"Aurora, can you walk to the emergency room by yourself?" David asked, feeling guilty about letting her go alone. However, he also needed to greet his cousin. "I promise I won't be long. I'll join you soon..."
She would prefer to walk to the emergency room alone rather than meet Alex right now.
Even if Alex doesn't recognize her now, they will meet soon. She didn't want him to see her condition, especially not with another man.
Moreover, if Alvin saw her, she would be in trouble. She had already told him she was traveling to another city today.
"Hmm, go talk to your friend," she replied.
Despite the pain in her feet, she kept walking.
...
After watching Aurora walk into the emergency room, David turned around. He saw Alex, his aunt's son, standing a few steps away.
David's smile grew wider as he looked at Alex. This man had been his role model since childhood, inspiring him to master quantum computing and computer technology, which ultimately led to his career as a quantum computing expert.
He dreamed of working at Alex's company, Stardust Tech, the country's leading IT corporation. Everyone in his class, including Aurora, shared this goal.
Recently, Stardust Tech developed an AI technology that has taken the world by storm. This has caused the company's value to skyrocket and surpass all other businesses in the country.
Alex had already become a wealthy young entrepreneur under thirty a few years ago. According to a recent news report, his company's assets were now at the pinnacle of the country's business sector.
Every young person wanted to work for or meet Alexander Graystone; however, he rarely made public appearances or attended events. He had declined numerous interviews with magazines and television, focusing exclusively on developing his company and pursuing his passion for technology and future innovations.
"Brother Alex, I'm surprised to see you here," David said with a grin. "I came to bring my friend to the emergency room; she fell in the street. What about you? It's not common to see you in a place like this..."
Alex's calm expression faded, replaced by deep sadness as he remembered what happened to Aurora.
Today, they would lay Aurora's remains to forever rest in the family cemetery beside her grandfather. Just now, he had escorted Thomas Moon to the car and asked him to go home and prepare for the burial. While he stayed behind to await Aurora's body, he would send her off to her final resting place.
"Brother Alex, is anyone in the family unwell?" David asked with concern, noticing Alex's silence and gloominess.
"My assistant died in a car accident. I need to go now, David. I hope your friend is okay," Alex said, gently patting David's shoulder before walking toward the elevator with Alvin.
David sighed deeply as he watched Alex walk away. However, when he remembered Aurora, he quickly rushed to the emergency room.
"Excuse me, may I assist you?" A short-haired female nurse greeted David at the entrance of the emergency room.
"Aurora Spencer, where is she?" he asked, scanning the large ER room but unable to spot her.
"Ah, you mean the soaked woman?" the nurse replied.
David nodded urgently. "Yes, where is she? Has her wound been treated?"
"Sir, when she entered the ER, she fainted immediately after telling us her name. But don't worry; our on-duty doctor is already monitoring and caring for her health. She is in the farthest room..." The nurse couldn't finish her sentence as she watched the young man hurry toward the room.
Rushing to catch up with him, the nurse said, "Excuse me, sir. You can't enter that area without registering your wife with the administration. Please, sir, follow me first..."
David's feet abruptly stopped when he heard the words "Your Wife," leaving him uncertain how to respond. Should he feel happy or sad?
He had liked Aurora Spencer since their first year of college. Unfortunately, she showed no interest in him; her eyes were always on her crush.
After completing the administrative registration for Aurora, David was finally able to check on her condition.
Seeing her already changed into a dry hospital gown and sleeping soundly eased his mind somewhat.
However, as he neared her bed and observed the IV needle in the back of her hand along with her pallid complexion, his worries returned.
'Silly Aurora! Why were you playing in the rain in this freezing weather? You must have caught a severe cold now,' David thought as he stepped closer. He reached out to check her forehead's skin temperature and was surprised to find it unusually warm.
As he searched for a doctor or nurse, he noticed a male doctor exiting another room.
"Doctor, how is she? Her body temperature seems unusually high," David asked, his voice brimming with curiosity and concern.
"Yes, Sir. Your wife..."
"Friend. She's not my wife. She's a friend," David quickly corrected him. He was concerned that if Aurora woke up and heard them refer to her as his wife, she might feel upset and not want to see him again. He couldn't bear the thought of that.
"I apologize, sir..." The doctor offered an awkward smile.
"It's fine, Doc. So, how bad is her condition?"
"Thank God your friend's condition is not as bad as it looked, but she is still weak; her blood sugar is very low, and you're right. She has a fever. Being exposed to the rain for an extended period has weakened her body. As for her injury, we have already cleaned the wound, and my surgeon team will come to stitch the cut on her leg."
David gasped in shock.
"Did you witness what happened to her? Did she fall?" the doctor asked.
"Yes, I did. I saw her collapse on the street," David replied. Earlier, when he walked to the café next to the hospital, he saw a familiar woman struck by a speeding motorbike on the sidewalk. He was shocked to discover that the woman was Aurora.
"No wonder. A sharp object has stabbed her calf. But, sir, there's no need to worry. Your friend needs to rest. I've asked the nurse to provide her with fever-reducing medication and multivitamins to help her recover quickly and feel better. But it's best for her if she stays here for a while so we can monitor her health."
David's worried gaze locked on Aurora on the bed.
"Don't worry, sir. She will be alright..." The doctor smiled at him before excusing himself to attend to other patients.
"Thank you, Doc. I know I can trust her in your hands," David said, slightly bowing before turning his attention back to Aurora.
He sat by the bed for a while, checking his cell phone.
'Aurora, should I contact your family?'
However, later, David found himself at a loss for words when he remembered that Aurora had no family in the city. She lived alone in her apartment with her nanny.
'Wait, should I call her nanny?'