“Miss Kelly?
Are you awake?” Thankfully it was Mrs.
Ahn’s voice.
Again.
Kelvin opened the door, and sure enough, Mrs.
Ahn was standing there with another tray of food.
This time, it was a full breakfast—scrambled eggs, toast, fresh fruit, a glass of orange juice, and a cup of steaming tea.
Next to the plate sat a small bottle of painkillers and a glass of water.
“Good morning, Miss Kelly,” Mrs.
Ahn said warmly.
“I hope you slept well.” “I did, thank you,” Kelvin said, though his aching body begged to differ.
“I was just about to head to the company.” Mrs.
Ahn shook her head.
“Oh no, dear.
Mr.
Alexander said you’re not to come to work today.” Kelvin’s heart dropped.
“What?
Why?” Mrs.
Ahn’s expression softened with sympathy.
“He said that with your…
current condition…” She gestured vaguely at Kelvin’s face, and he understood.
The concealer could only do so much.
Up close, the bruises were still visible, a roadmap of purple and blue that no amount of makeup could fully hide.
“Mr.
Alexander said that if you came to the office looking like that, people would talk,” Mrs.
Ahn continued delicately.
“They might think that he was the one who…
hurt you.
And he couldn’t allow that rumor to spread.” Kelvin’s shoulders sagged.
Of course.
It wasn’t concern for Kelvin’s well-being that had prompted this decision.
It was concern for Alexander’s reputation.
The CEO couldn’t have people thinking he was the kind of man who beat his fiancée.
‘Selfish bastard.
But…
at least he’s not kicking me out.’ “So I’m supposed to just stay here all day?” Kelvin asked, unable to keep the bitterness from his voice.
Mrs.
Ahn nodded.
“Mr.
Alexander instructed me to make sure you rest, eat, and take your medicine.
He said you are not to leave the estate until your face has healed enough to be presentable.” Kelvin sighed, running a hand over his face.
He was too tired to argue.
Too sore.
Too feverish.
And honestly, the thought of crawling back into bed and sleeping for another twelve hours was incredibly tempting “Fine,” he said, stepping aside to let Mrs.
Ahn enter.
“I’ll stay.” Mrs.
Ahn smiled warmly and set the tray down on the table.
“Good.
Now eat up, dear.
And don’t forget to take your medicine.” Kelvin sat down and picked up his fork, staring at the scrambled eggs.
They looked perfect—fluffy, golden, dotted with chives.
But his stomach was churning, caught between hunger and nausea.
Mrs.
Ahn lingered by the door, watching him with motherly concern.
“Is there anything else you need, Miss Kelly?” “No, thank you.
You’ve been very kind.” “It’s my pleasure.
If you need anything, just ring the bell by your bed.
I’ll come running.” She left, closing the door softly behind her.
Kelvin ate his breakfast in silence, taking small bites, forcing himself to swallow despite the fever dulling his appetite.
He took the painkillers, washing them down with the orange juice.
Then he sat back in his chair, staring at the ceiling, feeling the drugs slowly start to work their magic.
The warmth of the bed called to him.
The exhaustion was bone-deep, pulling him toward unconsciousness like a riptide.
He surrendered.
Kelvin crawled back into bed, pulled the covers up to his chin, and let sleep claim him once more.
******* Meanwhile, at Morrowgate Industries, Alexander Morrowgate was having a terrible day.
He couldn’t focus.
He couldn’t concentrate.
Every time he tried to read a report, his mind wandered.
Every time he tried to sign a document, his pen hovered uselessly over the page.
Every time he tried to think about business, a pair of defiant, sparkling eyes invaded his thoughts.
‘Kelly.’ The girl had slapped him.
Slapped him across the face like he was some common street thug.
And yet, instead of firing her, instead of tossing her out on the street like the trash she was, he had sent her food.
He had told Mrs.
Ahn to take care of her.
He had given her the day off.
‘What is wrong with me?’ Alexander leaned back in his leather chair, rubbing his temples.
The office was silent only for the hum of the air conditioning filled the quiet.
The city sprawled below him, a jungle of glass and steel, but he saw none of it.
She’s a nobody, he told himself firmly.
A broke nobody who I paid to act as my fiancée.
She’s not my type.
She’s not even close to my standards.
She’s beneath me.
So why can’t I stop thinking about her?
He thought about the way her eyes had blazed when she slapped him.
The way her voice had cracked with fury.
The way she had stood her ground, even though she knew he could crush her with a single word.
No one had ever stood up to him like that.
No one had ever dared.
And damn it, he ‘liked’ it.
“Focus,” Alexander growled to himself, slamming his hand on the desk.
“Focus on work.
Focus on the company.
She’s just a tool.
Nothing more.” He picked up a quarterly report and tried to read the first page.
The words blurred together, meaningless.
He threw the report down in frustration and grabbed his phone.
He scrolled through his contacts until he found the number he had called yesterday—his personal private investigator, the same one he had asked to find Kelly when she had gone missing.
He pressed call.
The line rang twice before a gruff voice answered.
“Hello, Sir.” “I need you to dig deeper,” Alexander said without preamble.
“I need to know what happened to Kelly yesterday.
How did she end up beaten and drunk in that bar?” There was a short pause on the other side.
Then: “I already gave you the basics.” “Give me the details.
Everything.
I want to know who hurt her, why they hurt her, and why she left the company in the middle of the day.” Another pause, longer this time.
“That’s going to take time.” “I’m paying you for results, not excuses.
Call me when you have something.” Alexander hung up before the man could respond.