Cassi stayed quiet until they reached her bedroom. Anne didn't follow. Of course not. She was probably off somewhere comforting Rick and stitching his ego back together.
Still… that familiar sting returned, slicing through her chest like a whisper. She wasn't a hypocrite. She did still feel something for Rick. That was the problem.
But feelings didn't erase betrayal.
Once inside, Lydia helped her into bed with gentle hands, then moved around the room efficiently, setting up her meal and medication.
Cassi watched her in silence for a moment before finally speaking. "How old are you?" she asked curiously.
"Twenty-five, ma'am," Lydia replied without hesitation.
Cassi nodded. "Hmm…"
A beat passed. Then she added quietly, "Can you do something for me?"
"Of course."
"Please go back to Ezekiel and tell him I can manage on my own," she said, her voice quiet but steady. "He doesn't need to go this far."
Then, softer, almost hesitantly, she added, "But… when he has time, can you tell him to come see me? I need to talk to him."
Lydia paused for a moment, then bowed her head slightly. "I'll let the Boss know right away."
As Lydia turned to leave, Cassi looked out the window, her heart strangely heavy yet steadier than it had felt in days.
*****
At Hastings Head Office
Ezekiel was seated at his desk, flipping through documents and signing them when Troy entered his office.
"Boss," Troy began, "Lydia's on her way back. She says the Boss Lady asked her to pass along a few messages."
Ezekiel paused, pen hovering over the paper.
"She said Miss Cassi thinks she can manage on her own and Lydia's presence isn't necessary anymore. Also… she wants to see you. As soon as you're available."
Ezekiel didn't look up right away. His eyes settled on his phone resting beside the folder.
Troy stepped closer, lowering his voice. "Are you really not going to see her?"
Still no response.
Troy hesitated, then added, "What if she's calling you just to cancel the engagement? According to Lydia, Rick showed up. He's trying to win her back, talking about their past, trying to stir things up."
Ezekiel's jaw tensed.
"What if she says yes to him again, Boss?" Troy pressed. "You need to secure your future wife. This marriage has been on hold long enough."
There was a long silence.
Then Ezekiel stood abruptly, grabbing his coat from the back of his chair.
"Cancel all my meetings for the day," he ordered as he headed for the door. "We're going to the hospital."
"Yes, Boss!" Troy replied quickly, a wide grin spreading across his face.
He was already pulling out his phone to call the driver as he hurried to follow behind Ezekiel.
Having practically grown up alongside the man, Troy could confidently say that, aside from family, he probably knew Ezekiel better than anyone, even more than the Boss's own siblings.
As they made their way down the hall, Troy kept pace beside him, still grinning.
"I get that you wanted to give her space," he said casually. "Let her breathe and sort her thoughts. But showing up every now and then? That's not pressure, Boss. That's called genuine concern."
No response. As expected.
But Troy knew better than to take Ezekiel's silence as disinterest. The man was listening. He always listened.
Ezekiel hadn't said a word of protest five years ago when his father proposed the engagement to Cassi. And for someone like him, who would gladly move mountains to cancel anything he didn't want, that silence had meant something.
It meant he didn't mind. Maybe even liked the idea.
That was the thing with Ezekiel Hastings. The man was practically a walking iceberg. He felt things… he just didn't say them.
And that was the real problem.
Troy shoved his hands into his pockets and chuckled under his breath.
"Stone cold on the outside, but I bet your heart's already doing cartwheels," he muttered.
Still, no reaction. But he caught the way Ezekiel's jaw ticked slightly and that was enough.
*****
Back at Metro Doctor Hospital
Cassi had just finished freshening up and changing into a new patient gown when she frowned in annoyance.
"Seriously? Who designed this thing?" she muttered under her breath. "Why is the tie at the back?"
She turned and stretched awkwardly, trying to reach the stubborn tie near her upper back, but her fingers barely grazed it. After struggling for a full minute, she huffed and pressed the button near her bed to call for a nurse's assistance.
"I swear, if this is part of some hospital-level patience test, I'm failing," she mumbled, standing in front of the door with her hands behind her back, still attempting to tie it herself.
A knock came, light and sharp.
"Come in!" she called, not even glancing back. "Can you help with this tie? I can't reach it, and I'm about to rip this gown in half if I keep twisting like this."
She heard the door open and soft footsteps enter the room.
Her muscles were still a little stiff, probably a lingering effect from being in a coma. But the doctors had told her she was progressing remarkably well. For someone who had been unconscious for months, she was already moving better than expected.
In just three days, she could get around without needing much help. And she was determined to push harder. To recover faster. To get her life back on track… on her terms.
Still facing the other way, she added, "It's the second tie I can't get. Just tug it and tie it tight enough that I don't flash anyone walking down the hall, please."
There was a pause.
Then, warm fingers brushed lightly against her bare upper back, pulling the two sides of the gown together with slow, deliberate ease. The touch was careful, gentle even, but not rushed. Her skin tingled from the contact, and something about the silence made her blink in confusion.
'Wait. That felt weird.'
Her breath hitched.
And then, his familiar voice, low and unmistakably calm, spoke right behind her.
"You mean like this?"
Cassi froze.
Her eyes widened.
Her heart thudded violently in her chest.
She slowly turned her head and glanced over her shoulder… Right into the cool, unreadable eyes of Ezekiel Hastings.