I struggled to make sense of it all. My thoughts were jumbled as I tried to piece together what led me to this moment.
"I... I am feeling quite confused," I mumbled, trying to sit up. But a sharp pain shot through my chest, and I winced, falling back onto the pillows.
"Easy there," Mr. Cross said, reaching out to adjust my pillows. "You have been through a lot."
“I don’t understand what you are saying. What happened? Wasn’t I taking a bath?” I asked, my voice trembling.
"I think you might have had an accident," Mr. Cross explained, his tone serious. "Thankfully, you did not break anything."
"An accident inside your bathroom?” I could not believe Mr. Cross's words. “I will bet you a hundred dollars that would not have happened in a cheap motel," I quipped with a hint of sarcasm.
“Thea.” He sighed.
My gaze fell upon him. My expression reflected a sense of complete surprise.
I had been confident all along! I just had a gut feeling that hearing Mr. Cross say my name in his sultry tone would leave me feeling like a million bucks. And not just that. My entire being reacted, eliciting a genuine moan of contentment. Mr. Cross could not help but chuckle and shake his head upon hearing it, while I could not help but flush with embarrassment.
"I honestly never expected to hear you call my name," I told him.
“If I had known just how delightful it sounded leaving my mouth, I would have said it much sooner.”
My heart skipped a beat as his words reached my ears.
“It sounded even sexier than I had imagined. Hot and wet.” I winked at him suggestively.
Mr. Cross shook his head while chuckling. "Are we still discussing your name? Or..." His intense gaze scanned my figure.
I felt my cheeks getting hot and red. It was like my body was betraying me and giving away all my emotions.
His breath escaped in a heavy sigh as his hand tenderly caressed my cheek. "You truly frightened me,” he whispered.
"You mentioned there was an incident..." I paused and inhaled deeply. It all seemed so surreal.
Mr. Cross nodded. "I was in the middle of a business call, but I noticed you had gone into the bathroom. The call ended up lasting an hour, and it was not until then that I realised I hadn't seen you leave the bathroom. Concerned, I went to check on you and found you nearly submerged in the water."
Slowly, fragments of memories began to resurface. The bathroom. The ache of longing for my mother. The darkness that consumed me at the thought of Chump. And then, nothing. Until now.
“I must have fallen asleep,” I said, not entirely sure.
Mr. Cross's expression softened. "Don't worry. It’s all right. I know it's been a tough few hours for you."
The penthouse was suddenly filled with the echoing sound of the doorbell ringing, causing Mr. Cross to release a frustrated sigh. It was clear that the interruption had irritated him, as shown by his tense body language. He shifted his gaze to the left, and I instinctively followed suit. It was then that I recalled there was another person present in the room with us. As soon as I laid eyes on the woman, my perplexity only increased. Throughout the entire conversation, she sat silent, while Mr. Cross and I engaged in what could only be described as flirtatious banter.
Who exactly was she? Was she a love interest? Or maybe my rival? Oh no. Just based on her looks, I was already defeated.
My readers, I was aware of your thoughts. And your intuition was correct. Maybe I was slightly bothered by her stunning appearance. However, I could immediately tell that she did not have a favourable opinion of me. Sometimes, you just have a gut feeling. You know?
“Thea. Allow me to introduce Grace," Mr. Cross said cordially. "She is a doctor, and we go way back to our childhood days. After I discovered you in the bathroom, I immediately reached out to her for assistance."
I rolled my eyes at his seemingly charming introduction. The thought of why he did not simply take me to the hospital if he were that worried crossed my mind, but I opted to bite my tongue.
However, the crucial aspect... A doctor friend? Seriously! Mr. Cross was raising too many questions.
"While Grace performs a final check on you, I will take care of getting the door. Will that be all right?" He questioned.
I nodded my damn head in agreement because I was afraid I could not conceal my disapproval if I answered. Mr. Cross kissed my forehead and departed the room.
Grace gave me a quick once over before asking, "Why do you address him as Mr. Cross?"
What an odd question, I thought to myself.
"His name is what I said.” My tone was calm as Grace monitored my pulse and listened to my heart.
“No. That is not his name.” Her voice was cold and detached.
“Then what is it? I know him as Mr. Cross,” I replied, attempting to mask my irritation.
“His name is Ben,” she stated matter-of-factly.
I swear to God, I almost popped my eyes out of my head when she said that. That was like the most basic, run-of-the-mill name. Like, no offense. But it was not exactly a name that screamed mystery and intrigue. And Mr. Cross had this mysterious vibe to him. Yet, he had such a plain and simple name. It was like wearing a white T-shirt to a fancy party. It was out of place.
“Why does everyone call him Mr. Cross?” I asked, genuinely curious now.
“You tell me,” she said, and I could feel the chill in the air when Grace stopped her action and looked at me.
The way she was staring at me with that cold, unfriendly expression made me shiver involuntarily. I had no idea what I did to set her off, but it was clear that she was not happy with me.
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