It’s already the third day, but Sophie Smith still shows no sign of waking up.
Asher Land sits by the bedside, tightly holding her slender little hand. These three days have taken a toll on him.
His jaw is covered with a short stubble, and his usually sharp, eagle-like dark eyes have sunken considerably. The shirt he is wearing is still the same one he wore three days ago, now with some wrinkles.
This disheveled appearance is probably the first time in his 27 years of life.
Even before he became the third young master of the Golden Era Consortium, when he was still crammed in a small rented room with his mother, he was never this disheveled.
The hospital room is unusually quiet, as if even the sound of the IV drip is clearly audible.
Nanny Garcia brought some food, standing at the door, hesitant to speak.
"Get out!" he ordered mercilessly; he does not want anyone disturbing her right now.
"Young Master, you should eat a little, or when Miss Smith wakes up, you..."
His patience has worn thin, and Nanny Garcia knows Asher Land’s stubborn temperament. He is good at concealing his emotions; you won’t see his joys or sorrows on his face.
But this is the second time she’s seen the young master in such unbearable pain; the first time was at his mother’s funeral.
Undoubtedly, Sophie Smith’s emergence has changed Asher Land, completely transformed him from the inside out.
Nanny Garcia gently closed the door and let out a deep sigh.
"Sophie, if you don’t wake up, I definitely won’t forgive you." His eyes were a bit moist, and for the first time, he was completely not himself because of a woman.
Perhaps, from the moment he first saw her, he should have known it would lead to this outcome.
Sophie felt like she was having a very long, long dream, but she couldn’t remember what it was about. She only remembered there was a figure repeatedly appearing in her dream.
A tall figure walking towards her against the light, her lips curling slightly.
Thankfully, the dream wasn’t too bad.
Just as she was about to reach out and grab the person’s sleeve, she grasped at nothing.
As if sensing something, she suddenly opened her eyes.
A pungent smell of disinfectant wafted into her nose, and she frowned in displeasure.
"You’re awake?" Asher Land clutched her hand tightly, his eyes full of surprise and delight.
"Could you be a bit gentler? You’re hurting me." she said weakly.
Asher Land was startled and quickly released her hand. His anxious look made Sophie unconsciously smile, so he had this side to him after all.
She didn’t want to bring up that unpleasant event; she was very doubtful whether she had been touched by another man. If so...
"I,..." she struggled to sit up from the bed, her eyes cast down, but suddenly, she couldn’t speak. If she had been violated by another man, he probably wouldn’t want her anymore.
Seeing her silence, Asher Land pulled her into his arms.
Sophie was at a loss because of his gesture, unsure where to place her hands. After some hesitation, she reached out to embrace him.
"What’s wrong?" she asked softly.
"For the first time, I realized how afraid I am of losing." His voice trembled a bit. Sophie wondered if her ears were deceiving her; Asher Land, how could he have such emotions? He was supposed to be an unbreakable steel fortress; nothing seemed to frighten him in her memory.
"What are you afraid of?"
"Afraid of losing you."