Days passed with me still in the hospital. The medical wraps around my body were gradually removed as my bruises continued to heal. There was no longer any discomfort when I twisted my body, and I could freely move the fingers of the hand that a certain asshole had stepped on.

Around that time, after learning what the school thought because I hadn’t shown up, I sent someone from Jaxon's manor to inform the staff at Saint Lucas why I was absent. This was followed with a doctor's note, but Jaxon had already taken care of the matter, to my surprise. 

A part of me wondered why it was so quiet. I had expected a lot of annoying actions from the school, especially with how they treated the real Emma.  

I wouldn't have put it past them to send a threat to force me to make an appearance. But it was radio silence, and that made me worry a bit.

I even began to think they had no idea about me being absent.

No, they knew. At least Maddox and his goons would have known. 

‘They don't know where I am,’ I could only guess because Jaxon and Colton told me the guy looked angry whenever they saw him at school.

It was easy to figure out why he was pissed. And I wished I could have seen how stupid he looked when he realized I wasn’t at school. Since he said he planned to make my life hell the last time I saw him and made a big deal about not knowing what I did… 

That made me want to laugh. 

If what he wanted to do to me was something as big as he threatened it would be, how did he feel when it failed?

Did he give up right away, or could he have postponed his plans for a day? Two days? Three days?

How about a week? 

How about, two weeks? 

“Miss, take these tabs three times a day…”

It was funny to think about it. It was almost comical to picture him getting mad over and over for the two weeks of school that had passed.

Because that was the length of my stay at the out-of-town hospital. 

That was how long I had been absent from Saint Lucas Academy. I was being discharged from the hospital on a Saturday morning, and I had no plans to return to Saint Lucas anytime soon.

Colton and Jaxon were with me, and their faces showed their excitement that I was finally leaving the hospital.

"Take this after every meal," the pharmacist advised, displaying a box of capsule medicines.

The majority of my body had healed, but Kaiden's actions posed a risk of stomach complications. As a result, I was advised not to engage in any activities that could cause physical trauma to my upper body for the foreseeable future.

“Thank you,” Jaxon thanked the pharmacist once they were done explaining the dosage of the medicines they had given me. 

The three of us then headed out of the hospital building and towards the parking lot. 

“This brings back memories,” Jaxon said. “Awful memories.”

I understood what he meant, recalling the time I ended up in a hospital after waking up as Emma.

“Let’s try not to have any more hospital visits this year,” he added. 

“Agreed,” I nodded.

We began approaching a familiar car in the parking lot, and I then noticed Jaxon's chauffeur.

“Young miss,” the chauffeur greeted, giving me a glad look. 

“Albert here was worried about you,” Jaxon told me.

“Oh, you were?” I said, smiling back at the man.

“I’m so happy to see you well again, miss,” he smiled.

“I’m happy, too, to be finally coming back,” I told him. Then I eyed Jaxon.

"Stomach bug," he mouthed, indicating that the chauffeur had been told the same thing Jaxon had told his father.

I wondered, once more, if Kenneth would find out why I was in the hospital, especially since it was about an hour away from Rollinsville. That would make him suspicious, because what was the reason I needed to be treated for a stomach bug outside Rollinsville? And for two weeks at that?

However, he might be too preoccupied to look into it. I just hoped he would not overthink it.

“Let’s get you in the car,” Jaxon said.

We all entered the vehicle. Colton settled in front with the chauffeur, while I sat in the back with Jaxon.

When we started pulling out of the parking lot, I turned to my phone. The guys had brought it to me while I was still in the hospital, but I had hardly used it. 

Mostly because of the heavy medications.

When I turned it on, a notification appeared. It was an email from a hospital I was familiar with, reminding me of something I had sent out a while back.

I sighed, deciding to get it over with.

“Can we make a stop at the hospital once we get to town?” 

“What?” Jaxon inquired, and Colton's expression appeared to reflect the same. “Why?”

I, too, noticed that it was odd. We had just left a hospital, and the first thing I wanted to do when we returned to Rollinsville was visit another hospital.

“There’s something I need to pick up. Some tests from the time I was there.” 

I looked at the chauffeur's reflection in the windshield for confirmation. He acknowledged my request with a nod.

I didn’t bother saying anything else, hoping Jaxon and Colton would drop the puzzled looks on their faces. But it made me wonder again:

‘How much can I tell them?’ 

It was good that Jaxon had no idea what I was planning. Colton knew enough, but not too much to help me.

And that was where the problem lay. 

None of them should have known, but I ended up practically involving Colton and telling him everything I planned to do when I returned to Saint Lucas.

I hadn't even considered telling Jaxon, and I wondered how that made me look.

But the main point is that I did not want either of them to know. Things… 

Because the male lead was crazy, I would have to act the same way to get him and his followers off my back. Meaning I didn't know how low I would have to go or how far I could take things.