Morning had already come, and still, there was no news about Tina's health. She had been in a coma for days, with her mom and her best friend anxiously waiting for any updates from the doctors. Among them was William, a tall, handsome young man in his thirties.
He is the CEO and founder of William Group. He stood outside in the corridor, worry etched on his face. His eyes were swollen, and his face was clear with tiredness. He watched her from outside, hoping to see her fingers move, but nothing happened.
He spent all his days in the hospital, unable to go to work.
"Son, you are still here?"
Tina's mother asked, shocked to find him there. She had no idea of his relationship with her daughter, but she was more grateful to know he was standing right next to her daughter in this time of difficulties.
"Yes, Mrs Martins. I want to make sure she is fine before I can leave."
Mrs Martins, Tina's mother, shook her head in disapproval. "You don't have to. You've already done more than enough. You can't continue stressing yourself this much. Tina is safe now, and it's all thanks to you and your influence, and we will forever be grateful for that."
William nodded, moved by the lady's sincerity. "You don't have to worry. Immediately she wakes up, I will ask Nancy to inform you, but for now, I think it's important you go to work. I don't want your boss firing you. I bought some soup; you could have some."
William nodded, accepting the bowl from her hands.
It was his first time eating a meal from a stranger, but he trusted her sincerity. After drinking the delicious soup something different from what he had ever had, but still delicious he walked over to Tina's bed, gently brushing strands of hair from her face with his fingers.
'I just hope the next time I see you, your eyes will be open and you'll talk to me. I desperately want to know who pushed you down that valley,' he thought, gently looking at her face and admiring her beauty. Memories of their past flashed in his mind. She had never accepted his friendship or his affection, but he still loved and cared for her regardless.
Tina's mom stood at an angle, watching him closely. It was clear to her that he was concerned about her daughter, but she had never seen Tina with a male friend or a boyfriend, which made her question in her heart who this William guy was and what his relationship to Tina really was.
After a few minutes, he gently kissed Tina's cheek, close to her lips, before bidding her mom goodbye. The kiss came as a shock to Tina's mum, who turned her head away, confusion and doubts clouding her mind. It would be embarrassing to ask him about his relationship with Tina. Tina had never mentioned anything about having a boyfriend, so who was this guy?
William had heard the news of Tina being missing, and within twenty minutes, there were helicopters flying over the valley in search of her, with him below the valley searching for her himself. Mrs Martins saw the frustration in his eyes and the anger on his face as he gave out instructions and scolded the university professor like a madman. Tears fell from her eyes as she ran to her unconscious daughter, unwilling to accept the fate of losing her. If William had not found her in time, she had no doubt that Tina would have died too.
"Auntie, good afternoon," Nancy greeted as she entered, dropping her bag on a chair next to her.
"Good afternoon, Nancy. How was school? Hope everything is going fine?" Stella asked.
"Yes, Aunt, everything is fine, but it's just so boring without Tina. And you know today is Friday; we usually have our beautiful and entertaining plans together. But here she is, lying on this bed." Nancy held her best friend's hand gently as she spoke. "It's so sad, Aunt. I miss Tina so much already."
"Yeah, we all miss her. I don't know who did this to her, and it worries me all night. What if the person is someone influential? Will my daughter get the justice she deserves?" Nancy lowered her head, understanding her worries.
"Auntie, you don't have to worry. Tina is going to be fine, and the culprit will be punished. William told me he will get it investigated once Tina is awake."
"He said so?" Mrs. Martin asked, her eyes filled with tears.
"He said so, and I want to believe him, unless Tina says otherwise." After a long pause, the old lady looked at Nancy and then at Tina, wondering if she should ask what had been bothering her.
"Nancy?"
"Yes, Aunt?" Nancy answered, raising Tina's blanket to give her a light foot massage, hoping it would help her recover faster.
"What is Tina's relationship with that guy? I mean, the William guy. He is doing so much already, and I fear he is stressing himself. He stays here all day and night and barely goes to work."
Nancy stopped at once, the question hitting her like a bomb. She was speechless.
"What happened? Did I say something wrong?"
"No, Aunt, you didn't, but I can't really say anything about their relationship. I'm confused just like you are. Tina didn't like Mr. William very much. They usually didn't get along, and this is the first time I've seen him concerned about her. I think it's because he thought he almost lost her."
Tina's mother nodded her head, beginning to understand.
"But he kissed her that night. Not on her cheek, but on her lips. I know he performed CPR on her before the ambulance came, but then he later hugged and kissed her. I want to believe he was scared, but isn't that too much for people who don't like each other? And besides, who is he? I'm concerned, and I don't want trouble in the future."
"Hm, Auntie, I understand perfectly how you feel, but I really can't say anything about their relationship. They're not dating, but I suspect Mr. William likes Tina because he always checks up on her. I don't think you have anything to worry about. He is a man with a reputation to keep and won't do anything reckless."
"Thank you very much, Nancy. Your assurance means a lot to me." Mrs. Martin folded her hands in thanks, looking her into her eyes.
"It's nothing, Aunt. I trust Tina. If there was something going on between them, she would definitely tell you or me."