Once Andrew was out of sight, Ross quickly went to his private room and showered. Today, he chose to wear black jeans, a black turtleneck long-sleeve shirt, and a brown leather jacket, which is rare to see him in casual attire.
Since he would pick up Nana's favorite flowers, he must bring a car—and so he chose his Ford Mustang GT and settled comfortably in front of the steering wheel as he sipped the black coffee he had ordered from the cafe inside the company premises.
Ross pulled over in front of an upscale flower shop owned by his cousin's wife. He calmly approached the door and entered when it opened automatically.
"Good morning, Mr. Varga!" A middle-aged woman greeted Ross behind the counter. "The flowers you ordered are ready."
With a smile, Ross exchanged greetings. "Morning, Mrs. Lim…"
"Ah, it's been a while since I last saw you. Please, take a seat. I'll go get the roses."
Ross sat on the long sofa while Mrs. Lim went to the back of the shop. When she returned, she carried a large, round box with various roses inside.
"Thank you, Mrs. Lim." Ross took the box from the older lady and was leaving when Mrs. Lim stopped him. He halted in his tracks and eyed her with a questioning stare. He asked, "Is there a problem, ma'am?"
"Oh, it's nothing. It's just that, other than the flowers for your mother and grandmother, which you purchased. I've noticed that this is the first time you've picked out the flowers for your girlfriend," said Mrs. Lim with a teasing smile.
Ross chuckled awkwardly, caught by surprise.
Mrs. Lim's observational skills are remarkable, and her ability to select the ideal flowers for her customers is beyond question.
Ross admitted that he had never personally purchased a flower for Shenna since he started dating her. The flowers would be delivered to the latter or collected by Andrew and Sarah on his behalf.
"I hope you like the roses I picked for your girlfriend. I assure you, these colors convey your genuine feelings for her," Mrs. Lim added.
Ross just smiled in silent response. Indeed, he would present this box of flowers to the girl he loved dearly.
However, Mrs. Lim didn't know who he had a genuine feeling for; hence, he could not respond to her excellent words but thanked her with gratitude.
"They were lovely, Mrs. Lim. Thank you so much."
"Don't mention it. I'm actually happy to have you as my patron."
Ross nodded before he put on his sunglasses and bid goodbye. With the box of a couple dozen roses in his other hand, he exited the flower shop with a smile.
He safely stored the box in the trunk. As he admired the lovely flowers, he thought about what the lady had said.
"They represent my feelings, huh?"
This question made him curious to search the Internet for its meaning.
Hence, when Ross settled into the driver's seat and fastened his seatbelt, he pulled out his phone from the inner pocket of his leather jacket and browsed the Internet.
Ross first searched for the meaning of the light pink rose. The article says light pink roses symbolize admiration, joy, and sweetness, while red symbolizes love and passion.
But what caught his attention most was the meaning of a rare variety of roses, the lavender color.
The Lavender Rose symbolizes Love At First Sight and Enchantment.
Ross, learning their meaning, brought a smile to his lips. Indeed, the moment his eyes landed on Yonah, he was immediately enchanted by her presence. It cannot be denied that he fell in love with her at first glance.
Nonetheless, the coral rose was the most intriguing color among them. It symbolizes his heart's desire.
The dark pink perfectly reflects his gratification at meeting Yonah in this life, while the orange rose signifies his current actions.
He was undeniably fascinated by her, and he almost lost his mind. He only did his best to keep sane and not cross the line, as he wasn't sure how long he could control himself.
"Alright. I hope Nana hasn't woken up yet and had breakfast."
Ross put away his phone and started the car. He steered toward the hospital, oblivious to what happened on the other side of the city.
Since Celia was now on the hot seat, her friends were also questioning whether they were exposed to the drugs.
Hearing all the lashing, one of Celia's friends, Sylvia, could no longer stand listening to all this gossip. She attacked the next table, and a fight broke out.
Knowing that this cafe was a favorite spot for the scion and heiress of every upper-class family, they found the scene amusing. Thus, several recorded the incident and went live, where netizens feasted on.
Seeing how chaotic it was, the cafe manager was forced to call the police and take them to the police station. Upon learning that a few of them were Celia Johnston's friends, the chief of police instructed his men to run a drug test on them.
"Why are we included in getting tested?"
"We are innocent!"
"That's right! We have no idea that Celia was involved with drugs!"
The other party complained, but the majority of them agreed because they knew they had taken no drugs.
•••
It didn't take long for Ross to arrive at the hospital. He parked his car in the parking space reserved for his family. Being good friends and business partners with the Villegas family brought many benefits, and a reserved parking space is just a minor thing.
"Good morning, Mr. Varga." The guards in the parking lot recognized him immediately after glancing at his car. Thus, they hurried to greet him.
"Morning..." Ross nodded and returned the greetings with a faint smile.
He frequently accompanies his grandfather for checkups, and so everyone knows him.
However, he was now recognized as Dr. Shenna Villega's boyfriend.
Ross appeared so little before the media, so everyone was interested in skimming into his private life.
Several media personnel go to great lengths to pretend to be patients so they can meet Shenna and take a closer look at her—they might discover a fascinating story…
Unfortunately, the young doctor is often out of town on medical missions and conducting free operations, particularly with people who cannot afford treatment. Shenna preferred to serve people experiencing poverty rather than pay attention to the so-called VIP patients.
"Good morning, Mr. Villegas."
Ross walked past the nurse's station and was determined to ignore them, but these nurses were so persistent that he would spare them a glance.
However, Ross would only reply with a stoic face. Even so, the nurses and even the single ladies' doctors ignored his indifference since they were used to it already.
They did not expect much response from him, but having a peek at his gorgeous face and stud physique was enough for them to daydream all day and all night.
"Good morning, sir!"
Upon his arrival, the six bodyguards assigned to watch Yonah's ward stood straight in one line. They greeted him at once, and Ross dismissed them.
"Have you had your breakfast already?" he asked.
Three bodyguards shook their heads; hence, Ross let them take a break, and the other three remained at the entrance to block reporters who pretended to be medical staff or patients to get a juicy scoop about him and the surrounding people he spent with.
Therefore, he was cautious, especially about Yonah. One wrong move, and they might make up a story that tarnishes his reputation, and the two families have a strained relationship by then.
Outside the VIP ward, Ross peeked at the glass window. The living room was empty, so he presumed Laura and Antonio had their breakfast somewhere. This hospital has excellent restaurants, so visitors and patients can enjoy one-of-a-kind accommodations.
Ross entered the door and approached the patient's room in the expansive ward.
In this hospital, the VIP ward had a separate luxury room. Apart from the medical staff in their uniforms, the place didn't resemble a hospital.
As Ross approached the sickbed, he found an adorable girl peacefully sleeping.
Upon recognizing the stuffed toy she hugged in her sleep, his lips immediately parted with a delightful smile.
He purchased an anime character, Plushie, as one of his birthday gifts to Yonah. His heart danced when he saw how she treasured it.
Ross took the couch next to the sickbed and stared at Yonah's face, which now had bandages. Seeing her pain, his heart ached to notice the tears staining her delicate skin.
Hugging the box of roses in one arm, Ross stretched his other arm and gently combed Yonah's hair, tucking it behind her ear as they covered her face. He then gently traced his fingers into her eyelids, wiping them dry.
"Ross?"
A soft voice sounded behind Ross, shocking the hell out of him.
He stood abruptly from the chair and turned to face the woman at the door, carrying bags of food from his restaurants.
Upon believing he was caught red-handed, Ross's face was momentarily pale.
"She—Sheena, you're here?"
Stuttering, he asked nervously.
Shenna nodded and smiled, peeking at her sister, sleeping on the sick bed like a little child.