"Are you awake?"
That voice.
That smooth, low, rich voice.
My eyelids fluttered open slowly, like velvet curtains at the start of a romantic play, and there he was—Carl. Looking down at me with that soft concern that could melt titanium. I blinked a few times, trying to adjust to the light and the unbelievable fact that he was this close to me.
"You're awake," he said again, relief flickering across his face as he reached for my wrist, checking my temperature like he'd done this a thousand times.
If I wasn't already feeling like a woman in a Jane Austen novel, I was now.
"How are you feeling?" he asked gently.
"I'm good… but uncomfortable," I murmured, trying to shift my body slightly. There was a dull ache pulsing through my skull, like someone had smuggled a drum into my brain.
"Uncomfortable?" he repeated. "Feeling pain?"
"No. You're just… too close."
That got him. He blinked, clearly startled, then chuckled as he leaned back. "Oh. Sorry. I didn't realize."
"You're forgiven," I whispered.
He smiled—that smile, the one that made me feel like I was falling and floating at the same time.
"Are you feeling pain?"
"My head hurts," I admitted, reaching up to gingerly touch the side where the pain throbbed the most.
"I'm so sorry I let you get hurt," he said with a seriousness that made my chest tighten. "I'll get you some aspirin. The doctor is already on his way."
"Doctor?" I repeated, slightly alarmed.
"Yes," he nodded. "In case of any internal bleeding or anything serious."
I groaned and tried to sit up. "Please call the doctor to cancel. I'm not about to be slapped with a bill I can't afford."
"No need to worry," he said, sitting back with a wave of his hand. "I'll take care of that. You just need to rest and get checked out."
His voice was calm, assuring… protective. And it made me want to melt.
"I really appreciate that… sir."
He raised an eyebrow, "Call me Carl, please."
My heart may or may not have skipped two full beats.
"Carl," I echoed, smiling.
I could see the shift in his eyes, like he registered my smile and pocketed it for later. That's dangerous.
"Can I talk to you about something?" he said, his voice softening. "Not now though—maybe when you're fully recovered."
Talk to me?
Is this it?
Was this going to be the moment he asked me out?
Oh God. Oh God.
"Is it work-related?" I asked, playing dumb. "Or… about the intruders?"
"Just to talk," he said. "I'll be leaving today and I don't know what the schedule will be like. Do you have a phone or something? Though—" he paused, "—it's not a phone conversation type of thing."
My heart exploded like confetti in a carnival.
This is it.
He's going to ask me out.
"Okay," I nodded slowly, my voice barely stable. I requested for his phone and typed my phone number in. I didn't forget to call myself though so I could have his too.
"Thanks," he said with a small grin. "I'll just go check on Jake and Anne."
I almost choked. "Mrs. Anne is home?"
"Yes," he nodded. "She arrived not long ago."
I tried not to visibly cringe.
"What a killjoy," I muttered.
Carl raised an eyebrow, his mouth twitching into a crooked smile.
I gasped. "I meant—thank goodness! That's joyous. I'm… joyous."
He chuckled and stood, grabbing my phone from the side table and typing something into it. "You were out for hours," he said. "Scared the hell out of me, you know?"
Before I could respond, the window caught my eye—a car had pulled up at the front gate.
"I think the doctor is here," he said, confirming my suspicion.
Just then, a knock. Barely two seconds later, the door opened without invitation.
"The doc—doctor is here," Jake's voice broke the moment like a slap.
There was something strange about the way he said it. His eyes flicked between me and Carl, his jaw tightening for a second before relaxing back into his usual military neutral.
I sat up straighter.
Jake stared a beat too long, and something unreadable passed behind his eyes. Jealousy? No. That's not Jake… is it?
"Okay," I said.
"Alright," Carl stood and handed me my phone. "I'm leaving now," he said, his voice suddenly more formal. "See you later, Sidney. Take care of yourself."
He waved softly and walked toward Jake, who hadn't moved.
As they exited, I watched them both.
Cal, warm and open. Jake, stiff and unreadable.
Was that tension I saw between them?
Could it be… jealousy?
Jake had never shown interest. Not directly. Not the way Carl had.
Or maybe he just didn't want competition.
Either way, my mind was spinning. I leaned back into the pillows, dazed and exhausted. Seconds later, the doctor walked in—with Mrs. Anne right behind him.
The doctor was polite and clinical. Anne was… not.
She stood at the door like a statue—tall, poised, but glaring at me like I was a dirty mop in her pristine house.
While the doctor checked my reflexes and asked questions, I could feel her eyes burning holes through my soul.
"Your blood pressure is steady," he said. "You'll feel some discomfort for a few days, but there's no sign of internal trauma. I'll leave you some meds for the swelling."
"Thank you, doctor," I murmured.
Anne didn't say a word.
She escorted the doctor out. But as soon as the door closed and his car drove away, she returned.
And this time, she didn't hide her expression.
Arms crossed, lips thin, brow furrowed—she was the very picture of displeasure.
"What happened last night?" she asked. Her voice was cold. Sharper than usual.
I took a breath. "There were intruders. They came for me. I fought them. Carl helped. That's all."
She didn't blink.
"Did you forget to lock the doors?"
"I… I don't know. Jake told me to, and I thought I did."
"You thought?" she snapped.
Silence stretched.
"Jim told me something very different," she added darkly.
Jim.
Of course.
"I should have known you'd get tangled up in something disgraceful," she muttered.
My fists clenched under the blanket.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You've always had this… presence," she said, her words laced with judgment. "Men look at you. I'm not blind."
"I didn't ask them to," I bit back.
"No," she said. "But you enjoy it."
I stared at her, stunned
She was wrong. She was so wrong—but that wasn't what stung.
What stung was that deep down, a part of me wondered if she had a point.
Had I become too visible? Too willing to let their attention define me?
Anne turned sharply toward the door.
"You're lucky Carl was here," she said. "Because if anything happened to you while my brother was in this house… this would be on you."
And with that, she left.
I laid back, staring at the ceiling.
The whirlwind wasn't over.
It had only just begun.