Alex's family owned more than thirty islands, and several of them had medical facilities. Squad three of the security team took Alex and Debbie to Harmony Island for treatment.
They both had quite serious injuries, and Alex had been hit by two bullets. Although Debbie had managed to cling to life, she had been under the water for too long, resulting in injury to her brain. She hadn't regained consciousness.
As soon as they arrived, the best doctor on the island operated on them.
**
Alex had now been on the island for more than a week.
Debbie was still in a coma, while Alex was only now being allowed out of bed. The first thing he did was visit Debbie.
Alex was reassured when the doctor informed him that her condition was stable and she should wake up within the next few days. Looking at Debbie's pale face, Alex smiled faintly.
He walked out of the room, leaning on a walking stick. After lying in bed for more than a week, he needed to get some air.
Two of the nurses who took care of Debbie watched him leave.
"Who was that?" Amy asked. "Oh, Leah, I told you we should take turns sitting with Debbie. If anyone hurts her, I don't want to be held responsible."
They rushed into the ward to check on their patient, only calming down when they saw that she was safe.
"I told you that this island is secure," Leah said. "Besides, this is the girlfriend of Alex Ambrose. Anyone who dares to touch her is courting death."
"I saw how scared you were just now!" Amy glanced at Leah before shifting her gaze back to Debbie. "Mr. Ambrose's girlfriend is very pretty. I don't know what she's normally like, but she's so quiet now."
"It doesn't matter. She's Alex Ambrose's girlfriend. It's not as though she'll have much to do with us," Leah pointed out. "And you've seen the other Ambrose men's girlfriends with their noses in the air." She shuddered. "And what about Justin Ambrose's group of girlfriends? They're practically prostitutes. All they know how to do is make themselves beautiful, stay in shape, and seduce Justin Ambrose. Just look at them! They don't look like respectable girls at all." Leah's tone was bitter.
"That's true." Amy nodded. "But, Leah, why do I get the impression you're jealous? Did you want to seduce him yourself?"
"Why would I be jealous?" Seeing that Amy was poking fun at her, Leah couldn't help but laugh. "You know I don't want to seduce him. But do you?"
The two nurses began to tease each other.
Debbie's eyelids twitched as she slowly opened her eyes.
She looked around at her surroundings. Bright walls, huge windows, a clean table with flowers, and a bowl of fruit.
Where am I? she wondered.
Having been in a coma for more than a week, she had no idea what had happened.
Leah and Amy smiled at her, happy to see that she had finally woken up.
When Debbie saw the two young nurses, she was shocked. This was a hospital, and it looked like a particularly expensive one. Not one she could afford. She wanted to get up and leave as soon as possible.
Unfortunately, her body was still extremely weak. She only managed to lift herself a little before she fell back onto the bed.
"Debbie, lie still," Amy said, in a worried tone. If they couldn't take care of Debbie properly, the family would fire them.
"Please get the paperwork to discharge me," Debbie said, looking at them. "I want to leave the hospital."
"You haven't fully recovered from your injuries yet," Leah told her. "You're not well enough to leave the hospital."
"Even if I haven't recovered, I still have to leave," Debbie said. "I don't have the money to pay for treatment, and this hospital looks very expensive. I've been here for a few days, so the bill must already be really high. I can't work right now, but I'll pay what I owe as soon as I can."
Leah and Amy stared at her, totally dumbfounded.
"Debbie, what are you talking about? You're the girlfriend of Mr. Ambrose, the eldest son, and this is his family's hospital. Why would you have to pay?" Amy asked, frowning in confusion. "Are you trying to give us a tip? We can't take that. If we got caught, we'd lose our jobs," she explained.
"Mr. Ambrose…" Debbie repeated. "Eldest son… Family hospital…" This time, it was her turn to be confused. She looked at Amy and Leah and carefully asked, "Who is this Mr. Ambrose you're talking about?"
"The eldest Ambrose son is Alex. Don't you remember your own boyfriend?" Leah asked.
Debbie was stunned. She asked the two nurses to sit on the bed while she asked them questions. Only then did she learn that she was on an island owned by Alex's family, and they were genuinely rich.
She remembered Maddison and her friends holding her under the water, and when she had been dying, she had heard Alex shout. She realized Alex must have saved her, and she felt a burst of warmth in her heart.
"Debbie, may I ask who your family is?" Leah asked while Amy watched with interest.
"You can just call me Debbie!" She smiled. "I'm not anyone important. I'm just an ordinary girl from nowhere special."
Amy and Leah were surprised. Most of the other Ambrose men brought home girlfriends who were famous models.
After chatting with Debbie for a while, Leah and Amy realized that she didn't put on any airs at all. She spoke to them like equals, and they liked her.
They got Debbie settled and left her to rest.
"If Alex Ambrose likes a girl like Debbie, then do you think we have a chance?" Leah asked, secretly delighted.
"I think so," Amy answered. "One look at Debbie and I know that Alex must be a very easy-going person, and I really want to meet him. But we only know his name and nothing else. We wouldn't know him if we saw him!"
As they were talking, they passed by Alex, who was wandering around the island with his walking stick.
"Who says I wouldn't recognize him? He wouldn't be able to hide his status." Leah lowered her voice a little and gestured at Alex. "For instance, I know it can't possibly be that cripple…"
"You're right," Amy agreed. Then they walked off, full of longing for the eldest Ambrose son.
Alex was strolling around the island, leaning on his walking stick. He had been to this island when he was young, and now he was rediscovering the place.
"Mr. Ambrose!" A middle-aged man spotted him and hurried over. When he reached him, he slightly bowed his head and said, "I'm glad to see you up and about. I see your injuries are healing, and you look well."
Seeing George Ambrose made Alex happy. George was from another, more distant, branch of the Ambrose family. Unlike Alex, George was only responsible for some of the less important parts of the family business.
The family had existed for hundreds, even thousands, of years. There were many branches scattered over different areas.
Even among commoners, there were many descendants of the Ambrose family.
"I'm still recuperating," Alex said. "So, I'll have to trouble you to take care of me a bit longer." Alex was very grateful to George. During the days he had been on the island, George had taken really good care of him.
"Mr. Ambrose, it's no trouble at all," George assured him. "The entire island belongs to the family, and I only did my duty. I'm happy to be of assistance." George lowered his head.
Alex could only smile sadly. Ever since Alex was young, George had been nothing but polite and formal with him.
"Mr. Ambrose, your family has sent some news. I'll find you later to bring you up to date." George then revealed the most important piece of news.
"Grandpa is coming!" Alex said excitedly. It had been seven years since he had seen his beloved grandfather. Memories of him flashed through his mind, and a smile appeared on his face.
"I'll ask someone to help bathe you before your grandfather gets here," George said respectfully. Alex was still wearing the same clothes he had arrived in. George had already prepared clothes for him, but he hadn't worn them, insisting that his clothes were more comfortable.
"No need," Alex assured him with a smile. "I'm fine like this. My grandfather knows what I'm like, and he won't mind."
"But Mr. Ambrose, you're still…" George wanted to persuade Alex to change, but it was too late. Alex was already leaving.
"Don't worry, George," Alex called. "I'm just going to walk around some more. Once Grandpa arrives, I'll go and see him."
They were both members of the Ambrose family, but Alex lived a carefree life. But in the future, perhaps his descendants would one day become commoners.
George clenched his fists in frustration.
Alex casually walked along the small path. The surrounding flowers bloomed with a rich purple and red colour, and the lush green forest was beautiful.
His mood lightened as he walked around, taking deep breaths of fresh air and letting it cleanse him inside.
"Over here," someone called.
"Pass it to me," came another voice.
The faint sounds of laughing and talking could be heard from nearby. It sounded like people having fun.
Alex followed the noise, walked past a few rows of coconut trees, and found himself standing on the beach. He stopped and looked around.
There were about ten gorgeous women wearing bikinis and playing volleyball. They were of various races. Each of them had an excellent figure and their faces were beautiful.
One woman missed the ball and landed face-first on the ground. Then she sat up, spitting out sand. At the place she had fallen, two round impressions remained in the sand.
A blonde woman jumped up to hit the ball. When she landed, her breasts bounced enticingly within her bikini top. Alex's eyes bulged as he watched, sure that those small pieces of fabric wouldn't be able to contain her chest.
The two bikini beauties embraced in celebration, and their chests awkwardly pressed against each other. They pulled back, smiled wryly, and eventually did a high-five instead.
The beach was awash with flashes of beautiful skin, and Alex's eyes were about to pop out of his head. Slowly, a silly smile appeared on his face. He lowered himself down to the sand and settled in to watch this delightful scene.