Tik.
Tok.
Tik.
Tok.
If the clock could make it any louder, Gia was confident it would be the only sound she would hear amidst her rapidly beating heart.
She had seen many beautiful people, got enchanted and conversed with a few, but the man standing before her was the absolute definition of an adonis. Everyone else paled in comparison.
His hair was neatly fixed to the side to match his corporate appearance.
From head to foot, she had already made a complete assessment of how expensive he was. If he were to strip naked and she would sell everything he wore to a trader, she would make quite a bounty.
That distracted Gia momentarily, making her forget about her confusion.
"She suffers from short-term memory loss due to the accident. I'm suggesting you have her see another professional to take a look at her condition. Or if she has a personal doctor with all her records, that would be better."
Leila, the assistant nurse, explained. She was the calmest person in the room. Apparently, she was also the only one capable of conversing with the stranger standing before Gia.
But he only has eyes for Gia, looking at her intently. It made the latter squirm under his scrutinizing gaze, disabling her from making any coherent thoughts.
Taking his silence as a sign for her to continue, Leila opened her mouth to speak again.
"In my medical opinion, I think it would help her recover faster if she were in a familiar environment."
The man pursed his lips, finally tearing his gaze away from Gia. He pocketed his hands, barely speaking anything to her.
"Hand me all the necessary papers that need my signature. Include the bill and the Doctor's contact information. I would personally speak with him," he uttered, speaking in a manner that Gia couldn't associate with anyone to whom her sister would be engaged.
This hard truth was a slap to her face. She was finding it hard to grasp the whole situation, but little by little, the pieces began to take shape.
"I will speak with Doctor Chase and confirm if she will be ready for release," Leila replied, her tone polite. Yet Gia noticed the way her lips twitched in disapproval when she turned to leave.
That left Gia with a mysterious stranger whom she didn't like every ticking minute. Yet he was strikingly handsome, making it extremely difficult for Gia to concentrate on her annoyance.
Once the door clicked close, Gia helped herself up and narrowed her gaze at the man.
"I repeat," she muttered, irritated that her voice couldn't go higher as she wanted it to. "Who are you?"
Unfazed by her attempt to make him talk, the man turned to Gia. His gaze was as cold as winter snow, sending chills to every fiber of her being. The latter hugged herself, afraid to break eye contact despite his chilling stare.
"Drop the act," he uttered, elevating the rising tension between them. "You are not Faye. But you have her face," the man paused. A flicker of emotion passed in his expression, one that Gia was familiar with.
His eyes looked miserable momentarily, resonating with Gia's agony that she knew would stay with her forever.
But as quickly as it came, it was gone.
"I don't need your sob story. However, tell me in great detail what happened and give me one good reason not to expose you for who you are."
Gia scoffed, defying his demand. He was exuding arrogance. It was a trait that Gia had never liked in anyone.
"You sounded so sure that I'm not the same woman. What if you're mistaken, and as the nurse claimed, my memories have gone missing."
The man took a step closer. He placed a thumb under her chin, forcing her to look into his stone-cold eyes.
He spoke in a dangerously low tone, "You may fool everyone else, but you cannot fool me."
He roughly let her go, glancing at his watch again.
Gia watched him click his tongue. She was bubbling with anger. However, she was also powerless to do anything.
"But there's still something you could do. In exchange, I will keep your secret. But I still need to hear the details," the man squinted at Gia. There was no trace of concern or any affection in his expression.
It infuriated Gia.
"And what makes you think that I'd do as you say? As far as I'm concerned, I'm not trying to hide anything."
The man ignored her response. He tapped his foot thrice, his gaze somewhere else.
Gia followed where he was looking, catching sight of the purse and broken phone, which she knew wasn't hers.
"I'll be back after twenty minutes. By then, you should be ready to leave and have summarized the details of what you can remember."
Before Gia could protest, the man turned, leaving her to stare at his retreat.
"Hey!" she belted out, angrily pulling the needle out. The blood gushed out of her skin. She didn't bother to cover it. "For all I care, you could be responsible for everything! How dare you demand things from me?!"
The man faced her; his emotionless expression made Gia even more furious. She took a deep breath, gathering enough strength to get out of bed.
Planting her feet firmly on the ground with blood dripping from where she had pulled the dextrose out, Gia raised her chin proudly.
"You've figured out I'm not the same person you're looking for. I'm certain you can figure the rest out on your own. And so will I."
Silence hung heavily in the air; the clock ticked from the wall as the two strangers stared at each other.
Time stood still, and the moment was only broken when Gia felt the world spinning beneath her. She had trouble deciding which was worse: her head pounding, demanding that she lay back in bed, or her heart working full time, hammering so vigorously inside her chest.
In her indecision, her strength ultimately chose to leave her. She swayed to the side, grasping for something to hold onto.
Startled, she least expected the man to grab her arm. His grip was firm, putting her steadily back on her feet. A strong, minty scent wafted through her nose, pulling her closer to the gorgeous stranger.
She could feel his hot breath trailing shivers on her skin.
"You can think what you like," he gritted his teeth. "But the last person who would want to hurt Faye is me."