Violet was jarred awake shortly after midnight. She scanned through the surroundings and the first thing she noticed was the darkness.
For a moment, she couldn't point out where she was until she saw that IV beside her. She adjusted her positioning and tried to sit down on the mattress.
"You should lie down for a bit," a voice whispered.
Violet looked up and noticed that Ryan's colleague, Michelle was smiling at her.
A beat later, she realized that she was in the hospital.
"What happened to me?" Violet's voice was a bit hoarse.
"You passed out from sleep deprivation, fever, and slight overwork," Michelle explained. "But you should be alright after resting up a bit."
Violet recalled how she was unable to sleep after her conversation with Sarah.
"How did I end up here?" Violet asked.
"You should thank him," Michelle said, pointing in a direction.
Violet followed Michelle's fingers and finally saw the sleeping figure beside her.
"He brought you here."
Her heart skipped a beat when she noticed that it was Ryan. His head was buried on her bed between his arms.
"Oh." That was all Violet managed to say. She did not expect to see Ryan.
"He was really worried about you. Your mother offered to stay with you, and he declined. He told her that he wanted to look out after you," Michelle said, and her smile widened. Well, I have to tell you that he was worried about you more than the last time you were admitted to the hospital."
Violet smiled faintly.
Michelle walked towards her and adjusted her pillow. "You should lie down and rest."
"Thank you," Violet said as she obediently did as she was told. She closed her eyes and pretended to sleep until she was sure that Michelle was out of her sight. She blinked her eyes open and turned to Ryan. Her gaze fell on Ryan's sleeping face.
He had stayed with her. And that thought alone makes her heart beat fast.
Her fingers slowly found their way towards him and she touched his hair lightly. The sight of him made her feel like her heart was going to burst.
Violet smiled and turned her body around a bit so that she could face him.
Ryan jerked when he felt a sudden movement from her. He sat up on his chair and stretched his body. He looked up and noticed that Violet was staring at him. "Hey," he said in a whisper and smiled. "You're awake."
Violet nodded. "Yeah..."
He leaned forward and placed his hand on her forehead, measuring her temperature. "I was really worried," he said after a while.
"I know..."
"Why didn't you mention that you weren't feeling well back then?"
Violet bit her lip and continued to stare at him. "Thank you," she finally said. "For looking after me."
Ryan smiled at her. "It's my duty to look after my girlfriend."
Violet averted his eyes. She could feel her face becoming hot with embarrassment. "And I'm sorry for snapping out to you earlier."
"Yes, that." Ryan nodded. "Why were you mad at me when I told you that I would pay you that million?" He leaned forward to her and frowned. "I thought that was what we agreed on?"
Violet sighed. It wasn't that she was mad at him when he told her that he was going to pay that million. She snapped at him because he told her that the kiss was a mistake.
"Will you stop mentioning that money? You made me feel as if I am really after your money. Ryan, I don't need your money." she said before she pulled her blanket over her head, hiding away from him.
Ryan stared at Violet in disbelief. He opened his mouth to say something and realized he was insulting her by offering Violet money.
xxx
"So, the contract isn't canceled?" Sarah asked in a whisper. She watched her cousin drizzle some chocolate sauce on the banana split cupcakes and decided to help her by sprinkling some nuts.
"Yeah," Violet said. "Well, the contract is going to end in a week anyway," she paused and shrugged. "So, he thinks that it's probably best if we continue to play along for another week. It could avoid a lot of trouble."
Sarah smiled. "He likes you!"
Violet turned to her cousin and chuckled. Her cheeks redden.
"What?" she said as she took the banana split cupcakes and passed the tray to one of the staff in the front kitchen.
"Trust me," Sarah said as Violet came back with a tray of black forest cupcakes. "I know he likes you a lot."
Violet tossed another tray of black forest cupcakes on her worktable and placed her hands on her hips. "And what makes you say that?"
"That reminds me," Sarah said and adjusted her dress. "When are you going to tell him how you feel about him?"
"Feel what?"
Violet twirled around and saw Evan standing behind her with a tray of Boston Cream cupcakes. He raised an eyebrow and waited for their answer.
"Violet's feelings for her pretend boyfriend," Sarah announced.
"Oh?" Evan frowned and turned to Violet. "And what are you doing here, Violet?" he asked. "You're supposed to be resting. You were discharged from the hospital three hours ago and you're back to work?"
Violet sighed. "What am I supposed to do then? You can't expect me to be home resting. I got plenty of rest last night and I think I've slept enough," she said indignantly. "If I have to stay at home doing nothing, I'm going to die of boredom."
"Nonsense. Boredom can't kill you," Evan said. He faced Violet and shrugged. "I don't really mind that you're back at work. But please, don't overdo it."
"How am I going to overwork myself by frosting and decorating cupcakes?" Violet rolled her eyes and marched towards the storage room.
Evan slid his cupcake tray on the baking rack and watched his employer as she returned with a jar of cherries. He crossed his arms on his chest and leaned on the kitchen counter, deciding to join the conversation between the girls.
"You're not answering my question," Sarah said as Violet returned. "Violet, I've been telling you this for a while now: Ryan Chen likes you!"