"Are you certain that your bodyguard won't threaten my daughter with his weapon?" Winter inquired, her eyes flashing to Kalix as she reiterated their decision to retain Seren with Standley.
"You know she is not used to being around a real gangster," she added anxiously.
Winter already observed the man to be quiet and mysterious, but those tattoos on his body were giving her serious, deadly vibes. She wondered whether he was familiar with being around kids."Don't worry, our daughter is safe with him," he reassured Winter, putting a stop to her concerns.
Hayes failed to persuade anyone to ensure their safety, and her single decision led to another attack on Byron.
They arrived at the hospital and headed to Byron's ward, where they discovered Hayes conversing with the security guards.
"I want you to hunt whoever did this," he said, and the guards departed.
"How is Grandpa?" Winter rushed to him. Her voice was filled with anxiety over her grandfather's health.
Hayes' eyes grew guilty, and he lowered his head in shame. He had already informed her that someone had sneaked into Byron's room and injected him with a drug that caused his blood pressure to drop suddenly.
The physicians were still inside treating him, but he was afraid something horrible might happen.
He hated himself for not being present, as he was busy hunting a backup under Winter's orders. And as he walked out with another disappointment, he received a call from one of his men informing him of the entire incident.
The door swung open unexpectedly, and the doctor strode out with a serious expression that tightened Winter's heart.
Winter was still processing when the door to Byron's room opened and the doctor walked out.
"I'm glad we were able to control his blood pressure level. However, I fear Mr. Byron has slipped into a temporary coma." He spoke with a hint of disappointment.
Winter's legs trembled and she staggered back. Fortunately, Kalix was there to catch her at the appropriate time, preventing her from falling.
"Be careful," he murmured, grasping her by the shoulder.
Winter was not anticipating such irresponsibility from the employees. Even with the presence of guards, wasn't it their duty to monitor anyone lingering around the hospital without their knowledge?
"How can someone sneak into his room with so many guards watching?" Winter snapped, staring at the doctor and Hayes.
"You!" She glared at Hayes, enraged. "Is this how you protect your boss?" she inquired, losing her cool.
Hayes was unable to answer. The guards indeed failed to do their job, leading to an alarming situation in his absence.
"How can you allow unknown people to enter the hospital grounds?" Is this what my grandfather funds your hospital for?" Winter didn't spare the doctor either.
This hospital was under Grayson's provision, and yet their supreme patient's life was at risk.
The person who was supposed to wake up at any time was abruptly thrown back into the same sluggish state as a result of their negligence.
The doctor pressed his lips together in embarrassment.
Winter was already feeling helpless because she lacked the necessary resources to investigate the person attempting to hurt her grandfather. First the accident and now this. Everything seemed to be getting worse.
Despite having an influential family, they paid little attention to this situation and were simply waiting for something to happen to her grandfather.
"Boss, we managed to get footage from the backend of the hospital premises." Sean arrived full of hope and showed Kalix the footage his crew had recovered.
"Here, have a look." He handed the phone to Winter, who looked at it with concern.
"Who is this man?" she mumbled.
"We don't know yet, but we'll find out soon," Kalix said, handing Sean the phone back.
Sean was able to get the footage of the man from the shop opposite the hospital compound. Luckily they found someone jumping off the wall and fleeing.
Everything was sliding out of her hands. Winter had nothing to think of, and she couldn't stand firm when her only support was lying unconscious on the hospital bed.
She turned and sat down on the bench, helpless. Burying her face in her palm, she attempted to relax her exhausted self but failed.
Seeing her frail condition made Kalix's heart prick up, and he quickly went to be by her side.
"Fate is already testing me, isn't it?" She smiled sadly as she gazed up at Kalix. Her words held an underlying meaning that he didn't fail to catch.
"If only you wouldn't hesitate and hold my hand," he whispered, tucking a loose strand of her hair behind her ear.
Winter caught her in a state of emotional and intellectual state. Her heart longed to take his hand, but her mind wasn't ready.
She knew he was the one person her grandfather trusted them with, but she wasn't ready to entrust her heart to him.
She admitted she had a daughter with him, but she did not bring her into this world out of love. Nor did she ever ask him to take responsibility for them.
But Seren's abrupt involvement sparked a lot of questions in her mind, and she couldn't stop thinking about how much she liked him already.
"How about we do this?" she suggested, turning slightly to face him. Her eyes gleamed with hope.
Kalix looked at her with intense anticipation and eagerly anticipated her presentation.
"Go on," he responded, allowing her to express herself freely.
Winter clasped her hand, an uneasy smile stretching across her lips as she opened it to speak. "Let us co-parent Seren, and in exchange, you give me protection."
"No," her smile faded as his answer came in no time.
"But didn't you want it to be with Seren? I'm merely offering a different approach. In that manner, you get to meet Star, and I don't have to stay away from her." She argued, recalling how he threatened to take her daughter away when she rejected him.
Kalix examined her devious thoughts in order to prevent the marriage. However, he was determined not to be deceived, as he had already made up his mind.
"But what if I want you both?" He countered, leaving her astonished.
"Huh?"
"See, I agreed to support your grandfather, which I am doing, and now you must obey the rules. Marry me," he murmured, destroying all of her hopes at once.
Kalix regretted threatening Winter with his daughter. But what should he do when she refused to marry him? For the first time, he felt terrified at the prospect of her rejection and losing his only chance.
He had been waiting years to get closer to her, but she was defiant.
Hayes, who was watching the two, smiled softly before excusing himself, while Sean blinked, admiring Kalix's patience with the lady.
'Are we his enemy ? Why don't we get such lovely treatment?" He scowled mentally.
In contrast, Winter felt like she had entered an unsolvable maze. All she discovered at each end was Kalix standing there, flaunting his Satanic smirk.
****
Meanwhile, a man entered an old house and locked the door from within. While he hurriedly gathered his belongings and prepared to escape the city, his phone beeped.
His dark eyes gleam, and the corner of his mouth curls into a menacing smirk as he reads the wage he was paid for the work.
Later, his phone rang, and he hastily answered it.
"I don't want your shadow around. Make sure no one finds you," the person on the phone said before hanging up.
The man strolled out of the house, making sure he left no clues behind, and hailed a taxi to depart.