Chapter 12
The days in the hospital blurred together, a cycle of therapy sessions, check–ups, and rest. The doctors said I’d need weeks of
therapy to regain full mobility. Falling down that long staircase had left its mark.
Zack‘ s flowers kept coming, an endless stream of expensive arrangements that only irritated me. Every day, Rojen would take one look at them, pick them up, and
toss them into the nearest trash can.
“Does he think flowers will erase. everything he’s done?” Rojen fumed one afternoon, glaring at another extravagant bouquet.
I sighed, leaning back against the hospital pillows. “It doesn’t matter. Zack‘ s apologies mean nothing to me. What I
want is to find Stella and make sure she can
never hurt me again. She needs to be
behind bars.”
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Rojen‘ s expression softened as he sat down beside me. “We‘ re doing everything we can, Amber. I promise.”
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The television in my room buzzed softly, the muted voices of news anchors filling the silence. I wasn‘ t paying much attention until the headline at the bottom of the screen caught my eye.
“Breaking News: Stella Named Suspect in Assault on Colen Heiress Amber.”
My breath hitched as I grabbed the remote and turned up the volume.
“Authorities have issued a warrant for the arrest of Stella,” the reporter said, “She is accused of attempting to harm Amber Colen, the long–lost heir to the Colen family empire, following an incident that left Ms. Colen hospitalized with severe injuries.”
The screen shifted to a photo of Stella, her polished smile now plastered across every
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news station.
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“Stella is believed to have fled the scene shortly after the incident,” the anchor continued. “Anyone with information on her whereabouts is urged to contact authorities immediately.”
Rojen stayed by my side, handling the endless doctors, nurses, and physical therapists. He even insisted on helping me with the little things, like getting to the bathroom.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” I asked, glancing at him as I held onto his arm for balance.
He smirked. “Amber, I’ve already seen you yell at doctors, demand better food, and throw pillows at me. I think I can handle this.”
I rolled my eyes but let him guide me into the bathroom. Just as I turned to grab the sink for support, my foot slipped on the
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tiled floor.
“Amber!” Rojen caught me before I hit the ground, his strong arms wrapping around me as we both tumbled to the floor
in a heap.
Our faces were inches apart, our breaths mingling. For a moment, the world stood still. Then his lips brushed against mine, soft and unexpected.
Heat rushed to my face as I pulled back, but the movement sent a sharp pain through my ribs. “I–I can’t get up,” I stammered.
Rojen chuckled, his cheeks flushed as he helped me back to my feet. “Careful, Amber. You‘ re fragile right now.”
“I noticed,” I muttered, unable to meet
his eyes.
We both started laughing, the tension breaking.
“You‘ re cute when you blush, my love,”
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he teased.
I rolled my eyes again, though I couldn’t suppress the warmth spreading through me. He made everything feel lighter, even in moments like this.
Later that evening, a craving hit me.
“Rojen,” I called, poking at my hospital food. “I need real food. Please.”
“What do you want?” he asked, already grabbing his keys.
I rattled off a list of comfort foods, half- joking but fully serious. He just smiled and said, “I’ll get it, but it might take a while. Something came up at the company, so I’ll be a bit late.”
“Don’t get lost,” I teased as he left.
I tried to stay awake, but exhaustion got the better of me. When I finally drifted off, I dreamed of laughter, warmth, and safety- things I hadn’t felt in so long.
But then, the dream shifted.
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