With her eyes blinking, long lashes fluttering like small fans, Molly kept her eyes on Brian. She was
awash in a sea of confusion.
Was she still dreaming?
Brian's usually cold face was now soft, his expression was one of love. Molly closed her eyes again.
'This has to be a dream, ' she thought. But the gentle, steamy breath with the familiar fragrance of mint
was real enough. She wasn't dreaming.
Out of the blue, Molly opened her eyes again. She blinked away the confusion. Brian was so close to
her now that they were practically in each others' arms. She pushed him away quickly, and was ready
to do it again should he try anything.
Watching Molly do her thing, Brian was in a playful mood. There was the beginning of a smile on his
lips. "Finally awake? How do you feel?"
Palms sweating, Molly stared at and measured Brian with confused eyes. She thought Brian was acting
a bit strange. Not only that, where was she? She looked around, and her eyes settled on the logo of the
Dragon Empire Group hanging on the wall. That's when she felt really weak and helpless. Why was
she in the hospital? Again?
Seeing her confusion, Brian ventured, "I took you here because you took a blow. I wanted to get you
some medical attention for your face." Brian's sharp eyes seemed to see through Molly's thoughts.
When he saw the marks on her face, Brian couldn't help lowering his brows. He didn't like seeing her
like that.
Molly suddenly felt the stinging pain on her cheeks after she heard Brian's explanation. After she cast a
sidelong glance at Brian, she turned her head away.
When he saw Molly was still in a fit of pique, Brian said coldly, "You already took your anger out on me!
What more do you want? Still angry even after slapping me?"
Molly kept stock still, her muscles tensed as she ignored Brian's words and his very existence.
Brian was actually in a good mood when he saw Molly wake up, but he was irritated by the cold
shoulder she offered him. "I should kill you for slapping me last night. Nobody does that to me!"
Molly still ignored him.
"Alright! So now you're not afraid of me? Fine!" With his eyes darkened in anger, Brian went on,
"Maybe I should stop sending Sharon meds and feed Daniel to Black Wolf! Remember that huge dog?
The Molosser that leaves bruises if he even brushes past you? Yeah, that's Black Wolf."
As soon as Brian just finished his rant, Molly turned her head and stared at him in a violent rage. With
the burning and reproachful look in her eyes, she clenched her fists and glowered at him, and turned
away again.
Brian's face darkened at Molly's reaction. As he was about to lose his temper, Molly turned to him
again. Brian was glad to see that, and he thought Molly would finally break down and submit to his
whims. He even had the arrogance to smile about it. But Molly just pointed to her throat and stretched
out her hands, showing that she couldn't speak and couldn't answer him. She then gifted him with a
sarcastic smile, and turned aside again.
Brian almost blew his top, and his face took on a gloomy cast. But when he saw Molly point to her
throat his heart suddenly ached for her. Her sarcastic smile just added salt to the wound. He felt so bad
that she couldn't speak. He was pissed off and heartbroken all at once. He fought the urge to say
anything as a retort, and bit back his anger. When he finally felt he had it under wraps, he finally spoke
to her in a calm tone, "Elias is coming by today. He has medicine for you. After you take it, you'll be
able to talk."
When she heard what he said, she was surprised, and it gave her a glimmer of hope. She'd already
resigned herself to never being able to speak again. She just accepted it as part of her lot, and didn't
really make herself miserable over it anymore. She tried to quash the hope. However, things rarely
worked out the way she wanted, so she knew it was dangerous to want more for herself. Still, she
couldn't help herself.
When Brian looked at her, he was annoyed. He knew she wasn't allowing herself to hope for anything.
He felt like pressing the issue. "I told you, I wouldn't allow you to remain mute! Trust me!"
Molly slowly raised her head and turned to look at Brian. She was done with rage and sarcasm. There
was only sadness reflected in her eyes. She wanted to speak again. She used to tell herself that it
didn't matter if she couldn't speak anymore, but she still hated it. Hated not being able to do something
that others just took for granted.
Brian's heart melted to see the look on her face. His chest went tight, and he felt like he couldn't
breathe anymore. He pulled Molly to him, rested her head against his chest, and stroked her hair. "I
promised you that you'd be able to speak again. And now I have that chance! Be happy!"
Head against Brian's strong chest, Molly closed her eyes and dared to hope. She didn't want to break
away from Brian's embrace, because she wanted to feel the security of his arms again. He didn't want
him to ever let go. Staying like this put her mind at ease, her fears to rest. She'd believe him now,
because he was strong and true.
It was so quiet in the ward that they could only hear the beating of each others' hearts. Brian decided to
be quiet for once, and he hoped no one else would intrude. His life was always full of noise, of rushing
around, the sounds of the casino, the insistent calls from business partners. It was exhausting. It was
nice just like this, in the easy silence. He remembered the moment strolling in the park with her, holding
Molly's hand. This was the kind of tranquility he was searching for then.
While they were enjoying the calm before the storm, the warmth in their hearts, the door to the ward
was suddenly pushed open. "Hi Little Molly, I heard you're in the hospital again."
It was Eric! Molly pushed Brian away from her in a panic. She looked up and saw Eric wheeling up to
her. He was here too, only in a wheelchair. Brian kept a stony countenance, but you could tell he was
really annoyed by this intruder.
Brian pushed himself to a sitting position and got off the bed. Lenny pushed Eric's wheelchair over to
the bedside. Brian stared at him. "Didn't the doc tell you to get some rest? What are you doing here?"
"I'm bringing breakfast for Little Molly!" replied Eric, lifting the container. He ignored Brian's exasperated
tone. He then looked at Molly, and when he saw the confusion in her eyes, he laughed and shrugged. "I
had a race a few days ago, and there was an accident. I'm all good, as long they keep the pain meds
well-stocked."
Eric did his best to appear casual and calm, but there was a self-despising look on his face. Everyone
in the ward knew what really happened to Eric. He wanted to keep Molly in the dark and not worry her,
so his explanation left out some key points.
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