Adrian drove into the driveway and parked his car then stepped out, looking at the familiar but distant house.
"It has been a year but nothing has really changed about the surrounding..." He muttered to himself as he walked toward the front door.
There, his eyes caught sight of a flower by the doorstep he knew wasn't there when last he left the house.
"Okay, maybe it did change... A bit." He chuckled softly and shook his head.
That statement put an idea in his head:
"Maybe he has changed too... At least a bit?" He mumbled under his breath.
As he entered the house, he immediately felt the inside different, colder somehow.
"Okay, this is even good. Nobody is in sight. Maybe I can gather my thoughts after resting for a while..." He muttered and wanted to escape into his room before anybody would see him but the faint sound of commotion caught his attention. It was coming from the kitchen.
"Someone help me!"
"Oh my God! What do I do?"
Adrian paused, listening. The voice was familiar.
"Ava?" He said under his breath, instantly recognizing the old maid's unmistakable voice as she had been with his family since he was a toddler.
The maid's voice was frantic, and his curiosity got the better of him. Adrian walked briskly to the kitchen.
When he entered, he froze. He could see a woman lying unconscious on the floor, and Ava hovered over her, looking panicked.
"Ava! What is going on?" Adrian demanded.
Ava turned to him, startled.
"Adrian! You are home?" She was genuinely surprised to see him.
"Yes, I just got here. Who is she?" He asked, nodding toward the unconscious woman.
"That's... that's Mrs. Emilia. Your father's wife." Ava stammered.
"Oh, really?" Adrian muttered, his eyebrows shooting up.
"Yes." Ava replied.
"So, what happened to her?" He inquired curiously.
"I don't know. I found her like this. She just collapsed." Ava rushed out breathlessly, looking shaken.
Adrian frowned and fixed her with a skeptical look.
"Are you sure you don't know what caused it? I mean, you two were obviously alone in the kitchen...?" He pointed.
"You know I won't lie to you. I don't know what happened!" Ava maintained firmly, shaking her head.
Adrian crouched beside Emilia, studying her pale face.
"Whatever it is, we can't leave her like this. We should take her to the hospital immediately." He decided firmly.
Ava looked hesitant.
"Wait, I don't think that is—"
"No arguments, Ava. Help me get the door open." Adrian said and before Ava could protest further, he had gently lifted Emilia into his arms.
~~~~~~~~~~
A few minutes later, at the hospital;
"Who would have known this would be the kind of welcome I would receive? Well, if anything, it is way better than meeting my Dad at the doorstep..." Adrian chuckled dryly as he paced the hallway outside the ward.
The doctor had asked him to follow him to his office after attending to Emilia and leaving her to rest.
"I mean how did that happen?" Adrian muttered, sounding shocked as his thoughts drifted back to what the doctor had said to him in the office concerning Emilia.
"So, he..." He stopped when he saw movement inside the room. Then he peeked through the door and saw Emilia sitting up, looking confused.
Adrian stepped inside cautiously.
"You are awake." Adrian said, keeping his voice flat although he felt awkward talking to her for the first time like that.
Emilia firstly looked confused as she set eyes on him but after a moment, her eyes widened as she recognized him. She had seen him in the family photo album.
"You are... Adrian." She said quietly.
"Yeah, I hope you are feeling okay now?" Adrian replied, feeling awkward under her gaze.
Emilia straightened her back.
"That doesn't matter. Why am I here?" She blurted out and Adrian was taken aback.
He blinked before he could provide a response.
"You fainted. I brought you here because you needed help." He replied, laying emphasis on each word.
"You shouldn't have done that." Emilia said flatly.
Adrian stared at her, dumbfounded.
"What? I don't quite get that." He stated, staring at her like she had grown two heads.
"You shouldn't have brought me here." She repeated curtly, swinging her legs off the bed.
"You were unconscious! What else was I supposed to do?" Adrian asked, his tone rising in disbelief.
Emilia didn't answer, instead she focused on getting up from bed, even though her legs were wobbling slightly.
"Wait, what are you doing?" Adrian asked, stepping forward.
"Leaving the hospital! I need to go home." Emilia said firmly, brushing past him.
Adrian frowned.
"When the doctor hasn't discharged you?" He asked incredulously.
"Well, I can't be here. I need to go." She maintained firmly, not looking back at him.
~~~~~~~~~
Emilia panted tiredly as she walked down the hospital hallway, lost in her thoughts.
"Victor mustn't find out I was here. He has warned me... no hospitals. Nobody can see the bruises. Nobody can know."
Her hands trembled as she clenched them into fists.
Then she spotted Ava near the waiting area and walked toward her.
"Ava." Emilia called sharply and Ava turned.
"Ma'am, you are awake! Oh thank God! I was so scared." Ava stated excitedly.
"Why didn't you call the nurse that normally comes to the house to treat me? Why let him bring me here?" Emilia demanded angrily.
"I tried, ma'am. I really did, but he insisted. I couldn't stop him." Ava said apologetically.
Emilia exhaled harshly.
"Call the driver. I need to leave now." She ordered.
"Yes, ma'am." Ava said quickly, pulling out her phone.
Meanwhile, Adrian was standing nearby, watching and listening to the conversation, discreetly.
He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.
"If only she knew what the doctor said... she wouldn't be in such a hurry to leave." Adrian muttered to himself as he watched Emilia walked away.
He shook his head, still staring after her.
"What is her deal?" He scoffed.