While Eliana and George were lost in their own world, a sudden intrusion shattered the moment.
The door swung open with a sharp bang, breaking the comfortable silence between them. A girl with an air of effortless confidence strode inside, her sharp gaze sweeping the room before locking onto them. A smirk played on her lips, as if she had already won a game they didn’t know they were playing.
George tensed, a strange sense of unease creeping over him. He didn’t recognize her, yet something about her presence felt unsettlingly familiar.
Eliana, startled by the abrupt entrance, instinctively tightened her grip on George’s hand.
The girl flipped her hair back and cocked her head. “So, you’re the infamous George,” she mused, her voice laced with amusement. Then, with a casual shrug, she added, “I’m Vivian. Daniel’s sister.”
George’s stomach dropped. Daniel’s sister? This is bad news.
Vivian stepped forward, her eyes gleaming with mischief. “My dear brother told me something interesting,” she continued, her tone light but laced with challenge. “Apparently, there’s someone so beautiful, so utterly captivating, that even I wouldn’t be able to make him fall for me.”
She crossed her arms, the corner of her lips curling. “Naturally, I had to see this ‘unshakable’ man for myself.”
George and Eliana exchanged stunned looks, caught completely off guard by her boldness.
George’s thoughts raced. Vivian? There was no Vivian in my memories. A sharp unease coiled in his gut. This... this might be the effect of things spiraling out of control.
Eliana heard his thoughts but could only piece together part of it. All she understood was—George had no idea who Vivian was.
Vivian, unfazed by their silence, smirked and crossed her arms. “You know, George, I’m not just Daniel’s sister,” she said smoothly. “I’m also the youngest CEO in our family’s business empire. I single-handedly expanded our company overseas, closed billion-dollar deals, and turned struggling brands into powerhouses.”
She stepped closer, her presence overwhelming. “So, here’s a little proposal,” she purred. “If you agree to date me after you’re out of this hospital, I’ll make sure you never have to worry about money again. Luxury cars, private islands, first-class vacations—name it, and it’s yours.”
Her lips curved into a playful, almost predatory smile as she leaned in slightly. “What do you say, George? Want to upgrade your life?”
Eliana’s grip on George’s hand tightened.
George, meanwhile, was utterly dumbfounded. His brain scrambled to process everything—the sheer confidence, the arrogance, the way she casually flaunted her achievements as if the world revolved around her. It was like watching a storm of self-importance roll in.
His lips parted, but words failed him. Slowly, he turned to Eliana, his expression hovering somewhere between disbelief and horror.
“El… did I ever sound like that before?” His voice was almost hesitant, as if afraid of the answer.
Eliana, still gripping his hand, simply nodded, her eyes dancing with amusement.
Silence stretched between them for a beat. Then—
Laughter.
Simultaneously, as if on cue, they both burst out laughing.
George clutched his stomach, shaking his head in disbelief. “No way—I was that bad?”
Eliana wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, barely containing her giggles. “Worse,” she teased. “At least she has actual accomplishments to back up her arrogance. You? You just threw money around and thought that was enough!”
George groaned dramatically, running a hand through his hair. “El, please, have some mercy. My ego is in shambles here.”
Their laughter filled the hospital room, momentarily dissolving the tension. But as George glanced back at Vivian, who now watched them with an unreadable expression, a nagging thought lingered in the back of his mind.
Who the hell is she? And why do I feel like her presence is about to make my life even more complicated?
George’s expression remained calm, his years of experience in handling difficult situations kicking in. He didn’t want to offend Vivian—especially since she was Daniel’s sister—but at the same time, he had no intention of encouraging her either.
He offered her a polite, easygoing smile, the kind that neither invited nor dismissed. “That’s… a very generous offer, Vivian,” he said smoothly, his voice carrying just the right amount of appreciation without implying interest. “It’s flattering, really. But right now, I think my priorities are a little different.”
His words were carefully chosen, non-confrontational yet firm enough to draw a boundary. He had no doubt that Vivian was sharp—too sharp to be fooled by outright rejection. So instead of shutting her down, he simply redirected the conversation, leaving no room for further pursuit.
Before she could say anything else, George turned his attention back to Eliana. His grip on her hand tightened slightly, grounding himself in her presence. His heart pounded—not from nerves, but from the realization that there was only one person in this room he truly cared about.
“El,” he murmured, his voice softer now, intimate in a way that shut out the rest of the world. His thumb brushed over the back of her hand, a touch both reassuring and possessive. “Do you remember the first time we met?”
Eliana blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift in conversation. “I… of course I do.”
George’s lips curled into a small smile, but there was something deeper in his gaze, something unreadable. “Back then, I was reckless. I thought I could have everything—money, power, admiration. I thought I could control the world just by throwing my weight around.” He exhaled, shaking his head slightly. “But meeting you… it made me realize how little I actually had.”
Eliana’s breath hitched, her fingers instinctively tightening around his.
George’s eyes never left hers as he continued, his voice quieter now, as if speaking only to her. “I don’t want to make the same mistakes again.” His grip on her hand was firm, unwavering. “If I could choose my future, I’d rather have something real—someone real—than a life filled with empty victories.”
The room seemed to shrink, the atmosphere thick with something unspoken.
Vivian, still standing a few feet away, watched the exchange in silence. She had come expecting a challenge, but the way George looked at Eliana, the way he spoke to her as if no one else in the world mattered… it was clear.