Nikolai remained seated and just watched as the doctor approached him, adjusting the stethoscope around his neck. He didn't seem like someone that had been worried sick, but instead, looked like the grumpy emotionless man that he's always been. "Mr Nikolai," the doctor called when he stood in front of him. "I applaud you for waiting this whole time. Well, there's goodnews. The surgery was successful and she's out of danger. Although, I must say it was a very lucky escape as the bullet was not far from a delicate place. Anyway, she needs a lot of rest, so she's still asleep for now. And..." Every other thing the doctor said fell on deaf ears, as Nikolai had already gotten the information he needed. At that moment, he lifted his hands to his face and exhaled deeply. That was when it dawned on the doctor that he had actually been very worried. "Let me know if you need anything," Nikolai said to the doctor when he was done with his narration."Of course. You can see her now if you want to. But she's still asleep and will not be responsive. Her room is the third on the left row." He pointed in the direction, and when Nikolai gave a subtle nod, he swiftly departed. For a long time after the doctor left, Nikolai remained seated, his head pressed against the wall like one in contemplation. For the first time since he arrived at the hospital, his hands stopped shaking. Getting to know that Adira was okay calmed his inner demons. After a while, he stood up and began heading for the room. His guards, who had been keeping watch, tried going after him, but he stopped them and continued on his own. A few minutes later, he was in Adira's room. He walked slowly to her bed, taking in her innocent face as she slept peacefully. He realised it was the first time he was seeing her sleep,and mercies! She looked beautiful. Who the hell tried to kill her? Or was he actually the target?For a long period of time, no attempt has been made on his life, not even by business associates. So, who could it be this time around? He was deeply troubled and wished he could find the perpetrators. Slowly, he extended a hand to her face, trailing his index finger down her cheek. Her skin was so soft and seemed to glow ethereally. What manner of beauty. Lancelot was definitely a fool to let such a woman go. That was the reason he was deeply hurt and mad when he learned she had gone on a date with him. Why would she go back to her ex-husband so soon? A man who caused her so much pain? He wished he could actually keep her forever. He wanted to. But his fears... Will he ever be able to overcome them? ****†****†****† Vesper's car screeched to a halt as he entered the compound with an air of urgency, parking haphazardly as if time itself could not wait for his arrival. Stepping out of the vehicle,his movements were filled with an aura of danger that seemed to emanate from his being. The people around him whispered and veered away, creating a path for him as he strode towards the entrance of the building. That was the bad side of Vesper. Getting to the first floor, he didn't need to go any further as he found Marino right there, with his boys around him. It appeared his presence had interrupted a meeting they had ongoing, as they all flinched at his unheralded entrance. "What is the meaning of this?" Vesper gritted his teeth at Marino, who was still trying to process his entrance. "We had a deal for God's sake! And the deal was to shoot my brother, not his wife!" "Hey, beat it down, bro. Beat it down," Marino said, waving his hand at him. "Listen, I know the mission was messed up, but I need you to know it wasn't intentional. The little man over there messed it up. I thought he was a good shot." Vesper looked to the corner at which he had pointed and found a young man on his knees, his face battered and bruised. The bastard!"You should've sent someone you were sure of, Marino!" Vesper returned his gaze to him. "You know how important this is to me!" "I fucking know, and I'm telling you it was all a mistake! You need to watch your tone, boy; I hate it when people yell at me." Vesper huffed and dipped his fingers into his hair. "Damn it!" He kicked a table beside him. The whole thing was messed up—the one opportunity he had to take back his position Knowing he could do nothing for Marino, he turned towards the door. "Hey,we can still talk about this," Marino said, spreading his arms apart. "There is nothing to talk about," Vesper snapped at him. "We shouldn't be dumb. Making another attempt on his life right away might leave traces, because I'm sure he's going to be extra careful now. You ruined this."Fisting his hands, he stormed out of the house. ****†****†****†****† Later on, Mrs. Bellamy rushed over to the hospital to check up on Adira, and she was so relieved when she learned she was going to be okay. There were other people outside the hospital who wanted to see Adira, but unfortunately, it was past the hospital's visiting hour and no exceptions could be made. Nikolai couldn't spend the night there because he needed to take care of himself. So his mother offered to do so while he retired to the house. *** Getting home was a lot of struggle for him, as he spent a long time in his jacuzzi. He did something he was not supposed to do—something he's not allowed himself to do for years. Keeping such close contact with Adira was a mistake; he should've never done it.He made sure his door was shut while he battled with his mental demons in his room. ****† The soft rays of the morning sun streamed through the parted curtains and cast a warm glow into Nikolai's room. He lay still on the bed, just staring at the ceiling like it was his heaven. His phone had been buzzing endlessly; he blamed himself for not putting it on silent mode before crawling into bed. No doubt, the news of Adira being shot must be over. After a while, he finally mustered the strength to leave the bed. His head felt so heavy, but he knew he had to kick off the day's activities. With just a towel around his waist, he reached for his phone, scrolled past the numerous calls and messages, and checked if he had any from his mother. And yes, he did. 'Nikolai, I don't know if you're awake, but before leaving home, could you get a few clothes from Adira's closet?'His mother's message read: Nikolai dropped the phone and walked into the bathroom. ... After bathing, he found something suitable to wear, fixed his hair and his jewellery, and finally, he was ready to be a CEO. His cold demeanour fell on him so naturally. He headed for Adira's room afterwards, hoping to see Yvonne along the way to convey the message to her, but she was nowhere in sight. Hence, he decided to carry out the errand himself. He slowed down when he got to her room. Right there, it occurred to him that it was his first time stepping into her room since they got married. He's never been a husband to her, has he? Were they even married? He scanned his eyes around, admiring how girly and beautiful it looked. He got to her closet and was impressed by her coordination. So many clothes, bags, shoes... He was happy that she was living the life he wanted. He looked around for a shelf where he'd get her casual wears, but instead, his eyes found something else—something that made his heart stop working for a few seconds. Right there, he found a shelf that contained just male clothes, and on it was boldly written 'For 'Nikolai.'