In the hushed tranquility of the room, a bed stood against one wall, flanked by an array of medical apparatus - monitors, oxygen tanks, and various other essential devices.
Positioned by the bedside, a lone figure sat upon a stool, his gaze unwaveringly fixed upon the still form of a woman resting upon the bed.
Time seemed to blur for him; he had no clear measure of how many moments had slipped by as he maintained his vigil.
His fervent hope was that she would rouse from her slumber and heed his silent plea to rise from the bed.
For the span of four long years, she had remained in this state.
A prisoner of her own physical limitations, Anna's existence had been marked by confinement to this bed.
The hired caregiver attended to her needs - changing her diapers, cleansing her body, and applying gentle massages to ward off stiffness that threatened to set in.
Staring at Anna's pale face, George remembered the discussion he had with his secretary who had been helping him secure and keep Anna Chen away from the public.
Most people, especially the public and Anna's business partners, thought she had gone into hiding.
Anna's reputation had been destroyed.
However, Anna's boyfriend and stepsister believed that Anna Chen was dead.
"Shouldn't we just expose this to the public, boss?" Richard, his assistant, questioned George as he was on his way to the villa where he observed Anna.
Richard followed his boss into the elevator after watching him walk in. He then pressed a button on the side of the elevator wall to take them to the last floor and turned to his boss.
"She…" Richard sighed, swallowing the statement he had planned to share with his boss.
It would definitely sound offensive.
"It's been four years, boss. Four years! Do you think she can even still be considered alive?" Richard asked, his eyebrows furrowed.
However, Richard had to change his facial expression when he saw the stern look his boss gave him.
"I have faith in Anna. She is going to open her eyes and stand up from that bed," George said, though his words didn't directly address Richard's question.
George's words didn't make sense to Richard because it was the nth time in four years that he had heard his boss express faith in Anna.
"She's been in that bed for ages, boss!" Richard didn't plan to stop convincing his boss to reveal the lost heiress's story to the public.
"I'm aware, Richard! And I think I've made it clear to you that I'm not ready to give up. I won't abandon her until she opens her eyes," George replied calmly.
George's words alone communicated that it was time for Richard to stop persuading him.
"But what if she doesn't open her eyes? Will you keep waiting and having faith?"
This question made George ponder, as Richard did have a point.
Reminiscing about the conversation he had with his secretary earlier that day, George couldn't help but let out a sigh.
For four years, George had been waiting for Anna, but she showed no signs of recovery.
George chose to ignore that question, or perhaps he didn't want such thoughts in his head.
Shaking his head, George held Anna's hand.
George couldn't even tell if Anna's skin was warm or cold.
He then turned his gaze back to Anna's face, placed his hand on her forehead, and gently massaged it.
"Aren't you going to wake up already?" George murmured.
Over the past four years, George had been reading books to Anna and communicating with her as if she were listening to him.
Engaging in those activities brought George happiness, but even when his faith was strong, he grew weak when things didn't go his way.
Suddenly, the monitor started beeping.
When George looked at it, he realized that the signals indicating Anna's life were starting to drop.
Anna was dying.
George rushed out of the room and called for the doctor.
Despite the doctor's intervention, Anna couldn't be saved.
Anna passed away.
"No!" George's voice came out hoarse as he stared at Anna's lifeless body.
"The time of death is 11:13 am," the doctor announced before leaving the room.
However, before departing, the doctor placed a comforting hand on George's shoulder as he walked past—a gesture of condolences.
Having observed this man for the past four years, the doctor couldn't deny that he had prayed for the young lady to wake up, granting the young man's wish.
Unfortunately, not all wishes were fulfilled.
Li Xiu took her last breath at 10:13 am on August 21, 2021. As a result, she remained in darkness for an hour before experiencing those strange visions about her new life.
George didn't know how to describe his feelings. He did, however, feel terrible.
Sitting on a stool, George held Anna's hand, tears flowing from his eyes.
Anna's death took George by surprise.
The doctor had always assured him that she would wake up, or perhaps he had chosen to focus on the doctor's positive statements more than the negative ones.
"Why, Anna? Why did you have to give up?" George asked, his head lowered.
In contrast to his previously somewhat energetic self, George suddenly felt drained.
Unbeknownst to George, Anna had been struggling to survive for his sake, but she had reached her limit.
"I'm tired and I just want to rest." This was Anna's last wish before following her father.
Perhaps Li Xiu's second chance was meant to alter Anna Chen's unfortunate destiny.
For an hour, George sat by Anna's side, reluctant to leave.
However, when he heard a sound, George stood up from the stool.
"Haaa!"
The exclamation echoed in his ears, causing him to startle out of the stool and look at Anna.
The life signal monitor had been disconnected from Anna's body, as she was already deceased.
All other medical instruments attached to her had also been removed, leaving Anna alone on the bed.
How did Anna manage to revive without those medical instruments?
George pondered this, but the excitement of seeing Anna open her eyes after four years pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind.
Observing this, George decided to exit the room and inform the doctor.
Anna's return to life was indeed miraculous.
After checking on Anna, the doctor updated George about her condition.
Anna had no residual injuries as she had been treated years ago.
Now that she was awake, Anna needed to focus on her mental recovery, given that it had been a whole four years.
Nonetheless, this was joyous news for George. He had witnessed Anna's revival.
All his efforts hadn't been in vain; this marked the beginning of a new chapter.