Chapter 3 The Price of Awakening
The room fell into a heavy silence after Alexander’s request. Dr. Patel hesitated, exchanging uneasy glances with the other nurses, but eventually nodded.
“Five minutes,” the doctor said firmly. “No more. His body is still extremely weak.”
One by one, the medical staff filed out, leaving only the steady beeping of machines and the weight of unspoken words between Emma and Alexander.
Emma stood frozen near the wall, her scrubs suddenly feeling too tight, too constricting. Her face was still flushed with embarrassment and disbelief.
Alexander watched her intently, his deep blue eyes sharper than they had any right to be after three years in darkness. Even lying in bed, pale and frail, he carried an undeniable aura of power — the kind that once commanded billion-dollar empires.
“Come closer,” he said quietly. His voice was still rough, but there was steel beneath the weakness.
Emma obeyed, her legs trembling as she approached the side of the bed. She kept her hands clasped tightly in front of her to hide how badly they were shaking.
“Mr. Reed, I—”
“Alexander,” he corrected, his gaze never wavering. “After what you just did… I think we can drop the formalities.”
Emma’s breath hitched. “I’m so sorry. That kiss… it was completely unprofessional. I crossed every line. If you want to report me, I understand. I’ll accept whatever consequences—”
Alexander let out a low, strained laugh that turned into a cough. Even that small sound seemed to exhaust him. When he recovered, his expression had darkened.
“Report you?” His eyes flashed with something intense — anger, amusement, and something deeper she couldn’t name. “You kissed a dead man back to life, Emma. And now you think I’d punish you for it?”
Before she could respond, the door slammed open with force.
A tall, elegantly dressed woman in her early forties stormed in, followed by two men in expensive suits. Her face was a mask of cold fury.
“Alexander!” the woman cried, her voice sharp enough to cut glass. “My God, it’s true. You’re awake.”
She rushed to his bedside, practically shoving Emma out of the way. The woman — beautiful, with perfectly styled blonde hair and diamond earrings — grabbed Alexander’s hand possessively.
“Darling, I’ve been waiting for this moment for three years,” she whispered dramatically, tears glistening in her eyes. “I never gave up on you.”
Emma stepped back, her heart sinking. She recognized the woman immediately: Victoria Langford, Alexander’s former fiancée and heir to one of the largest investment banks in the country. Their engagement had been all over the news before the accident.
Alexander’s expression turned icy. He pulled his hand away from Victoria with surprising strength.
“Victoria,” he said coldly. “I see you wasted no time.”
Victoria’s eyes narrowed as she finally noticed Emma standing awkwardly by the window. “And who is this? One of the nurses?”
“She’s the reason I’m awake,” Alexander replied, his voice low but firm. His eyes found Emma again, pulling her in even as the tension in the room thickened.
Victoria’s gaze turned venomous as she looked Emma up and down. “How touching. The little nurse playing hero.” She let out a bitter laugh. “Alexander, the board has been waiting. The company is in chaos. Your brother has been making moves to take control. If word gets out that you’re awake, everything changes.”
Alexander’s jaw tightened. The machines began beeping faster as his heart rate climbed.
Then, in a voice that sent chills down Emma’s spine, he said:
“Emma. Come here.”
Emma hesitated, but the intensity in his eyes left no room for refusal. She stepped forward. Victoria’s glare burned into her like fire.
Alexander reached out, his fingers weakly but deliberately wrapping around Emma’s wrist — the same wrist he had grabbed when he first woke up.
“Victoria,” he said, never breaking eye contact with Emma, “the first thing I want to do now that I’m awake… is thank the woman who stayed when everyone else was ready to pull the plug.”
The room crackled with dangerous electricity.
Victoria’s face twisted with jealousy and rage. “Alexander, you can’t be serious. She’s nobody. Just a nurse who was doing her job.”
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Alexander’s grip on Emma’s wrist tightened slightly, his thumb brushing over her pulse — which was racing wildly.
“She’s not nobody,” he whispered, loud enough for only Emma to hear. “She’s the reason I came back.”
