After Landon left, he quietly closed the door behind him. Chloe didn't wait. She walked straight to the bed. Eugene lay still, his injured hand now bandaged, his face pale. "Eugene," she said softly. No response. "Eugene?" She leaned closer and tried again. Nothing. Not even a flicker of movement. Once she was sure he was out cold, she exhaled slowly. Glancing at the pills and water in her hands, she knew she didn't have much time—Eugene had always been so poised, and she couldn't bear to let the bodyguards force-feed him. Worst case, she'd feed him herself. With her mouth. It wasn't like they hadn't kissed before. This was about saving a life—that was all. Even so, when the time came... she paused. She looked at the black pill in her palm, took a breath, and placed it into her own mouth. The moment it touched her tongue, a sharp bitterness spread. That only made her more sure—this was the only way. She took a sip of water, leaned down, and pressed her lips to his. His lips were tightly pressed. She struggled a little before gently prying them open, then carefully slipped the medicine into his mouth. The bitter taste in her mouth grew stronger by the second. Bitter as hell, but Chloe didn't rush. She kept feeding him the medicine, little by little. She moved slowly. Too slowly. It felt like forever. Chloe thought she must have lost her mind—how could she have done something like this? Only when the bitter taste was gone did she pull away. Her chest felt tight—she'd nearly forgotten to breathe.She noticed a smudge of medicine at the corner of his mouth and reached to wipe it away. When her fingers brushed his cool lips, a jolt shot through her. She pulled her hand back fast. "Eugene," she whispered, staring at his still face. "Do you like me?" No answer came. She kept talking anyway. "You have awful taste, you know. A woman like me... I'm not who you think." Her voice dropped low, like she was sharing a secret. "The person you see—it's not really me." Simple words, but she'd held them in for so long. Saying them felt like dropping a heavy weight. After a moment, she started again. This time, she took the white pill. To her surprise, it tasted sweet. Bitter then sweet. Hard to forget. She took another sip of water, and the sweetness spread across her tongue. Without pausing, she bent down again and brought her lips to Eugene's. This time, it was easier to pass the pill into his mouth. She could feel him swallow more smoothly. She moved even more slowly, afraid to disrupt his swallowing. Her touch softened. Lips and teeth lightly touched—it felt like magic, or maybe just something deeply compelling. It dawned on her that she didn't mind. Not one bit. That feeling grew, step by step. When Chloe finally realized what was happening, her eyes widened. Without her noticing, Eugene had taken over. Were they... kissing? Feeling him respond, she snapped back to awareness. When had he started kissing her back? When did he wake up? Chloe pulled away abruptly, creating space between them. She didn't even notice the trace of medicine still on her lips. Flustered, she asked, "When... did you wake up?" On the bed, Eugene rested against the pillows, enjoying the sight of her—nervous, shy, incredibly endearing. "When you asked if I like you," he said. "That's when I woke up." Chloe was rendered speechless. Truth was, Eugene had woken up earlier. The moment Chloe started feeding him that terribly bitter medicine, he'd gradually come to his senses out of the coma. At first, his mind was foggy, but that sensation kept growing—familiar, desired, something he knew well. In a split second, his muddled thoughts cleared—sharp, lucid, like a fog lifting all at once. It was too bad his body still felt heavy. Otherwise, he wouldn't have let her pull away. He would have held the back of her head and kept her close. It wasn't often she took the initiative. No way he was going to waste it. When she asked him that question, voice quiet but earnest, he wanted to say "Yes" right then, to let it pour out of him without hesitation. But he still couldn't move. Slowly, feeling returned to his arms and legs. When she kissed him again, and that sweet sensation rushed through him, he felt fully awake. He couldn't help it—he kissed her back. For Eugene, this was a kiss—the thing he wanted most, every night, every time the name Chloe crossed his mind.