A knock came on the door and Ariana looked up from her laptop to see Shimaya peeking her head in as though she was looking for something or someone.
"What is it, Kinder Joy?" Ariana asked and rolled her eyes.
"Is he-who-shouldn't-be-named gone?" Shimaya asked with a whisper.
"Stop being overly dramatic, Kinder. Yes, he has gone, he can't stay here and play with me all day long, we both have work to do, and so do you," Ariana said with a pointed look.
"Well, ma'am, you have a visitor," Shimaya said.
"Who is that?" Ariana frowned.
Nobody knew she was here except for Jared and Shimaya, so who could be here to visit her.
"It's your, um-fiance," Shimaya murmured.
"My who?!!!" Ariana shrieked.
Why and how was Derek here?!!
How did he know where to find her?!
And if he was here, she hoped he hasn't found out why she was here, if not, the whole world would know,
That Ariana Jatropesh has a death sentence on her neck.
"Your dear fiance," Derek pushed the door open as he walked into the room.
He was dressed in one of his casual grey suit pants with a black dress shirt underneath a milk-coloured sweater.
His bright green eyes shined with love as he set his eyes on the fragile female on the bed with her blonde hair loose.
"How are you, honey? You have no idea how worried I have been," Derek stated as he held her face between his hands.
"H-How did you know I was here?" Ariana asked and refrained from tearing his hands off her.
"I have been calling and texting you since yesterday, but it seems you were too sick to even check your phone," he said.
Actually, she did see his messages, but she ignored them. Every single one of it.
She didn't have the time or strength to start explaining to him why a stranger had taken her to the hospital when her finance was perfectly fit for the job.
Nor could she explain to him her delicate condition so she preferred to mute his notifications entirely.
"So I had no other choice but to call your secretary and she told me where you were," Derek said as he sat next to her.
"I see, so my secretary told you," Ariana gritted as she turned to glare at Shimaya who was still by the door.
"Um, I will leave you two alone now," Shimaya said sheepishly before she closed the door after she stepped out.
Ariana glared at the door as Shimaya left the room. She was going to kill that secretary of hers when she got the chance.
"How are you? Are you okay? How are you feeling?" Derek asked as he swiped his concerned eyes over her body.
"I am fine," she replied shortly.
"Why did you have to be hospitalized? I asked the darn nurse but he wouldn't tell me a thing, claiming the information is confidential,"
Ariana sighed under her breath as she was relieved that Derek still didn't know about her health.
"Uh, nothing much, just fatigue and stress, and the food I ate yesterday weren't for me," Ariana said.
"Oh, I see. I'm glad to see you much better now," Derek smiled as he held her hand.
"Uh, yeah," Ariana took her hand off his slowly.
"I am feeling quite sleepy now. Can you please leave? I'm sure you must be busy," Ariana said as she yawned to make him leave.
"Not really, I can stay until you're awake," he said.
"No, you don't have to do that, I don't want to inconvenience you," Ariana shook her head.
Please get out. She begged in her head.
"It's okay, I am your fiance, if I don't do this, then who will?" He smiled at her and she was forced to smile slightly.
"By the way, was it a coincidence that the Antiano's son was the one who helped you yesterday?" Derek asked with a frown.
He didn't recognize him yesterday because everything happened in the spur of the moment but after much thinking, he realised that it was Romano Antiano's second son, Jared Antiano.
Being in the industry, he knew who was who and who shouldn't be with who.
And a Jatropesh shouldn't be with an Antiano.
"Uh, really? I don't know, I was feeling so weak then so I don't even remember much. All I know is that I was in the hospital when I got my senses back," Ariana answered.
She couldn't tell him what was going on between Jared and her. She couldn't start to answer his numerous questions.
"Oh, really? That's true, you wouldn't have known," Derek mused.
"Yeah, um, I really need to go to bed now," Ariana said as she moved down to lie on the bed.
"Alright, I will get going now but make sure you pick up my calls when I call. I don't want to be worried again," he said as he helped her with the duvet.
"Yeah, thanks," she smiled before she turned her face away from him.
It was only after she heard the door close that she relaxed a little.
She didn't know how to break it to him that she was no longer interested in the bogus engagement anymore.
It wasn't even real, to begin with, as his father had already agreed that they were to be together for two years just for the business and nothing more.
Both parties agreed on that but things got awkward around late last year when Derek confessed to her that he was in 'love' with her.
And that didn't really freak Ariana out.
Especially now when she knew she had less than six months to live, she didn't want him to be wasting his time on her when he could be with someone else.
Someone who can love him for who he is, and someone who would make him happy as well.
She wasn't that someone, she knew it but the problem was him knowing that himself.
That she could never fall in love with him. Not anyone. Not at this last stage of her life.
Not when she was about to die.