His Untold Lies

Chapter 43 Hospital

KIA

"I feel so heavy. How long did I sleep?"

As I woke up, the scent of hospital disinfectant invaded my nostrils. The overpowering bleach stench made me squint against the brilliant light seeping through my closed eyelids. I felt immobile and helpless-my head, body, and hands all unresponsive. In the otherwise silent room, only my heavy breathing and the familiar hospital beeping broke the stillness. Slowly, I opened my eyes, trying to make sense of the blurry surroundings. Glancing around, I noticed the empty hospital room with its blue and white decor.

"Where am I?" As the blinding light subsided, I took in my surroundings. I was in a hospital room.

The space appeared spotless, orderly, but gloomy. A typical hospital bed, an IV, and beeping monitors occupied the room. The linens were a drab gray, and the walls wore a sickly shade of green. The setting offered no inspiration for recovery; instead, it intensified my queasiness. I closed my eyes, attempting to piece together recent events, but memories remained elusive. Strangely, I couldn't recall how I ended up in the hospital, who brought me here, or what had happened in the days prior. My mind's efforts to fill the gaps yielded nothing, and though I couldn't remember my arrival, I was certain I needed to leave as soon as possible.

"Who brought me here?" On impulse, my hand reached for my throbbing right temple, causing a wince of pain. I attempted to stand but fell back onto the bed, my body protesting against the decision. I lay there, waiting for the pain to subside, gazing up at the ceiling bathed in fluorescent light, perhaps hoping for assistance from hospital staff. The mysteries of my arrival, my benefactor, and the duration of my stay persisted.

Or perhaps, someone had abducted me, intending to harvest my organs! Oh, God!

My stream of questions was interrupted by a familiar voice. "Honey, you're awake! I brought you something delicious to eat-the love porridge I made!" Ares suddenly appeared, and I rushed toward him, overcome with relief. "Ares! I thought... I thought someone had kidnapped me!" I cried, throwing myself into his arms.

"What are you talking about? You passed out yesterday while you and your friends were at the Enchanted Kingdom. Luckily, I arrived in time and brought you to the hospital. I won't let anyone take you away from me. I love you too much for that. Don't even think about such things, okay?" Ares reassured me, and I nodded, attempting to calm myself. "I'm so relieved. I imagined it was like a movie-waking up in a hospital, and then bad guys trying to harvest your organs to sell," I said, shivering from fear.

Ares chuckled. "You've been watching too many movies lately. Now, get back to bed," he said, and I complied. He took something from his bag, and the aroma was enticing. "Come on, honey, you need to eat to regain your strength. I cooked chicken and carrot porridge for you." Ares gently blew on the food as it was still warm. "Be careful. Let me help you."

I opened my mouth wide as he fed me a spoonful. "Is it delicious? Do you like it?" he asked.

"You should consider a career change, honey. Everything you cook for me is delicious!" I replied, and his face reddened as he continued to feed me.

Being in a public hospital meant our room was bustling with numerous patients, around seven by my estimate. Some of them watched as I enjoyed the meal my husband had prepared for me. In the third bed, an elderly woman wore a smile while observing us. She might have held affection for us or recalled her own youth. I briefly contemplated sharing some porridge with her, but Ares had only prepared one bowl, making me feel sorry for the granny.

The throbbing sensation in my right temple persisted, making it hard to concentrate on finishing my meal. Ares handed me a bottle of water, and as I sipped it, I heard someone calling my name. I couldn't be certain if it was a hallucination, but it seemed Ares had heard it too.

"Kianna!" Miaree suddenly burst into the room, pausing to catch her breath. "I-I rushed over as soon as I heard you were awake. How are you feeling? Do you still recognize me? Who am I? Wait, how many fingers am I holding up?" She asked frantically, displaying two fingers.

"Miaree-"

"Oh, you remember my name... You remember me, bestie!" She exclaimed and hugged me, tears streaming down her face. "Your husband answered your phone and told me you were still unconscious, so I rushed here because I was so worried. I couldn't sleep at all last night! I'm so sorry! It's my fault you got sick from all the rides yesterday!"

"Hey, it's not your fault. I just overexerted myself yesterday. I need some rest, and I'll be fine. Don't blame yourself-"

"No! I must take responsibility for what happened to you. Let me take care of you! Mr. Ares, please move! Let me take care of Kianna! Give me the porridge!" She took the porridge from Ares, but her tears welled up again. "Waaah! I'm so sorry for pushing you to go on all those rides!"

"Hon, I'll step out for a moment. I'll buy some fruit for you," Ares offered.

"Oh, no, dear. It's okay. You should go to work. You've been taking too much time off because of me, and I don't want your job to be affected. I don't want you to have a bad record at the company."

"Yes, my love!" Ares nodded. "You're so considerate! I promise to return as soon as possible. Ms. Ishii, please take care of Kianna for a while. Thank you. And please make sure she finishes her porridge."

"Yes, sir! You have my word!"

"I'm leaving. Honey, I'll miss you..." Ares gave me a kiss on the forehead before leaving the room.

---

At The Vueravista Company

Upon arriving at the company, Ares promptly took the secret elevator. Very few Vueravista Company staff members had seen Ares in person, as he typically remained in his office and avoided the main elevator. He even refrained from entering through the front entrance, always careful to conceal his identity. Upon entering his office, he was immediately greeted by a pile of papers on his desk.

Ares settled comfortably into his office chair and let out a sigh as he reached for the telephone and dialed his secretary. "Kyle, make me a cup of coffee, please."

"Of course, boss!" Kyle responded on the other end before Ares ended the call.

While waiting for his coffee, Ares decided to start reviewing the stack of documents, signing each page as he went through them. A minute later, a knock at the door caught his attention.

"Come in," Ares said, his gaze still fixed on the paperwork.

"Here's your coffee, boss," Kyle whispered as he placed the cup on the table.

"Kyle, bring all the documents here. I'm nearly done with this one."

"Boss, those are all the documents you need to sign today-"

"Is that all?"

"Yes, that's everything, boss. You're incredible! You've completed so many documents in no time. If I had to handle all this, it would take me a week."

"Enough with the flattery. I won't give you a raise for it. Knock it off."

"Hehehe- Yes, boss!"

As Ares waited for his upcoming meetings, he reached for his phone and gazed at his wallpaper, which featured a picture of Kianna. He affectionately hugged the phone and planted a kiss on it.

"I wonder how my wife is doing at this moment. I miss her greatly," he murmured softly. "I hope you're recovering well, my dear. Ms. Ishii is looking after you; you should be in good hands..." Ares whispered to himself.