Chapter 126 I Can Bear It
"Or what?"
Darian's expression was one of nonchalant entitlement, almost driving Hayden up the wall.
"Darian, that's not cool," Declan chimed in with dissatisfaction.
"Help yourselves to any bottle from my liquor cabinet," Darian offered indifferently.
"Well... okay," Hayden picked up his stuff, gesturing to Declan, "Darian, farewell, and to your wife as well."
With a whoosh, the two people disappeared in an instant.
Cecily just stood there, speechless.
Darian calmly swept his gaze over Cecily before sitting down gracefully on a nearby chair.
The two just looked at each other, neither speaking.
Now, whenever Cecily saw Darian, she couldn't help but remember the night he went on a drunken rampage.
The red marks on her neck hadn't faded yet.
Touching her neck, Cecily shuddered involuntarily, her whole body tensing up.
Darian sat elegantly, his cold gaze narrowing as he watched her, curious about her odd facial expression.
Cecily coughed lightly, initiating conversation to break the awkward silence. "Thanks for taking me to the hospital. I'll transfer the hospitalization fees to you in a bit."
Darian continued to watch her quietly after she spoke.
She pursed her lips, his stare making her second-guess her words.
After a while, Darian finally asked indifferently, "Is that all?"
Cecily looked confused; maybe she was still feverish and hence a bit slow, not immediately realizing if there was anything else to say.
"Is there something else?" she asked.
Darian picked up a fruit knife and selected an apple from the fruit plate, peeling it leisurely. "The incident at the hotel tonight, let's hear about it."
"The hotel incident?" Cecily frowned.
So that was why he came to her place – because of the hotel incident.
Right, it made sense. Ophelia and Elysia had conspired against her, all to make Darian witness it. They would naturally try every means to draw Darian there.
It was to be expected that Darian knew about it.
"It's about..."
However, before she could finish, Cecily stopped herself. She had no time to gather evidence, and outright accusing Ophelia might make Darian think she was slandering his beloved.
'Forget it.'
'Better not to speak up and be disbelieved than to say it at all.'
After all, if she did speak, they would probably end up arguing tonight.
And with her head still aching, she had no energy to fight.
"It's nothing, it's all resolved."
"Nothing?"
"Yeah."
Darian's eyes darkened as he noticed the reluctance in Cecily to share anything with him, which irked him.
"How much was the hospital bill tonight? I'll transfer the money to you."
His expression grew darker. "Do we really have to settle accounts like this?"
"What else? We aren't exactly close, and if you paid the bill for me, naturally, I have to pay you back."
Cecily certainly didn't want to owe him anything.
As she spoke, Cecily reached for her cell phone on the side, pressed the power button a couple of times, and got no response.
Great, it was dead.
"Uh... I'll transfer it to you later; my phone's dead."
Darian didn't reply, his face still sour.
Cecily tilted her head, observing his expression.
'What is up with this guy?'
'A few words and he's frowning!'
'Well, it will be great if he can work on that habit. His scowling can indeed be quite daunting.'
Scratching her head, Cecily muttered, "Can I use your phone to make a call?"
Without a word, Darian handed his phone to her.
"Thanks."
Just as she was about to ask for the passcode, Cecily realized Darian's phone was unlocked, revealing a very few apps on the screen—typical of Darian's minimalist style.
She called Aunt Mary. They must be worried sick about her by now.
After the call, Cecily handed the phone back to Darian. "Thanks, it's getting late, and you must be tired. You should head home and get some sleep."
It was the same kind of dismissal Darian had given to Hayden and Declan earlier.
"Do you shoo people away after they've served their purpose?"
Cecily blinked. That line sounded familiar.
"It's just really late, and you've got work tomorrow."
Darian stood up silently, taking a step closer to Cecily, who instinctively moved to the side, hugging her own neck.
Darian frowned.
What was with her neck? Was it some treasured item that she always had to cover? Was she afraid of it being seen?
"What are you doing?" Cecily asked, warily.
Darian tossed the fruit knife back into the fruit bowl and handed her the apple he had just peeled.
Cecily stared at the perfectly peeled apple from Darian, astonished and a bit overwhelmed.
Seeing that she did not take it, Darian's hand shook it twice again. He had intended to say that eating fruit could be beneficial for recovery, but what came out was a curt, "Eat."
Cecily was silent.
Better not to contradict this man.
She reached out and took the apple, her fingertips brushing against Darian's cool touch, "Thank you."
She lowered her head and took a bite of the apple.
Darian watched her for a moment, then casually pulled out two tissues and began meticulously wiping his hands.
The precision of his actions was enough to show that he usually didn't engage in such menial tasks.
When the doctor came in to check on Cecily, Darian sat down on the sofa, showing no sign of leaving.
Cecily blinked, "Aren't you leaving?"
Darian casually picked up a book from the table and spoke indifferently, "The doctor said you needed someone to stay with you tonight."
The doctor who was taking Cecily's temperature paused, a baffled look crossing his face as he glanced at Darian.
'When have I said that?'
Noticing the doctor's gaze, Darian gave him a nonchalant glance.
The doctor instantly averted his eyes.
Right.
He must have said it.
Cecily looked at Darian, wondering since when he had become so considerate.
Was it just because she was a patient?
She decided not to dwell on it.
"100.04°F, the fever has come down a bit. Miss Cecily, do you feel uncomfortable anywhere else?" the doctor asked.
Cecily glanced at Darian and rubbed her temples, "Headache."
"That's a result of the fever. You can apply a warm towel to your forehead. It will help with the headache."
Cecily wanted to say the headache was due to someone's presence, making her nervous.
After thanking the doctor, the professional left the room.
Suddenly, Darian stood up silently and walked to the bathroom. A short while later, Cecily was surprised to find Darian actually carrying a basin of water out of the washroom.
Darian, his face a mask of indifference, soaked a towel, wrung it out, and thoughtfully folded it before walking over to her.
Cecily, mid-bite into her apple, slowed her chewing. "You?"
Darian reached out and pressed the warm towel to her forehead, and Cecily lifted her eyes to look at him. His expression was as stern as before, his gaze not the least bit friendly.
"I can do it myself," Cecily protested.
She attempted to move her hand, only then remembering she was hooked to an IV on one side and holding her apple on the other.
Darian just raised an eyebrow and remained silent.
The hospital room was exceptionally quiet, allowing Cecily to acutely feel the pressure of his hand on her forehead.
When the towel cooled, Darian replaced the water and re-wet it, never uttering a word the entire time.
Cecily finished her apple and immediately lay down. As Darian emerged with the towel, she reached for it, saying, "Thanks, I’ve got it from here."
With that, she placed the towel on her own forehead.
Darian shot her a glance and she returned it. It seemed his already stormy expression had darkened even further.
He went back to sit on the couch.
Cecily looked up at him and could almost feel the air freeze around him, so intense was the chill radiating from his body.
Closing her eyes, she lay back down.
'Better to just stay quiet', she figured. 'Any more talking might just set Darian off. Besides, he probably won't stay long; he might even leave on his own soon.'
Truly tired, Cecily drifted off to sleep, only faintly aware in her dreams of a hand gently changing the towel on her forehead, keeping a cozy warmth there.
The next day.
Cecily awoke to the sound of talking.
Opening her eyes, she saw Darian standing by the window on a phone call.
She was in a VIP ward that was quite spacious, and though he was far away, she could still hear the angry voice booming from his phone.
"Darian Fitzgerald, why did you cancel the partnership with our Flores's Group? Do you know what this project cancellation means to me? Do you know how much I will lose?" Tristan was furious, as if he wanted to burst out of the phone and eat Darian alive.
Darian chuckled coldly. "It's none of my business."
"You also have losses!"
"Oh," Darian shrugged, "I can bear it."
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