Chapter 4 Who Upgraded Her Room

Indeed, Emma lay there quietly in the bed.

The harsh fluorescent lighting cast shadows across her gaunt face. That once vibrant, bright face was now completely drained of color, her slender wrist punctured with an IV needle, transparent fluid slowly dripping into her body.

A strange tightness gripped his chest.

Must be his stomach acting up.

He remembered she'd always had that problem—had been hospitalized for it before.

Back then...

He shook off the messy memories flooding his mind, his gaze settling on her pale lips.

Emma seemed to be sleeping restlessly, her brow slightly furrowed, her body shifting unconsciously.

The blanket slipped down a bit.

Almost instinctively, Nicholas stepped forward and reached out, gently pulling her blanket up to cover her exposed shoulder.

His fingertips accidentally brushed her skin—it was cold.

His movements stiffened, and he quickly withdrew his hand.

Only after completing the action did he realize what he'd just done.

A wave of irritation surged through him.

He looked around—the cramped standard room reeked of disinfectant, located on a low floor with noise from the street filtering through the windows.

His brow furrowed instantly.

How could she possibly recover in such conditions?

He quickly pulled out his phone and dialed his assistant, his tone brooking no argument.

"Crestview Medical Clinic, room 302, Emma Rodriguez."

"Immediately move her to a VIP suite on the top floor."

His assistant was clearly taken aback but didn't dare question it. "Yes, Mr. Harrison."

Nicholas paused, then added, "Order beef pot pie and cream of mushroom soup from Le Ciel Étoilé. Make sure it's fresh from the oven."

Those had been her favorites.

He didn't know why he remembered so clearly, or why he was suddenly giving this order.

Perhaps he just didn't want to see her looking so pitiful.

Yes, that had to be it.

"Deliver it to the VIP room."

"Of course, Mr. Harrison. I'll arrange it immediately."

After hanging up, Nicholas took one last look at Emma on the bed. Her brow seemed to have relaxed slightly.

He pressed his lips together, turned around, and walked out without looking back, his stride carrying its usual cold detachment.

Zoe finished getting her hand wound treated, the conspicuous white bandage wrapped around it fueling her anger.

As she stepped out of the treatment room, she spotted Nicholas emerging from a patient room at the far end of the corridor.

That direction looked like the general ward area?

Her heart skipped a beat, but she plastered on a perfectly calibrated, vulnerable smile and hurried over, intimately linking her arm through his.

"Nicholas, where did you go? I came out and didn't see you—it scared me."

She casually glanced at the room number behind Nicholas—302.

Nicholas glanced at her, his gaze settling on her bandaged hand, his tone flat. "Nothing important. Wrong floor."

"Wrong floor?" Zoe blinked, her voice syrupy sweet. "How could you get lost?"

Inwardly, she scoffed. Someone like Nicholas didn't make navigation mistakes.

That room 302 definitely had secrets.

Nicholas didn't respond to her comment, only asking, "Does your hand still hurt? If you're all patched up, I'll take you home."

"It's much better now, thank you, Nicholas." Zoe nodded obediently, but she'd already burned "302" into her memory.

She'd find out exactly which little vixen was hiding in there that could make Nicholas lower himself to visit such a place.

Back at the Perez Villa, every light blazed.

Zoe's mother, Karen Brown, rushed over the moment she saw them enter, dramatically fussing.

"Oh my goodness! My precious daughter! What happened to your hand? Let Mama see!"

Karen grabbed Zoe's hand, her face full of concern, while shooting obsequious glances at Nicholas from the corner of her eye.

"Mr. Harrison, thank you so much! Zoe has caused you such trouble!"

Zoe's father chimed in, "Yes, yes, Mr. Harrison, we're so grateful. Thank heavens you were there, or who knows what kind of disaster Zoe might have gotten into."

"It's nothing." Nicholas's tone remained neutral, showing no emotional investment. He instructed Zoe, "Apply the medication on schedule and keep it dry for the next few days."

"I will, thank you, Nicholas," Zoe responded softly.

Nicholas nodded, showing no intention of staying longer. "I have business to attend to. I'm leaving."

At the hospital, Emma woke as darkness fell.

She'd been roused by the aroma of food.

She slowly opened her eyes, her head still spinning slightly, her stomach empty, but the sharp pain had significantly diminished.

As her vision focused, she noticed several elegant insulated food containers on the bedside table.

One bore the Le Ciel Étoilé logo.

Beef pot pie? Cream of mushroom soup?

She was confused—who had sent this?

Her first thought was Evelyn, but she quickly dismissed it, knowing she couldn't eat such rich food in her condition.

Another name flashed through her mind. She remembered once having lunch at Le Ciel Étoilé when he'd seen her—she'd ordered exactly these two items.

Suddenly, she swept everything into the trash bin, her appetite completely gone.

She didn't need that man's charity!

Just then, the door opened and a nurse in pink scrubs entered, wearing a standard professional smile.

"Ms. Rodriguez, you're awake! How are you feeling?"

Emma weakly nodded. "Much better, thank you."

"Oh my, such lovely food—why did you throw it away? There's a microwave down the hall if you'd like to reheat it."

The nurse noticed the expensive containers in the trash, apparently delivered just hours ago.

"I don't want it—it's gone bad," Emma replied, her words carrying double meaning.

The nurse efficiently checked the IV drip, then smiled at her. "Perfect timing—we're moving you to a different room."

"Moving rooms?" Emma stared at her blankly. "Why?"

The nurse's smile brightened. "Administration arranged it. You're being moved to a VIP suite upstairs—much better environment, quieter, perfect for recovery."

"A VIP suite?" Emma was stunned, uncertainty creeping into her voice. "Who... who arranged this?"

Random hospital upgrades? What kind of joke was this?

The nurse maintained her smile, her tone matter-of-fact. "I'm not sure about the details—orders came from upstairs. Don't worry, all the paperwork's been handled. Just come with me."

"I don't need to move. This room is fine!"

First, mysterious food appearing on her bedside table.

Now this sudden VIP suite upgrade.

Besides Nicholas, who else could it be? But the damage was already done—she didn't need his charity.

Just then, Evelyn walked in carrying soup and flowers.

"Emma, feeling any better? Are you hungry? Your get-well soup has arrived."

She immediately noticed the takeout containers in the trash. "Le Ciel Étoilé—since when do they deliver?"

Emma replied coldly, "No idea. Doesn't matter—it's inedible anyway."

Evelyn shot her a knowing look. "Looks like you have a secret admirer. See? I told you there's no point pining after that bastard."

Somewhere across town, Nicholas suddenly sneezed.

Evelyn suddenly remembered something important and sat on the bed's edge. "You haven't even been discharged yet. How did you announce your comeback?"

Emma looked completely bewildered. "Comeback?"

Evelyn pulled out her phone to show her. The top five trending topics were all about Dr. N.

In just a few hours, news of Dr. N's summit appearance had exploded globally.

Emma's heart clenched. Only two people worldwide would dare announce this so boldly.

It was him!

Her three-year agreement with Nicholas had just ended.

That maniac couldn't wait even one more day!