CHAPTER 407: KEEPING ME IN YOUR MEMORY

Aiden stood outside Sylvia’s apartment as he knocked on the door. He waited for a few seconds, but there was no response. He pulled out his phone from the pocket of his trousers and glanced at the screen. He knocked again, this time a bit louder.

"Is she not home?" he muttered under his breath, concern flickering in his eyes.

He dialed her number, but the phone was off.

Letting out a soft sigh, he lowered the phone.

"She even went shopping for the Christmas Eve party... why would she disappear like this?" he mumbled.

Aiden entered the passcode on the door, which he he’d memorized the first time Sylvia had invited him in. As the door opened, he gently pushed the door ajar.

"Sylvia? Sorry, I’m coming in... Are you alright?" he called out, slipping off his shoes before stepping into the apartment. He heard Coco’s faint mewos and realized the muffled sound was coming from Sylvia’s bedroom.

When he walked in, his eyes widened to see Sylvia unconsciously lying on the floor.

The gift bag that Layla had given him slipped from his hand as he bolted toward her.

"Sylvia!" Aiden dropped to his knees, gathering her into his arms. He lightly patted her cheeks. "Hey, can you hear me?"

But there was no response. He quickly checked her wrist for a pulse, but he couldn’t feel it. His hands trembled as he lifted her onto the bed, laying her down gently. Pressing his ear to her chest, he tried to listen for a heartbeat.

He checked her pulse again, hoping he’d missed something the first time. Just then, the small kitten, Coco, jumped onto the bed and sat quietly beside Sylvia, letting out a soft, worried meow.

"Coco, I’ll be back soon," Aiden said. "Sylvia needs to go to the hospital."

As if understanding, the kitten mewled again.

Aiden stood up, shrugged off his long coat, and wrapped it around Sylvia. Then, he scooped her into his arms and rushed out of the apartment. At the parking lot, he carefully placed her in the backseat of the car and drove straight to the hospital.

~~~~

"Miss Mancini’s blood pressure had dropped significantly. She’s also anemic," the doctor explained to Aiden, who listened with a tense expression. "It seems she hasn’t been taking proper care of her health for the past few months. For now, she’s stable, but we’ll need to monitor her closely throughout the night."

Aiden nodded, worry etched across his face. "Is there anything else I should be aware of?" he asked softly.

"For now, no. Just let her rest," the doctor replied reassuringly and walked away.

The nurse quietly recorded Sylvia’s vitals on the chart and left the room, closing the door behind her.

Aiden sank into the chair beside the bed, letting out a deep breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. His eyes lingered on Sylvia’s pale face as he murmured to himself, "But she’s been eating well... or at least, I thought she was." A heavy silence settled in the room. "It seems like Sylvia has been carrying all her burdens alone for a long time. What if I hadn’t gone inside? Would she have been in the state?" he murmured.

~~~~~

Roger stared at the ceiling of his apartment, stretched out on the couch with one arm propped behind his head. He lazily lifted his phone, checking it for the hundredth time, still no reply from Varya.

"Can’t even say two words, huh?" he muttered to himself, a wry chuckle escaping his lips. "I’m acting like a desperate fool."

He let the phone rest on his chest for a moment before sighing and reaching toward the coffee table. Just as he was about to set it down, the screen lit up with an incoming call.

His fingers froze mid-air. The name flashing on the screen made him stop blinking.

Sitting up swiftly, Roger brought the phone to his ear and answered the call.

"Hi, Roger," came Varya’s voice on the other end.

"Merry Christmas," he said in a soft voice.

"Merry Christmas to you too," she replied. "I saw your message earlier this evening, but I got caught up with a few things. Sorry I couldn’t reply sooner."

"I see... Sorry if I disturbed you," Roger said, rubbing the back of his neck out of habit.

"It’s fine," Varya responded gently, turning her chair to face the window. Snowflakes drifted down in silence, blanketing the world outside in white.

"I thought you’d be asleep by now," Roger murmured.

"Weren’t you waiting for my message?" she asked, lifting a document absently from her desk.

"I was," Roger admitted, a sheepish smile tugging at his lips despite himself. "Did you have a nice meal tonight?"

"A nice meal?" Varya chuckled.

"It’s Christmas Eve," Roger reminded her gently.

"I know," she replied with a small sigh.

Roger’s heart sank a little. He hated the thought of her spending Christmas alone, and guilt crept into his chest. "I’m sorry for not being there," he murmured. He decided he would fly to Russia tomorrow and spend the Christmas with Varya.

"Roger," Varya said after a moment, "did you miss me?"

He blinked, caught off guard. "What kind of question is that?"

"Just answer," she said softly. "Say whatever comes from your heart."

"Yes, I did. I hoped we would be together. Decorating the christmas tree together. I am sorry for not accompanying you to Russia that day. I totally understand your point. You love your work while I shamelessly desired you to be here," Roger muttered.

Varya simply listened to him before she turned to the desk on the chair. Placing the document on the desk, she lifted her pen and signed at the bottom of the document.

"Good night, Roger. And thank you for wishing me, keeping me in your memory," Varya said.

"Hmm. Good night." Roger didn’t press her to talk further as he understood she needed rest. The call disconnected and Roger placed the phone on the table before heading to the bedroom.