Chloe was crying in agony, touching her face to Andrew’s, thinking she had lost him. She was devastated.
Mike reached the forest with his men. He became horrified as he saw Chloe weeping, hugging Andrew. He rushed to them, sat down, and held Andrew’s wrist to check his pulse. He sighed with relief because Andrew was alive.
“Chloe, he’s alive. He’s just unconscious.” He tried to make Chloe understand, but she wasn’t listening to him. So he held her hand and placed it over Andrew’s heart. She got her breath back as soon as she heard his soothing heartbeat. She closed her eyes and sighed with profound relief.
She opened her eyes and stared at Andrew with a relieved smile and teary eyes.
“Why are you all standing like this? Take him to the hospital,” she ordered his men in a curt tone.
Two men hurriedly picked up Andrew and headed to their private ambulance. Chloe walked with them, holding Andrew’s hand and staring at his face, anxious. She settled down inside the ambulance, where a doctor and a nurse were already present. They hastily placed the oxygen mask on his face and started treating Andrew. Mike also sat beside her.
Mike placed his hand on her shoulder, and she stared at him with sorrowful eyes. “He’ll be fine, Chloe.” He reassured her, squeezing her shoulder.
“He has to be fine.” She said, shifting her eyes back to Andrew and shedding silent tears.
When the ambulance entered the mansion, she asked Mike, “Why aren’t we going to the hospital?”
“We have our private hospital,” he told her.
She freaked out, distraught. “Are you fucking crazy? He got shot, how can you take him home? We need experts and proper medical facilities.”
“Chloe, we have experts there, don’t worry. And we can’t take him to a public hospital; there will be more risk to his life.” He explained to her, and she nodded, understanding him.
They hurriedly shifted Andrew from the ambulance to the medical room of their mansion.
“You stay out.” As the doctor denied Chloe entry, and she frowned at him.
“Get out of my way,” she barked at him.
“No, we have some protocols,” the doctor again denied, and she scowled at him.
Before Chloe could shout at the doctor again, Mike interrupted, “Doctor, let her come.”
“Okay,” the doctor agreed.
She hurried into the medical room and sat beside Andrew on a stool, holding his hand. Tears were constantly trickling down her cheeks.
The doctor was taking out the bullet from Andrew’s stomach, and as Chloe closed her eyes, she recalled how he had come in front of her to protect her. A fresh tear coursed down her face.
“He will regain consciousness within a day. Don’t worry, he will be fine,” the doctor told her after treating Andrew. She just slightly nodded at him in response, sighing with relief.
The doctor and nurses left the room, leaving Chloe alone with Andrew. She stared at him, her eyes filled with immense love. She leaned down and placed a soft kiss on his forehead, caressing his hair. Then she placed her head on his heart to hear his soothing heartbeat. As she listened to his heartbeat, a contented smile spread across her face, and she felt peaceful.
***
After a few hours, Mike stepped into the medical room. Chloe was still sitting on the stool, placing her head on Andrew’s chest and clasping his hand firmly, entangling her fingers with his.
“Chloe, I’m with him. You go and sleep for some time,” Mike said to her, placing his hand on her shoulder.
She raised her head from Andrew’s chest and looked at him. “No, I’m better here,” she replied and placed her head back on Andrew’s chest to hear his heartbeat. Mike was shocked to see her love for his boss.
“At least eat something.” He requested, but she shook her head.
“No, I’m not hungry.” She answered without raising her head from Andrew’s chest, keeping her eyes closed.
Mike didn’t persuade her further because he knew she was stubborn and wouldn’t listen to him.
A day passed, and Chloe hadn’t left unconscious Andrew for even a single second in those twenty-four hours. She kept sitting beside him, holding his hand, listening to his heartbeat, gazing at his face, and sometimes kissing his face and hands. She didn’t even eat anything, just drank a glass of juice, which Mike had forced her to take.
She looked weak now, her hair tied up in a messy bun. She was still in an untidy black lacy bra and sweatpants.
“Andrew, just wake up, please. I can’t take this pain anymore. I don’t know what’s happening to me. I feel like a part of me is breaking into pieces. Just wake up, Andrew. I need you.” She implored, gazing at him dejectedly. She badly wanted to see him fine. She couldn’t wait any longer. Her ears were craving to hear his voice.
Then, as she placed her head on his chest, he regained consciousness. He weakly opened his eyes, and a small smile touched his face as he saw the beautiful face of his girl.
“Ch-Chloe.” As he whispered, she instantly lighted her head to look at him. Her eyes twinkled, and a broad smile flashed on her face. They both gazed at each other, smiling contentedly.
“You’re looking so weak,” he murmured, stroking her cheek with his thumb, his eyes filled with concern. She closed her eyes to feel his touch, her lips drawn up in a beatific smile. A lone tear of joy escaped from her eyes and fell on his hand.
“Why this tear?” He asked her in a whispering tone.
She suddenly hugged him tightly, taking him aback. He slowly raised his hands and wrapped them around her. For a moment, they got lost in each other’s warm embrace, feeling snug and contented as always.
They slowly broke the hug. “I’m sorry, Andrew. Because of me, all this happened. I shouldn’t have left the mansion like that,” she apologized, her eyes glinting with guilt. “I’m sorry.”
“Shh…” he lovingly placed his finger on her lips, and she fell silent instantly. She gazed at him, getting lost in his intense eyes, and he fixed his eyes filled with immense love on her. In the pin-drop silence, they could only hear each other’s heartbeat.
She broke the silence, suddenly asking in a serious tone, “What is this, Andrew?”
He narrowed his brows in confusion. “What?” he asked, bemused.
“What is between us?” Their intense gaze remained glued on each other’s faces.
“I don’t know, but whatever it is, it’s very strong and it makes me feel alive. It’s incredible, and I’m glad to feel such a strong connection with you. It feels tremendous to feel alive again. You gave me a reason for my existence. Now I have a purpose to live every day, to breathe every day, and that purpose is you. I want to live now, with you, and protect you all my life. I know you can take care of yourself, but still, I want to keep you safe forever with me,” he answered her, truly expressing what he felt for her.
“But it’s dangerous,” she said, and for the first time, he saw fear in her eyes, which shocked him.
He looked at her incredulously. “When did you start getting afraid of danger?” he asked her in complete disbelief.
She stared at him unblinkingly for a few seconds and then dashed out of the room before he could stop her. She had understood what was between them-it was love-but she believed that this love was making them weak and putting their lives in danger. She wasn’t afraid for herself; she was scared for him.
“I thought that it was just physical attraction. I never thought that there would be love between us,” she murmured to herself in a disbelief tone after coming to her room.