Kevin looked down at her.
His gaze calm, he thought that given her spoiled brat personality, she would curse him out, but all he saw was fear.
"Try not to die before the wedding," he said flatly.
Loretta stared at him. At first, she wondered what he meant. Then her mind struggled to catch up. "Kevin Goodman"—the identity of the man standing before her registered.
Her body was still shaking, her heart pounding wildly.
Kevin straightened. Adjusted his sleeve.
As if nothing had happened.
"Take her home," he said.
Then paused.
His eyes returned to her one last time.
"…And keep her alive."
He turned and walked away without looking back.
"Miss Gladstone, let me help you," the assistant moved to help Loretta stand up.
Loretta wanted to say they should not bother, that she could get home herself, but thinking of her state, she decided to just follow along. She had not driven down because she was hoping to get a cab home.
"Can you walk on your own?" the assistant asked.
Loretta nodded. She could not understand why someone as nice as this man was working with someone as cold as Kevin.
She followed the assistant in her wet clothes into the back seat. The assistant was not really good at taking care of people, so after getting her into the car, he asked one of the bodyguards to take her home and keep an eye out.
Loretta gave her address and then closed her eyes, but she felt her body growing colder as they drove. She opened her mouth to tell the bodyguard to put on the heater, but her head was spinning, so she failed to get any words out. She had chosen a club far from the house, so it took about an hour to get to her apartment.
"Ma, we are here," the bodyguard called out, but Loretta in the back seat remained motionless.
The bodyguard frowned.
"Ma?"
No response.
He turned in his seat and looked at her properly.
Loretta's eyes were closed.
Her face was pale. Her lips trembled slightly, and her breathing was uneven.
"Ma?" he called again, louder this time.
Still nothing.
A bad feeling rose in his chest.
He quickly reached out and touched her forehead—
His hand froze.
Hot. Burning hot.
"…Damn."
Without wasting another second, he started the car again. The engine roared to life. He stepped hard on the accelerator.
The drive to the hospital felt longer than before. Loretta's condition only got worse.
Her body trembled.
Her breathing grew weaker.
At one point, she let out a soft sound, almost like a cry. .. Then went silent again.
The bodyguard's grip on the steering wheel tightened.
"Just hold on…" he muttered. He remembered Kevin's last instructions to keep Loretta alive. If anything should happen on his watch, he might as well be buried with her.
The more he thought about it, the faster he drove. He broke some traffic regulations, but he did not mind paying the fine.
When they finally arrived, he jumped out immediately.
"Doctor! Help!" Ge carried her and rushed towards the building.
Nurses rushed forward with a stretcher.
They placed Loretta on it quickly and wheeled her inside. It was late at night so the hospital was calm almost looking empty. Most patients were resting in their war.
The bodyguard followed closely behind.
"High fever," one nurse said after touching her.
"What happened to her? Why are her clothes wet?" another asked.
The bodyguard looked away guiltily. "She got drunk and fell into a pool, almost drowning," he said.
"Drowning, and possible alcohol poisoning," another added.
"Get her into emergency and get the doctor," another nurse instructed.
"Sir, are you her family member? Go help with the admission process," the nurse instructed the bodyguard before the door closed.
The bodyguard stood there, tense.
Then quickly pulled out his phone.
The call connected almost immediately.
"Yes?" the assistant's voice came through.
"Sir, there's a problem," the bodyguard said.
"What happened?" the assistant felt that it must be an emergency.
"She lost consciousness on the way. High fever. The doctors say it might be alcohol poisoning… and something else."
There was a short silence on the line.
"…Where are you?"
"At City Hospital."
"I understand."
The call ended.
The bodyguard took a deep breath and went to the front desk for the admission process.
Inside the hospital room—
Loretta lay on the bed.
An IV was already connected to her arm.
Her body burned with heat.
Her face was slightly flushed now.
But her brows were tightly furrowed.
Even in her unconscious state, She looked uncomfortable.
Restless.
A doctor checked her vitals.
"She has a fever from exposure to the cold," he said. "Her body is weak."
Another nurse added, "She also drank too much. Her stomach reacted badly."
The doctor nodded.
"Food poisoning as well. Her system is overwhelmed."
He looked at her again.
"She's lucky she was brought in early. Otherwise, it would take only God to save her."
Meanwhile, the bodyguard finished the admission process and returned to the front of the emergency ward. Seeing the door still closed, he became anxious.
Not daring to leave, he prayed as though the person inside was his wife. After all should something happen to her he will not go unpunished.
A nurse came out, and seeing how worried he looked, thought she was his relative. "Don't worry, you arrived at the hospital on time. Everything should be good," she comforted him.
Hearing that, the bodyguard was a bit relieved. He thanked the nurse, who left him standing alone.
Not long after, the bodyguard heard footsteps approaching.
Calm, steady, and familiar.
The bodyguard straightened immediately.
"Sir." He was shocked that Kevin had come to the hospital himself.
Kevin stopped beside him.
His expression was unreadable.
"What did the doctor say?"
"High fever. Alcohol poisoning. Food poisoning… The nurse said she was brought in on time. Everything should be fine," the bodyguard said. He was really thankful to God that he had driven like a madman to the hospital. What if he had been late and something had happened to her?
Kevin said nothing.
His gaze shifted toward the closed door.
Silent.
The assistant by his side also took a deep breath. Shortly after, the door was pulled open again. This time, the doctor came out.
"Who is the family member of the patient?" the doctor asked with a frown.
Kevin stepped forward. "I am her fiancé," he said.
"How can you not know how to take care of your partner? Why was she drinking so much as though she was on a suicide mission?" the doctor said.
The bodyguard and assistant lowered their heads. This was the first time someone was talking to Kevin like this. Ignorance was indeed bliss.
"How is she?" Kevin asked, ignoring the doctor's accusations. He would not waste his breath on a doctor who was simply doing his job.
The doctor wanted to scold Kevin, but he suddenly felt pressured by his presence, so he cleared his throat. "Fortunately, she was brought in on time. After her stomach is cleared, she should be fine," the doctor said.
"As long as she is alive," Kevin said, then turned around and walked away without looking back.
The doctor was shocked. He wanted to scold Kevin for being cold-blooded, but he was afraid that if he did, he might lose his tongue. He had been a doctor for so many years and could tell that this man is cold blooded.
"Stay here and keep watch," the assistant instructed the bodyguard and left with Kevin.
The doctor watched the two and felt quite displeased, but he was convinced that if he had scolded Kevin one more time, he would not have been able to hold his tongue. He felt sorry for the patient who had such a scumbag for a fiancé.