REBIRTH : Chasing The Limelight

Chapter 103: Should I come back later.

A middle aged doctor stepped out through the emergency doors and stopped in front of them. His eyes moved first to Harris, then slowly shifted to Elara who was still sitting on the bench.

He looked between them like he was trying to understand the situation without asking directly.

Harris moved forward instantly before the silence could stretch too long. "I’m his PA. The Vale family has already been informed. They’ll be here soon." he said while the doctor gave a small nod.

"He’s stable," he said. "There are a few injuries, but nothing life threatening. We’ll keep him under observation for now."

Harris nodded immediately, as if he had expected that answer all along. Elara, who had been sitting still since the beginning, finally let out a breath she didn’t even know she was holding.

The doctor didn’t stay longer than necessary. After a final glance, he turned and went back inside, leaving the corridor quiet again.

Then Harris turned back to Elara. "You should go home now, Miss Veyne. It’s already late." he said.

Elara’s eyes stayed on the closed doors again. And after a long second, she finally moved. "Okay," she said softly.

She stood up slowly, her movements calm but slightly stiff, as if her body was only now realizing how long she had been sitting there.

Without looking back again, she walked down the corridor and out of the hospital area.

*

Three days later, the filming group photoshoot were released to the media.

*

Two days earlier, Elara had gone back to the production building. She had been called with the other leads to read some scenes and test their chemistry on camera.

And Elara couldn’t forget the expression on Relanie’s face when she saw her. Though, It had changed quickly... It wasn’t quick enough to escape Elara’s sight.

The next day, the full cast had their official photo shoot where they wore historical costumes and posed for the pictures. After the shoot, the best photos were posted online.

It got a lot of attention right away.

_

That evening, Elara stood in front of the hospital without moving. She found herself staring at the entrance, wondering if he was still unconscious, if he had already woken up, or if nothing had changed at all since that night.

She could not explain why any of those answers mattered to her in the first place. Not after all he’d done to her so far.

She exhaled slowly and shook her head, as if trying to clear her thoughts.

But thinking of it again. There was nothing unusual about this situation, since Adrian Vale was still connected to her through the sponsorship arrangement. It would only be normal to check on him after an accident like that.

With that thought, she finally moved forward and stepped into the hospital. When she reached the door of the ward, she paused for a short while before pushing it open.

The room was very quiet and the curtains were half drawn, letting in dim light that made everything still and empty.

She walked in slowly and stopped beside the bed. Standing there, she could only look at him calmly. His face was pale, his eyes closed, and the usual coldness around him was gone. A thick bandage wrapped around his head.

Her gaze stayed there a second longer before she looked away. She pulled the chair closer and sat down. Her hands rested on her lap at first, but after a second, one of them hesitantly lifted and reached toward the edge of the blanket to adjust it.

Why was she even doing all of these. It made no sense to her no matter what reasons she tried to give herself.

Still, she didn’t move her fingers away. Instead she leaned forward a little to smooth the blanket, like it was the most normal thing to do.

But before she could pull away– his lids suddenly flickered and flew open, revealing cold, silvery grey eyes that seemed to pierce right through her.

Elara froze immediately

Adrian didn’t speak; his gaze lingered on her face for a long time, his expression unreadable. Then... without a word, his hand shot out and caught her by the wrist. His fingers were very cold against her skin, and his grip surprisingly firm despite his condition.

Elara’s eyes widened, but before she could react he pulled. Her body moved forward instantly and the next second she was pressed onto the bed, her body turned under him before she could even think.

"Ad–"

She didn’t get to finish. His lips were already on hers. It was neither slow nor gentle. It came fast, almost impatient, like he didn’t want to give her time to pull away.

For the first few minutes, Elara remained still, her fingers tightening on his arm. And then, she stopped fighting the confusion. She leaned into him, returning the kiss like it was the only thing that mattered. Her palms skimmed up his arms until she was clutching his shirt in her fists.

But Adrian was already going further. He didn’t just kiss her, he had already pulled her closer until there was no space left between them. One of his hands slid under the hem of her shirt, his cold fingers pressing against her skin while he bit her lower lip just hard enough to make her gasp.

The kiss grew deeper and their breathing mixed together. For those few moments, everything else had already disappeared.

Neither of them noticed the door until it suddenly opened a creak.

There was a long pause.

Mrs. Vale stood at the entrance. Her narrowed eyes moved from Adrian to Elara, then back again. She turned her head slightly to the side, like she was considering whether to pretend she had seen nothing... before looking back at them.

She cleared her throat softly.

"Should I come back later?"

Elara reacted instantly. She pushed against Adrian’s shoulder, trying to sit up. Her brows tightened and a faint annoyance flashed across her face more than embarrassment.

"Let go!" She said forcefully, almost yelling.

But Adrian didn’t release her right away. His hand stayed inside her shirt, even pulling her back again like he hadn’t even noticed someone else was in the room..