Blake’s heart sank as he heard the news. He sat by Bianca’s bed, holding her cold hand.
He hoped she would wake up soon but feared the harsh reality she would face when she did.
Suddenly, he felt a faint movement in her hand.
Looking at Bianca, he saw her eyes slowly open.
“Blake…” she said through the oxygen mask, her words unclear. Blake leaned in close to hear her better.
“Did you save my mother from the fire?”
Blake felt a pang of sadness. He forced a reassuring smile and said, “Don’t worry. Ms. Lopez is safe. The doctors are taking care of her. Just focus on getting better so you can be there for her, okay?”
Hearing these words, Bianca’s tense body relaxed. She managed a faint smile and nodded, though it took effort.
Then, she drifted back to sleep, feeling comforted.
Blake adjusted the covers around her and gently stroked the short hair on her forehead. Overcome with pain, he buried his face in his hands.
Why did all of this happen?
He remembered Madison’s voice on the phone, asking him to come because she had something important to tell him. What could it have been?
Could the fire be related to what Madison wanted to tell him?
Blake’s head was spinning with confusion. He wasn’t ready to figure out what caused the fire. All he wanted was for Bianca and Madison to recover quickly.
After taking a moment to calm himself, Blake stood up and left the hospital room to get some fresh air.
When he closed the door behind him, he saw Dave standing before him, causing him to stop in his tracks.
They looked at each other. Dave spoke first, asking, “Is… Is she alright?”
With a mocking tone, Blake said, “Now you’re worried about her? Where were you when she needed you?”
Dave’s fists clenched, and his face was unreadable, making him seem very alone.
He didn’t answer Blake’s question. Instead, he said calmly, “I want to see her.”
As he moved toward the door, Blake’s hand blocked his way. Anger flashed in Blake’s eyes. “She doesn’t want to see you.”
Dave stopped and met Blake’s cold stare. “Did she tell you that?”
Blake glared at Dave with a mocking smile. “Does it matter? You shouldn’t even think about seeing her. You’re her boyfriend, but you weren’t there when she needed you. You’ve lost any right to be by her side.”
Blake’s voice grew more intense with each word, his face flushed with anger.
Deep down, he felt Dave didn’t deserve Bianca.
Dave’s throat moved slightly, and his lips twitched, but he couldn’t find the words to respond.
His hands were clenched so tightly that the veins stood out. After a long silence, he finally calmed down.
Dave looked at Blake and said simply, “Look after her.”
Then he turned and walked away.
Before approaching the room, Dave had already checked on Bianca’s condition with the doctor and felt relieved to know she was stable.
As Dave walked away, Blake muttered, “Coward.”
Dave then went back to the apartment he shared with Bianca.
Dave sank onto the couch, lighting one cigarette after another. The smoke obscured his face, and the glowing embers fell to the floor, creating a mess of burnt-out cigarettes.
His eyes wandered to the kitchen, a reminder of unfulfilled promises with Bianca.
Over the years, Dave had built a successful career in business. He achieved everything he set his mind to.
Yet, he hadn’t been able to handle something as simple as this.
He picked up his phone and called Zane. “Tell Edenfield Central Hospital to keep a close watch on Bianca and Madison. Also, find out what caused the fire in Madison’s apartment.”
Feeling helpless, he resorted to giving orders, the only thing that came naturally to him.
After a long while, it was dark outside the window. Dave slumped on the couch, the glow of his cigarette still flickering. He didn’t turn on the lights, keeping his face hidden in the shadows.
Suddenly, his phone rang, breaking the heavy silence in the room.
Dave wasn’t eager to answer, but he reluctantly picked up his phone. Seeing Bianca’s name on the caller ID, he froze for a moment and quickly tossed the cigarette butt on the floor.
Taking a deep breath, he answered the call.
“Hello, I’m feeling better now,” Bianca’s weak voice came through, sounding muffled. “Where are you? I… I want to come to you. Today… is your birthday, right? I promised to celebrate it with you.”
Dave’s eyes filled with tears. He looked up, trying to hold back his emotions. His voice cracked as he replied, “You silly girl, you’ve already celebrated my birthday and given me such a precious gift. Right now, you need to rest.”
“But…”
“Just take it easy.”
Dave said gently, and Bianca eventually stopped protesting. She sniffled and, in a choked voice, said, “I want to see you. Why didn’t you visit me? Why weren’t you here when I woke up?”
Her voice faltered, and Dave was left speechless. The weight of guilt and self-blame felt heavier.
“I’m on my way now. I went to get some food, thinking you might be hungry when you woke up. Give me a minute; I’ll be right there.” Dave grabbed his coat and rushed outside.
“Okay, I’ll wait for you,” Bianca replied weakly before slowly ending the call.
Her hand lay weakly on the bed, the oxygen mask still covering her face. She was too exhausted to lift the phone.
A few minutes later, the door to the ward creaked open.
Bianca turned her head toward the door with a smile and said, “Mr. Evans!”
But it wasn’t Dave who walked in-it was Blake.
Bianca’s disappointment was clear, and Blake hesitated for a moment when he heard her call out Dave’s name.
Despite her disappointment, Blake kept a gentle smile as he approached and said, “Bianca, you’re finally awake.”
Bianca gave a small nod.
Blake then took a container of hot porridge from his bag and placed it on the bedside table.
“Feeling hungry? The doctor said you can only have plain porridge for now. Once you’re better, I’ll bring you something tastier.”
He removed Bianca’s oxygen mask, held up a spoonful of porridge, and blew on it before offering it to her.
Blake’s eyes wandered to Bianca’s phone, showing her recent call history with Dave.
He looked back at Bianca with a self-deprecating smile. “You’ve already called him, even though you just woke up.”
Bianca fell silent for a moment, then asked, “Blake, has my mom… woken up?”