Elisa might be with Louis right now, sharing intimate moments, and the thought of this pierces Hamish’s heart like a thousand arrows.
Looking at the time, Hamish realized it was only one in the morning. He retrieved a photo that had been tucked beneath his pillow; it was a picture taken at his and Elisa’s wedding.
In the photo, Elisa smiled delicately, lips pursed, with two faint dimples on her cheeks, her eyes gentle. It was a small photo, one he kept close to his chest, nestled alongside the diary he had revisited countless times. As he lay back down, he slept without dreaming.
When he woke at dawn, his eyes were moist, and his face was marked with sticky tear stains, the skin sore to the touch.
Cancer patients, with their weakened bodies, were susceptible to illness. A slight negligence could lead to colds, and lung cancer made one particularly prone to fever and coughing.
Having left the window open all night, letting in the cold breeze, coupled with the emotional collapse triggered by seeing Louis’s photograph, Hamish now had a fever.
It was the household maid who first noticed Hamish’s sickness. She promptly informed Mr. Clegg, who quickly arranged for a doctor to see to Hamish, measuring his temperature and administering fluids.
As the doctor administered the IV, he noticed Hamish’s tightly clenched right hand. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t pry it open.
Later, Hamish cracked open one eye.
“Mr. Burns, please relax your hand; I need to administer the IV.”
It took Hamish a few moments to respond. Obediently, he opened his hand, and after glimpsing Elisa’s photo in his palm, he carefully placed it behind his pillow.
The servant, witnessing this gesture, sighed inwardly. They had grown accustomed to such behavior in such circumstances, having seen it countless times. Watching Hamish stare at the photo of the deceased was nothing out of the ordinary.
Upon hearing of Hamish’s illness, Tobias rushed to the Royal Garden after finishing his work.
The first thing Hamish asked upon seeing him was, “Has the online situation been handled?”
“Mr. Burns, rest assured, no one dares to speak ill of Miss Powell. The news from that day on the set hasn’t leaked either.” Even if someone had maliciously leaked it, Tobias had taken care of the matter decisively.
In truth, controlling the online narrative was exceedingly difficult. After all, with millions of people online, it was impossible to control so many voices.
However, this time was unusually easy. After noticing something amiss, Tobias conducted a discreet investigation and discovered that it wasn’t just his side handling the issue; Finn was also dealing with it, along with others.
With more people helping Elisa, resolving her situation naturally became less challenging.
“Mr. Burns, are you still planning to go to the set?”
Hamish remained silent. Yet, at this moment, silence was the best answer. Upon careful consideration, Hamish knew he had a terminal illness. The doctor had said that if he underwent proper treatment, he could endure another five years of painful life, but if he chose not to, it would only be two or three years.
Hamish didn’t want treatment. Sooner or later, he would die. His only wish was for Elisa to accompany him for a year. Not too long, as he would find it hard to let go.
Thus, Hamish wanted to spend the remaining time seeing more of Elisa. Whenever he had the opportunity, he would go to the set.
Hamish had already drawn up a will, stating that all his assets would belong to Elisa after his death, to be disposed of as she saw fit.
Tobias earnestly proposed, “Miss Powell probably wouldn’t like you to go. Mr. Burns, if you do go, don’t disturb her work. An actor’s duty is to perform well in the role. Intimate scenes and love scenes are part of the script; you can pretend not to have seen them, but don’t arbitrarily change the script, as it will only make her dislike you more.”
Tobias spoke at length and noticed that Hamish had clenched his hand into a fist so tightly that the needles on the back of his hand were nearly piercing through his veins, a distressing sight.
Tobias dared not continue.
“Arrange to send some supplies to the set.”
“Do you need to mention Miss Powell’s name?”
“No need.” Mentioning Elisa’s name would only make her enemies. It would be enough for the producers and director to know that the supplies were sent because of her; this way, she wouldn’t be mistreated on set.
—
Elisa spent the last two days at home resting and also reviewing the script.
Louis had given Mimi a GPS collar, and she began to worry about Mimi’s safety. Leaving Mimi at home was not an option. She trusted Iris, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Elisa liked to be prepared for any eventuality.
The GPS collar not only connected to her phone but also to Louis’s phone. Additionally, she had assembled a small camera on Mimi’s collar.
After resting for two days, Elisa returned to work and, as usual, handed Mimi over to Iris at the set. Iris looked unwell, with a pale complexion, bloodshot eyes, and dark circles under her eyes. It was evident she hadn’t been resting well these past few days.
“Iris,” Elisa called her twice before she responded, her eyes staring blankly.
Elisa furrowed her brow lightly and reached out to touch Iris’s forehead, asking with concern, “What’s wrong? Are you ill?”
Iris finally snapped out of it, shaking her head and glancing down and to the left. “I just haven’t been sleeping well these past few days, and I felt a bit queasy on the way here today. I’m not sick, Elisa, you don’t need to worry about me.”
“Really?” Elisa had felt a chill when she touched her face.
Iris nodded quickly.
“If you’re not feeling well, you should go back and rest. I won’t deduct your pay.”
“It’s not necessary, really,” Iris shook her head. “I haven’t really been doing much as your assistant, just taking care of Mimi. I’m not tired, I don’t need rest.”
Elisa said, “Taking care of Mimi is the biggest favor you can do for me. Nothing is more important to me than that.”
Iris pursed her lips and asked, “Elisa, why do you care so much about Mimi?”
Elisa, holding the cat close, spoke softly, “Every scar on Mimi’s body is because of me. Mimi is my redemption, and she only has me.”
Mimi raised her head and let out a “meow.”
Elisa immediately responded, planting a kiss on her little head.
Unless one had experienced life and death together, it would be difficult for others to understand the bond between her and Mimi.
“In short, she’s like family to me. You must take good care of her for me.”
“I will,” Iris replied, taking Mimi gently into her arms.
Elisa was still somewhat concerned about Iris. If Iris wasn’t feeling well, she would hire someone else to look after Mimi until Iris had rested and recovered. But Iris reassured her repeatedly that she would take good care of Mimi, allowing Elisa to focus on her acting without dwelling on it.
“Why does Mimi have an extra collar around her neck?”
“Someone gave it to her, in case she gets lost and we can’t find her. This collar has a tag and a GPS tracker. I’ll help you set it up on your phone later.” Elisa took out her phone from her pocket, telling Iris about the GPS tracker but not mentioning the hidden camera. It wasn’t a matter of distrust but more about anyone feeling uncomfortable if they knew they were possibly being monitored.