After a long while, my sobs turned into sniffles. Only then did I remove the covers from my head. I leaned against the headboard as I stared mindlessly at what was supposed to be my dinner.
Soon, Michael arrived. The moment he laid eyes on the chaos in the room, his eyebrows furrowed as he strode towards me.
“What happened here?”
“Nothing. I spilled my dinner.”
I answered calmly with my eyes still zoned into the food, not bothering to look at him.
“Your mom?”
Michael had a sharp mind. It took him no time to put the pieces together.
“Thank you, Michael.”
Even though the time I spent with Mom that day was far from pleasant, I was still immensely grateful to Michael. I knew he had done all that he did for me to be in Mom’s good books. Unfortunately, Mom’s attitude towards me would not be easily changed in the foreseeable future.
“Why are you still putting your hopes on such a horrible mother? Anna Garcia, you’re now a grown woman! You don’t have to stick around anymore.”
At the sight of my disheveled look, Michael’s expression darkened before reprimanding me coolly.
“I’m still putting my hopes on her because she is my mother,” I stated calmly without any expression.
After a few seconds of silence, I sighed. “Whatever it is, let’s stop talking about this. I’m famished. Can you buy me some food? I just want to channel all my misery to my appetite.”
Throughout the entire day, I had only had some chicken soup that Mom brought me in the morning and nothing else. My stomach had been rumbling since hours ago. Food was my only concern for the time being.
“What do you want? I’ll ask the secretary to send some over.”
Michael took out his phone and glanced calmly at me, preparing to give his secretary a call.
“Let’s eat out instead. I don’t want to stay here for a second longer. Don’t worry, it’s already dark out there. No one will recognize you.”
Despite knowing Michael for so long, I had yet to have a meal with him in public. One of the main reasons, I suspect, was Michael’s fear of our relationship being out in the open.
Therefore, I assured Michael that no one would recognize him without giving him the window to decline.
“Your body is still weak. Are you sure that you can go out?”
To my pleasant surprise, Michael seemed to be more concerned about my health than others recognizing him.
At first, I had thought Michael to be a self-absorbed man who cared for no one except himself. It was truly beyond my expectations that he would take my well-being into consideration.
“I’m feeling much better, I promise. The high fever was just a result of my exposure to low temperatures the whole night, so it is probably just a cold. My temperature has gone down now though.”
Seeing that Michael did not flat-out refuse my invitation, my heart fluttered in delight. I quickly reassured him that I was fine.
“Let’s go, then.”
After a minute of close scrutinizing, Michael agreed in the end.
Thrilled by how easily he agreed, I threw the covers away and put on my shoes.
Even though I had promised that I was fine, a wave of dizziness hit me the second my feet touched the ground. I fell to the front, but Michael caught me with swift hands.
I landed in Michael’s arms. Our bodies were in close proximity to each other. Breathing in his unique scent, my heart pounded faster.
“This is what you mean by ‘feeling much better’? I gotta admit, Anna, you’re getting better and better in lying.”
Michael sat me down on the bed. A grim look was casted on his handsome features. His eyes were gleaming in anger.
“I am really fine. I just stood up a bit too quickly.”
Terrified that Michael would change his mind, I quickly explained. I had finally managed to convince him to eat out with me. There was no way I was going to let him change his mind just because I almost fell down.
“Don’t force yourself if you’re unwell.”
Towering above me, Michael stared me down with a skeptical look. With his strong observation skills, the weak state of my body definitely did not go unnoticed.
I was directly beneath the air-conditioner last night, almost freezing to death. How could I have recovered from that so quickly?
“I really am fine. Let’s go. The food will run out soon if we stay any longer.”
Not allowing Michael to refute, I dragged him out of the room by his hand. I had voluntarily held his hand because my footsteps were unsteady. I did not wish to risk falling down again.
Michael stopped blinking, dumbfounded. As his gaze traveled to our hands, his lips curled upwards into a lovely smile.
As I stepped foot outside the hospital, I sucked in a deep breath. The cold breeze of the night hit my skin. Taken into account the fact that I was still having a fever, goosebumps started to crawl on my skin as I shivered.
Michael seemed to have predicted that outcome. Without wasting a second, he took off his coat and draped it onto my shoulders, engulfing me with his scent.
“Why didn’t you put on an extra layer despite knowing you still have a fever? Are you trying to freeze yourself to death?”
Michael pursed his lips upon seeing my pale face.
I looked at him, speechless.
Whatever hint of gratitude I had felt towards him slipped away. His vicious tongue truly made it hard for anyone to like him.
Anyone can tell that you’re concerned, so can’t you just say it nicer? I thought bitterly. You just had to speak so harshly, do you?
“We’ve been walking for a while now. What do you want for dinner?”
“Have you ever tried street food?”
I turned to face Michael’s side profile. My face was beaming with excitement.
Truth to be told, I had invited Michael so that someone would accompany me for street food. In the past, I would always come for street food whenever I’m sick and alone. It was my idea of a break.
“You want to have street food?”
Michael halted in his tracks and stared at me in disbelief, unsure of what he had just heard.
“I shall treat you tonight. People like you have probably never eaten street food before in your entire life. Tonight, I will make it my mission for you to have a taste. The food is scrumptious,” I said smugly.
“Aren’t you a bit weary of food poisoning? Do you know how dirty the streets are?”
Michael’s expression darkened as he glared at me. To no one’s surprise, his words were harsh usual.
I would have retorted but I made an exception since I needed company tonight. If I argued with him, he might just leave and I would be left alone again.
A little dirt never hurt. Have you not heard of that saying?
Even so, I knew that convincing someone like Michael Shaw to have street food with me was no easy task.
To my surprise, Michael frowned at me but remained silent.
Usually, his silence meant he had agreed to do something. My heartbeat quickened in excitement as he scored a few more brownie points with me. I guess this man isn’t as heartless as he looks. He can be really sweet sometimes.
I found a food street nearby. Stalls stood all over the place as the aroma of the food wafted in the air. Pumped up, I hurried towards the stalls with Michael tailing not far behind. The moment he had laid eyes on the surrounding, he had not stopped scowling.
I stopped in front of a stall and ordered many meat skewers. Just as I was about to pay, it dawned on me that I didn’t have money on me. I immediately felt awkward.
“Um… I didn’t bring any cash. Can you…”
I turned to look at Michael sheepishly. I had forgotten that I had spent the entire day in the hospital and I did not have any money on me.
