The following day...
A sleek, jet-black luxury car rolled to a halt in front of a private hospital facility located in the heart of LampStone City.
A uniformed chauffeur hurried out of the car and around it to the rear door, his head bowed in silent respect as he opened the door.
Ken stepped out like a scene unfolding in slow motion.
Tall, composed, and devastatingly handsome, he moved with the quiet confidence of a man used to being watched, his suit—elegantly tailored to perfection.
With one smooth motion, he straightened his cuffs, eyes cool and unreadable, exuding a quiet power that made people pause mid-step.
He snapped his fingers, and a bouquet of freshly picked yellow roses was brought to him.
The bouquet glowed like captured sunlight, each bloom unfurling with effortless grace.
But this was nothing compared to the soft, sweet fragrance which clung to the air around him like a whisper of spring.
"Good morning, Mr Silva." The security guard at the sliding glass door gave a curt bow in reverence.
"Mm-hmm..." Ken acknowledged him, his warm gaze focused beyond the gleaming glass door.
Dr Klein had earlier told him that Carmelita might wake up anytime soon and Ken wanted to be there when she finally opened those beautiful and angelic eyes.
Consequently, he visited her every single morning with fresh flowers before going to the office and every evening before returning home.
Even though Ken wanted to spend the entire night seated by her bedside, he couldn't afford any member of his family knowing about her existence.
After discovering the incident that led to her suicidal attempt, Ken decided to keep Carmelita's identity and location a secret.
To the Mendoza family and the entire world, Carmelita died on the night of her suicidal jump.
To Ken, his future wife has been given to him on a platter of gold. He planned to fly her out of the country immediately she regained consciousness and wed her after she had given birth.
Taking a deep breath to stifle his excitement, Ken briskly moved through the hospital reception with purposeful ease, his polished shoes echoing softly against the sterile floor.
A few nurses and orderlies offered polite greetings and subtle glances of recognition and respect, which he returned with minimal gestures.
Some of the female nurses stole furtive glances at the captivating bouquet and their enigmatic boss of all bosses, each one masking their secret admiration with professionalism.
Without breaking stride, Ken reached the elevator and pressed the button, his heart drumming with anticipation and excitement.
The ride to the top floor was unusually slow, and his heartbeat seemed to quadruple as he got closer to his destination.
As the elevator bell dinged and the door slid open, a heavy stillness settled in the air.
It felt thick and unnatural, like the world was holding its breath.
Every step Ken took towards Carmelita's private room felt louder, measuring with his drumming heart. He felt a weird tightening in his chest, his breaths shallow and quick, as if the air itself had turned hostile.
The hallway was unusually deserted and the two bodyguards positioned in front of Carmelita's room were not at their duty post.
"Lita..." Ken echoed in his heart as he sprinted to her room and barged in, preparing his heart for the worst.
At a single glance, he instantly knew the lady sleeping on the bed was not his Carmelita.
The bouquet instantly fell from his hand, his eyes widened in horror as he took long strides to the bed to confirm his assertion.
The sight of a chubby-looking woman in Carmelita's hospital gown, snoring away, made Ken's fist clench until his knuckles turned white.
His heart pounded like a war drum, not just from fear, but from rage so sharp it made his vision blur.
"Mr Silva, you are here." Dr Klein, who had just arrived a few seconds ago, walked into the room, surprised by the bouquet of flowers on the floor.
"Where is my woman?" Ken growled, his voice thick, heavy and frosty like that of an awakened hungry grizzly bear.
"Huh!" Dr Klein halted, frozen by the hostility of the young master and his boss.
Ken slowly turned to face the doctor, his narrow, bloodshot eyes sharp and lethal.
"I will not ask you this question again? Where is my woman?"
"Your woman!" Dr Klein tilted his head a little to the side to look at the sleeping patient.
At that same moment, the nurse, who had been asleep all this while, woke up, startled by the noise.
"Nurse Gail!" The folder Dr Klein was holding fell from his hands, his jaw dropping.
"Ah!" Nurse Gail let out a wild gasp at the sight of the doctor and the boss of her boss. Her panicked gaze fell on her body and she let out another wilder gasp, jumping off the bed, as if she had just laid eyes on a venomous snake.
Ken quickly brought out his mobile phone, while checking the restroom and other places where Carmelita could be. He dialled the hospital security, instructing that the entire facility be locked down.
"Come down to room 107 with your finest men, NOW." Ken boomed over the phone while Dr Klein interrogated the panicking nurse.
"What are you doing on the patient's bed dressed like her?" Dr Klein asked in a slightly raised tone, stepping forward. "Where is she?"
"Oh God!" Nurse Gail fell on her knees, tears streaming down her flushed cheeks. "I swear, I don't know how I got into these clothes or on this bed."
"You don't know?" Ken roared, grabbing the nurse by the neck of her hospital gown, his eyes a blazing furnace.
"I...I...I...swear....." Nurse Gail lifted her two hands in surrender, her whole body trembling. "I didn't touch her. I didn't do anything to her."
"I will kill you with my bare hands if anything happens to my wife," Ken vowed, his words cold and sharper than two-edged swords.
"Mr Silva, we are here." The hospital security head came running into the room, closely accompanied by three uniformed men.