Listening to her voice which had turned frantic with dread, Kelvin shook his head and quickly adjusted his expression.
He can’t let her emotions go wrong.
For whatever it is…he had to make sure she is in the right spirit and mind.
Laying in a coma for a long time and with the diagnosis, it was already exhausting and he had no plans to make it harder.
“It’s nothing. Let’s go first.” he replied curtly, his gaze on everything in the room but her.
Sonia’s gaze narrowed slightly.
She had the feeling that every word he had said was all but a lie, but she didn’t bother calling him out on it.
If he says they go to the funeral, then they go.
Besides, she still needed a walk outside this home.
She still wanted to feel the sun on her skin, to feel alive.
To face the challenge of her heavy legs and finally to face the truth that her existence was fast slipping out of her hand.
And most importantly she still wants to make the best of her one month life tenure.
“Alright.” She murmured as she gestured towards the door, silently urging him to take the lead.
Kelvin’s lips curled in a loose smile as he took a step forward while Sonia trotted behind.
He pulled the door open and stepped out, Sonia followed suit and the next moment, her eyes drifted through the wide hallway and her steps faltered.
“What?” He smirked, “are you backing out?”
“You even placed guards at the door…were you thinking I might escape?”
Kelvin shook his head helplessly.
“Is that all you could think of?”
Sonia spread out her hand in a “do I know gesture.”
“Don’t read too much into it,” he muttered, already moving ahead without waiting for her as he headed toward the elevator.
At the end of the hallway, the elevator slid open and he stepped in.
Sonia followed, but paused briefly at the entrance.
Her gaze drifted down the long corridor lined with identical doors, most of them locked.
It was impossible to tell which one she had come out from.
For a moment, she just stood there…then gave a small shrug.
It didn’t matter.
She had already made her decision.
She wouldn’t be returning to that ICU again.
Her fingers curled tightly into a fist before she finally stepped into the elevator.
Sonia stared at her reflection unsure if she was seeing it right, her thoughts raced but she kept her silence.
Waiting for whatever lay ahead of her.
The elevator dinged its arrival.
Kelvin stepped out and waited for her to follow.
Sonia drew a deep breath and stepped out.
And she froze in her steps.
The sitting room stretched wide, the curtains drawn adding a rich taste of aesthetic.
A set of low, dark sofas sat around a polished glass table, their clean lines untouched by clutter.
Every piece looked expensive.
Soft lighting traced the edges of the ceiling, casting a dim, controlled glow that left no harsh shadows, yet revealed very little warmth.
Against one wall hung abstract art, bold and enigmatic, and the other side were serene landscapes, alongside a large self-portrait that seemed less like decoration and more like a declaration of ownership.
The air carried a faint scent of cedar and something colder, almost metallic.
It didn’t match the man she had met.
Not at all.
Nearby, a shelf held a few carefully selected items, probably they were awards or perhaps artifacts but nothing that spoke of family, memories, or a past.
The silence in the room was striking.
No stray objects, no signs of habit.
Even the cushions looked untouched, as if no one ever truly relaxed there.
Sonia glanced at Kelvin and then at the space but it seemed not to connect.
She gulped.
Kelvin didn’t spare her a glance and walked to the table and grabbed a remote control and pressed a button.
The curtains slowly lifted up revealing a floor-to-ceiling glass that revealed the city far below.
Sonia’s breath caught.
At this height, the world felt distant, the blue horizon stretched wide across and the golden sun rose up the sky.
Its golden rays cast a streak of light across the glass.
Sonia found herself trapped at the sight.
This must be a good spot to watch the sun rise.
When was the last time she had seen such light.
“Don’t just stand there.” Kelvin’s voice sliced through her thoughts.
But Kelvin walked ahead leading her through the hallway and then stopped at a door.
He pushed the door open.
“You can use this room first,” he said flatly and stepped aside granting Sonia entry.
Sonia was already amazed with the sitting room but the room was not short in any way.
A wide glass to ceiling window revealing the most appealing landscape of nature.
The lighting was soft and probably would be dreamy if it was during the night hours.
At the centre of the room was a king sized bed, a dressing table close to the window, a closet and a door she guessed would lead to the bathroom.
“We leave in an hour,” Kelvin added before shutting the door behind him.
And just like that, he was gone.
Sonia stood in the middle of the room and her thoughts spun.
She doesn’t know why but she felt Kelvin had turned too cold, a contrast of the man who had forced her to eat and even forced her to make a decision in five hours.
“What’s wrong with him?” She muttered.
She was certain she shouldn’t care, it was his life but then he was still her savior.
And if anything she still had to show her gratitude.
And this new life of a month, she hoped not to make enemies but friends who would always remember her.
Sonia walked over to the bed and sank in.
Her fist curled up.
With the situation wrapped around her.
No phone.
No money.
In fact nothing of her own except the simple locket on her neck that had always been there since she was a child.
And even her mother had always warned her not to take it off her neck and not to open it.
“Why mom?” She had asked and her mother smiled gently.
“It would keep you safe.”
She had always been obedient and had never tried to open it.
Instinctively, Sonia reached for it.
Her hand gently caressed it as she thought of her parents.
How much they had cried hearing her death?
How much her mother would have regretted urging her to marry and live comfortably?
Sonia felt her eyes sting.