help but wonder if she had truly come back to life. She could hear the nurse clearly, after all.
She had family, but who was this 'boyfriend'?
"Boyfriend?" she asked, clearly puzzled. "Oh, I… I don’t have a boyfriend."
The boyfriend she wanted didn't even acknowledge her.
The nurse chuckled, thinking she was just being modest.
"Not going to admit you have such a caring boyfriend? You should have witnessed how anxious he was when he brought you to the hospital."
He practically burst through the doors, shouting for help. It was quite the scene. He wouldn't let anyone else touch you until the head doctor arrived.
"Security tried to calm him down, but he was like a force of nature, demanding the best care for you. Our director had to come out personally just to assure him that you were in good hands. He wouldn't leave your side for a second until you were stable. The whole ER was buzzing about him. You don't see that kind of dedication often."
“And you know,” the nurse continued with a smile, “after your surgery was over and you were still out cold, he made it a point to visit you every single day. He’d stay for hours, more than half the day sometimes.”
Arianna was taken aback.
From the nurse’s description, the boyfriend in question had to be Xander. They had been rescued that day, but could it really be true that Xander had been there for her daily? It seemed almost too good to be true.
Her voice trembled with disbelief. “Is that really true?”
The nurse was about to reply when the door to the ward opened. With a knowing smile, she said, “Speak of the devil, here he comes now. Let him tell you himself.”
The nurse neatly set aside the blood pressure cuff and stepped out of the room.
Arianna remained frozen, her eyes wide and unblinking, as Xander’s tall and slender figure gradually came into view. Her heart raced, and she dared not blink, terrified that he might vanish if she did.
Xander’s face, usually so composed, was marked by an unusual concern. His brow was slightly furrowed, and his eyes, though still intense, held a trace of tenderness that Arianna had never seen before.
As he approached her bed, the two locked eyes. Arianna’s shock was palpable; her gaze was fixed on him with a mix of disbelief and confusion. Xander’s expression softened as he stood by her bedside, his voice carrying a rare hint of warmth. “Are you feeling any discomfort anywhere?”
For a moment, the room was silent except for the steady beeping of the monitor, as they both stared at each other.
Arianna’s mind raced as she took in the sight before her.
She shook her head slowly. “No, I’m not in pain.”
Her sudden movement caused a sharp sting in her wound, and she winced in response.
Xander quickly moved to her side, gently placing his hands on her shoulders. His gaze was filled with concern as he said, “Try to stay still. The bullet went through your back and lodged into your bone. You would have been killed instantly if it had struck any other vital area.”
The gravity of his words sank in, and Arianna’s heart clenched with fear. The realization of how narrowly she had escaped death left her feeling cold and unsettled.
Arianna, now fully aware of the preciousness of her life, barely dared to move. She spoke in a barely audible whisper, “Who saved us?”
Xander’s response was terse and clipped. “The police arrived just in time,” he said, his tone suggesting he was not keen on elaborating.
Arianna nodded, absorbing the information. Her gaze lingered on Xander, taking in his unharmed appearance. “And… were you injured?” she asked softly.
“No, I’m fine,” Xander replied, his voice steady and reassuring.
Arianna took a moment to absorb the silence that followed. The tension in the room was palpable, filled with unspoken words and lingering emotions.
Xander’s expression was a mix of relief and worry, his eyes revealing more than his words did. Meanwhile, Arianna's own thoughts were a whirlwind of confusion and disbelief, grappling with the reality of the situation and the unexpected turn of events.
A brief silence enveloped them.
Despite their dramatic encounter, Arianna and Xander had scarcely spoken more than a handful of words to each other. Their connection remained fragile and tentative, leaving them both in a quiet space of unfamiliarity.
