"Doctor!"
Daniel's voice echoed through the corridor.
"She's awake!"
Within seconds, doctors and nurses rushed into the room.
Dr. Anderson quickly examined Jade while the nurses adjusted the monitors.
"Mr. Ooman, Miss Baldwin, please wait outside."
Daniel hesitated.
"I just want to—"
"I'm sorry," the doctor interrupted gently. "We need to examine her first."
Reluctantly, Daniel stepped outside.
Camilla followed him.
The door closed.
Neither of them spoke.
Daniel couldn't take his eyes off the door.
Five years…
She had finally opened her eyes.
Camilla glanced at him before letting out a bitter laugh.
"So…"
"I was right."
Daniel didn't respond.
"You really love her."
Silence.
Camilla clenched her jaw.
"I spent years hoping you'd look at me the way you're looking at that door."
Still…
Nothing.
Not even a glance.
Her eyes gradually filled with resentment.
"…Five years."
"I waited for you for five years too."
She slowly placed a hand over her stomach.
"And yet…"
"The first thing you did after hearing I was pregnant…"
"…was run to another woman."
Daniel finally looked at her.
"I'm sorry."
Those two words only made her angrier.
"Sorry?"
She laughed bitterly.
"Is that all you have to say?"
She turned around abruptly.
"But don't think I'll give up so easily."
Without waiting for an answer, she walked away.
Daniel watched her leave.
He didn't stop her.
His eyes returned to the door.
Nearly thirty minutes later…
The door finally opened.
Dr. Anderson stepped outside.
Daniel immediately stood up.
"How is she?"
The doctor smiled reassuringly.
"She's stable."
"Her vital signs are much better."
Daniel let out a quiet breath of relief.
"Can I see her?"
The doctor's smile slowly faded.
"I'm afraid not."
Daniel frowned.
"She has just regained consciousness after five years."
"Her body and mind have suffered an enormous shock."
"We've given her medication to help her rest."
"She needs complete calm."
"I'll allow visitors…"
"…starting tomorrow."
Daniel lowered his head in disappointment.
"…I understand."
.
.
.
The rest of the night felt endless.
Daniel never went home.
He remained in the hospital.
Unable to leave.
Every few minutes, he would glance toward Jade's room, resisting the urge to walk in.
The doctor's words echoed in his mind.
"She needs to rest. You'll be able to see her tomorrow"
Tomorrow…
For the first time in five years, tomorrow felt unbearably far away.
The following morning…
Daniel was already standing outside Jade's room.
He hadn't slept.
His shirt was slightly wrinkled, and dark circles framed his crimson eyes.
His hand slowly reached for the doorknob.
Five years.
He had waited five years for this moment.
Just as his fingers touched the handle—
"Chefe."
Daniel stopped.
He turned around.
Luccianho had just stepped out of the elevator, walking briskly toward him.
"What is it?"
Luccianho lowered his voice.
"Mrs. Lee and Gabriel are on their way."
Daniel instinctively looked back at the door.
"They'll be here in less than a minute."
Silence.
Luccianho knew exactly why Daniel had never visited when they were around.
Even after five years…
The guilt hadn't left him.
Daniel closed his eyes for a brief moment.
"…I see."
He took one last look at the door.
So close…
Yet once again…
He couldn't bring himself to walk through it.
"I'll come back later."
Without another word, he turned around and walked away.
Only a few seconds after he disappeared down the corridor…
The elevator doors opened.
Madame Lee stepped out, followed by Gabriel.
Both hurried anxiously toward Jade's room.
Neither of them noticed the man who had just left.
Only Luccianho watched Daniel disappear at the end of the hallway.
He sighed quietly.
"…Five years…"
"And he still can't forgive himself."
.
.
Madame Lee rushed to Jade's bedside, tears streaming down her cheeks.
She gently cupped her daughter's face with trembling hands.
"My baby…"
A smile mixed with tears appeared on her lips.
"You finally opened your eyes…"
Jade was asleep again.
The sedatives had taken effect shortly after the examination.
She looked peaceful.
As if she had simply drifted into another deep sleep.
Gabriel stood beside the bed, his fists slowly relaxing.
He let out a long breath.
"She really woke up…"
He still couldn't believe it.
After five years…
It felt like a miracle.
A few moments later, Dr. Anderson entered the room.
He greeted them with a reassuring smile.
"Mrs. Lee, Mr. Gabriel."
Both immediately turned toward him.
"Doctor… how is my daughter?" Madame Lee asked anxiously.
Dr. Anderson looked at Jade before answering.
"First of all, I'd like to reassure you."
"The fact that Miss Lee regained consciousness after five years is, medically speaking, extraordinary."
Relief washed over Madame Lee's face.
"But…" the doctor continued.
"Her body is still extremely weak."
"She has spent five years without using her muscles normally. She'll need intensive rehabilitation before she can walk again."
Gabriel nodded silently.
"And what about her brain?" he asked.
Dr. Anderson folded his arms.
"At the moment, her neurological responses are encouraging."
"However, it's still too early to determine whether there are any long-term effects."
Madame Lee's expression tensed once again.
"What do you mean?"
The doctor spoke gently.
"Patients who remain in a coma for such a long period may experience temporary confusion, memory impairment, or emotional instability."
"We won't know the full extent until she is fully awake and able to communicate."
Madame Lee instinctively took Jade's hand.
"So…"
"She'll wake up again?"
The doctor smiled reassuringly.
"Yes."
"The sedative was only administered to help her recover from the shock."
"If everything continues to progress well…"
He glanced at Jade's chart.
"…she should wake up naturally within the next twenty-four hours."
Madame Lee closed her eyes in relief.
"Thank God…"
The doctor smiled.
"For now, the best medicine she can receive…"
He looked at both of them.
"…is patience."
The room fell silent once more.
This time…
It wasn't the silence of despair.
It was the silence of hope.
.
.
Back at the penthouse…
For the first time in five years…
The silence no longer felt suffocating.
Daniel stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, his hands tucked into the pockets of his trousers as he gazed at the city lights.
A weight he had carried for years had finally begun to lift.
Jade was alive.
She had opened her eyes.
Luccianho quietly walked over and stood beside him.
"So…"
"What are you going to do about Miss Baldwin?"
Daniel remained silent.
"…She told you that you're going to be parents."
A long silence followed.
Daniel let out a slow breath.
"…Those five years…"
"They changed me."
His eyes remained fixed on the city.
"I spent every single day blaming myself."
"Every time I closed my eyes, all I could see was Jade lying on that road… covered in blood."
He gave a bitter smile.
"There were nights when I couldn't sleep."
"So I started drinking."
He paused.
"I know alcohol isn't an excuse."
"It never will be."
His jaw tightened.
"One night…"
"I drank far more than I should have."
"I wasn't thinking."
His voice became quieter.
"Camilla was there."
Another silence.
"We slept together."
"It happened only once."
He slowly lowered his head.
"When I woke up the next morning…"
"I regretted it immediately."
"I never imagined…"
"…that one night would lead to this."
The room fell silent once more.
Daniel closed his eyes.
His mind was overwhelmed.