Safe
Alex’s POV
I saw Serene standing in the emergency room, her back turned to me. The mix of worry and anger on her face was evident. I wanted her to face me, so I gently touched her shoulder, ready for any reaction. Luckily, she didn’t try to attack me.
“It’s me,” I whispered, hoping she would turn around. And she did. I expected tears and a flood of emotions, but instead, she asked me a question.
“Why are you here?” she inquired, her voice filled with curiosity.
“Von informed me about what happened,” I replied, worrying about Patt’s condition. “How is he?” I asked, hoping for some good news.
“I don’t know yet,” she answered honestly. Then, she questioned me further, “How did your assistant find out?”Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.
“I had someone keeping an eye on you,” I admitted, knowing she might not appreciate it. “I was worried that Lorenzo might do something reckless. Even with Enzo by your side, I wasn’t sure if he could fully protect you,” I explained, hoping she would understand my intentions.
“You need to stop interfering. I didn’t want you to get involved in my affairs,” she insisted, her voice filled with determination.
“I thought we agreed that we would face this together,” I reminded her, hoping she would see the importance of our partnership.
“I can handle myself,” she asserted, her gaze unwavering.
“Alright,” I conceded, surprising her with my agreement. Of course, I had my plans and intentions, but for now, I would respect her wishes. There is no need to reveal my true thoughts just yet. The arrival of the doctor cut off our conversation just as she was about to say something.
“How is he?” Serene anxiously asked; her concern for Patt was evident in her voice.
“He’s stable now. His strong physique protected him from more serious injuries,” the doctor reassured us, bringing a sense of relief to Serene. “We’ll be transferring him to a room, and you can wait for him there,” he informed us before leaving.
“Thank you.” Serene expressed her gratitude as the doctor departed. We followed the nurse to Patt’s room and settled in, waiting for him to arrive. It didn’t take long before his hospital bed was wheeled in, and he was awake, unable to meet Serene’s gaze.
“Don’t you ever do that again, Patt!!” she yelled, causing the nurses and doctor to turn their attention towards her. “Don’t ever save me! How many times do I need to tell you that?” she asked angrily. “The next time you do this, I will kill you myself! You got that?” she continued, her voice filled with frustration.
“Eherm,” the doctor interrupted her, trying to calm the situation. “The patient needs to rest. He is adamant that he was still awake despite the anesthesia we used on him,” he added, trying to explain the situation.
“Even if you didn’t use anesthesia on him, he wouldn’t flinch. He didn’t think twice about blocking in front of me,” she replied, defending Patt’s actions.
“But he needs to rest,” the doctor insisted, concerned for Patt’s well-being.
“Yes, just let him off for now,” I chimed in, hoping to diffuse the tension. We all understood Serene’s anger, but it was important for Patt to recover.
“Fine,” she reluctantly agreed, giving up her argument. She glared at Patt before storming off to sit on a double-seater couch, and I followed her, taking a seat beside her. The doctor checked up on Patt and gave some instructions before leaving.
After about an hour, Enzo entered the room. “Boss,” he greeted, and Serene nodded in acknowledgment before he approached Patt.
“You should have come and checked on me before you came to her,” Patt remarked, trying to lighten the mood. Enzo chuckled in response.
“How are you feeling?” Enzo asked, concerned for his friend.
“Nothing; it must be the anesthetics,” Patt replied, downplaying his pain. “How did it go?” he asked, wanting to know the details.
Enzo positioned himself on the other side of the bed so he could see both Patt and Serene. “He said he had a grudge with boss,” Enzo began, causing Patt’s forehead to furrow in confusion.
“Then who the hell is he?” Serene inquired angrily, her frustration evident. “I don’t even know him. Which of the people I killed was his family?” she questioned, struggling to control her emotions. It was clear that she wanted to vent her anger, but she had to consider the setting we were in. And wait, did she just mention the people she killed? How many were there?
Enzo glanced at Serene and then at me, unsure of how to respond, while Patt closed his eyes, perhaps trying to process everything. “What?” Serene asked, noticing their silence. She may not have fully realized the weight of her words. “Why are you acting like you’ve been caught?” she pressed, seeking an explanation.
Then she turned to me, her gaze piercing. “Aren’t you going to leave yet?” she asked, her mind seemingly clearer now.
“No, I wanted to hear more about the people you killed,” I replied, and she sat down. “Just who are you?”
“You wouldn’t want to know,” she replied.
“I want to,” I insisted while slowly kneeling.
“I will tell you when I am ready for divorce,” she said, looking down at my face.
“I already told you, NO DIVORCE,” I said, stressing the last two words as I gently held her arms.
“You will want to when I tell you everything about me,” she replied.
“No. I will not,” I insisted.
“Good luck with that,” she replied. “What happened next?” she asked, looking back at Enzo.
“As I’ve said, he said he had a grudge against you, boss. That’s why I asked Nadine to look into him to find that out,” he continued. “You know her; she’s fast,” he added.
“Did you leave one of our men there? I want to know if someone will visit or bail him out,” Serene asked.
“Yes, boss. Until I clear him, he is not going to leave his post,” he replied.
“Don’t tell Grandpa about Patt; you know how much he babied that idiot.”
“Yes, boss,” Enzo replied. After a while, he and Patt talked, and we couldn’t hear what it was about clearly.
“When do you plan on going back to your office?” Serene asked. Her voice was low; I don’t think the two on the hospital bed heard it.
“I am not going to go back there. I will stay with you here, and we will go home together,” I replied.
“You don’t need to,” she said, but I stopped her.
“I want to. He saved your life, and that is all I can do for him other than say thank you,” I replied. She just looked at me and then sighed. Her face was now stoic, and I didn’t know what she was thinking. At least when she was yelling earlier, I knew that she was angry.
“Thank you for your concern,” she said after. Her voice was so low that I almost didn’t hear what she said. I wanted to tell her to repeat it, but I knew she would only get mad at me if I did, so I just smiled at her.
After what I had seen last night, I knew she still had a soft spot she didn’t want me or others to know, but I was determined to protect her at all costs.