His suit previously covered the deep cut, but now that she looked at how soaked the white shirt underneath was, Iris was speechless.
Her brain wasn't even functioning well, to begin with.
The stranger expected Iris to at least drive him out of her car or even shout for help. Aside from all those possibilities, Iris could immediately query him about who he was.
Any normal person would have a similar reaction when she saw a wounded man sitting uninvited in her car.
Well, not Iris, or at least not today when her brain was currently on holiday. Her reactions were rather slow and mind-boggling. Who admires beauty when someone could die in the next moment, and that too in your car?
Realizing that the lady wouldn't scream, or even move without him urging her on, the stranger could only speak in a weak, but firm voice,
"Drive!"
Iris had her brain filled with the thought of the blood oozing out from the young man's abdomen. He seemed to be bleeding out. He could die at any moment; that too, in her car.
The sight of the blood nearly made her ballistic, as it suddenly reminded her of her demise. Not just that, memories flashed before her, reminding her of how she found her sister in a pool of her own blood in her previous life.
However, the guidance of the extremely hypnotizing voice that requested her to drive suppressed the thoughts of the gory scene.
The person even spoke with so much politeness that Iris would later wonder if it was just a front, or if he was so calm because his strength was almost waning out. With the calm request hitting her brain receptors, Iris hurriedly stepped on the pedal, much like a reflex action.
She was one of the best drivers that the City's race course could boast of; even though no one knew her real identity.
Iris maneuvered her way around cars, swiftly changing lanes and still maintaining her speed. She couldn't believe that the city's number one bachelor was in the back seat of her car, looking so pale that he could pass out at any moment.
She once again stepped on the gas and was about to take a turn for the nearest hospital when the stranger spoke once again, "Not the hospital!"
Even though his voice sounded quite low, a little distant even, like a whisper, Iris still heard him.
'It would have been a great idea to have Tyler Harper take a ride with me on a regular night, but not today. What if he dies in my car?' She mused shakily.
However, this wasn't a regular night, and Iris felt nothing but apprehension towards the mafia prince.
She had just woken up a month back in time and was trying to get a handle on the whole situation, only for Tyler Harper to request she kept him in her car, instead of taking his bleeding ass to the hospital. How amazing!
'I wouldn't want a person of Tyler Harper's calibre to die in my car. To think it's even on the very night, I got a chance to rewrite the story of my life.'
Iris was confused and scared. Frantic, even.
There was no way she was buying herself trouble in place of a second chance at life. "Whoever is out there…please keep Tyler safe"
Iris then asked hastily, "Please tell me, where should I take you then?"
The thought of how a hospital was the most appropriate place to take him filled her mind. However, a person like him should have a personal doctor; one he would trust with his life.
As a result, she was waiting for him to just tell her where to take him, as a doctor could already be waiting for their arrival. It would save her the trouble, anyway. She would just drop him off and be on her way.
"The Mau..." Iris anticipated the completion of the sentence, but her wish was never fulfilled.
Tyler Harper had just passed out in her car, with such a garish wound in his abdomen.
"Oh, my god! You've got to be kidding me." Iris hit the steering wheel in frustration.
"I'm doomed if he doesn't make it out alive. What would I do if a dead man were seen in my car? What if I get caught by the people who did this to Tyler? Who did I offend? I just want some peace in my life. Is that too hard to ask for?"
Iris was devastated, as Tyler's special identity scared her shitless. She knew his enemies were way beyond the level of Malcolm Miller, Mina, or even the fake investors. They were people who wielded guns and never batted an eyelid, even if they had to take a person's life.
"How would I explain to the Harper family that the only son of the family head had died in my car, but I wasn't the one who killed him? Aaaahhhh!!!"
Iris could swear that she knew nothing about what happened to Tyler, but it wouldn't stop the Harpers from having her head on a stake. They would literally tear her to shreds.
She thought she was unfortunate in her first life, but Iris realized that this was a whole new level of crazy.
"Rachel, I need your help…"
Iris couldn't be bothered to exchange any pleasantries with her sister, whom she had not seen or heard from in a few months.
She could only respond to her sister's queries in a shaky voice, "I'm currently around Junction Avenue… Rachel, please hurry! I need you!"
Iris could think of no one else to save her from her current situation other than the genius doctor who is currently doing her residency.
This goes without saying that one wrong move could cost her whole medical career, as she could lose her license even before she got it.
However, if it's not her little sister, Iris would not entrust the current situation to any other person. She already had people who couldn't wait to eliminate her.
"Tyler… Tyler… Don't be worried that I know who you are. Tyler, I mean no harm. Please, I need you to calm down and wait for a little while, ok? Just don't die on me, Tyler. I beg you… Please spare my sister and I… We cannot stand the wrath of the Harper clan if anything were to happen to you. Please, just live"
Tyler Harper's identity was quite sensitive, and he would be suspicious about Iris knowing him. Many heard of his name, but only a few people knew what he looked like.
It was a mere coincidence that Iris chanced upon him in her past life. It was around the time that everything was so messed up, but she never forgot about him; not even in this lifetime.
After waiting for a response in futility, Iris took hold of Tyler's bloody hand. She then leaned closer to speak directly into his ears, all the while putting pressure on the wound.
"Please don't die on me… I need you to stay alive, Tyler Harper. Whatever you need to do… I need you to stay alive."
Before she could rest her chaotic heart, "What the heck!"