CHAPTER 408: DROWNING IN YOUR OWN MESS

Early in the next morning, Sylvia gained her consciousness and heard the beeps of the monitoring machine. She looked around, trying to understand where she was.

"Sylvia!"

She heard Aiden’s voice and lowered her gaze. Finding him on the chair, she recalled how she fainted at her house and then...

"I’ll call the doctor," Aiden said and rushed out of the room. Within a minute, the doctor arrived with the nurse while Aiden was behind them.

"How are you feeling, Miss Mancini?" The doctor asked as she checked Sylvia’s pulse.

"Weak," Sylvia murmured, her voice hoarse.

"That’s expected. You’re anemic. When was the last time you had your levels checked? Are you on any regular medication?" the doctor asked, maintaining a calm, professional tone.

"Sleeping pills sometimes," Sylvia admitted. "But I haven’t taken them in a few weeks."

"Alright. We ran the tests on you and found out the deficiencies. I think you’ve not been taking your meals well. Apart from this, you need to eat iron-rich food. Your blood pressure was quite low and if your neighbour hadn’t brought you here at the right time, it could have been fatal."

The doctor explained a few things to Sylvia before instructing the nurse for her discharge.

Meanwhile, Aiden followed the doctor outside, where she handed him the prescription.

"She needs to follow this for a month," the doctor explained. "And make sure she comes back for a check-up next week."

"Sure. Thank you, Doctor," Aiden said and walked inside the room again.

The nurse gently removed the IV needle from Sylvia’s hand before stepping out to fetch the discharge papers.

Sylvia flexed her fingers slightly, her gaze flickering toward Aiden. "Sorry... I caused you trouble," she murmured, brushing her hair behind her ear. "And I ruined your Christmas Eve."

Aiden didn’t speak right away.

"But... how did you find me?" she asked, genuinely puzzled. "The door was locked. I never opened it for you."

"I entered your house," he replied.

Sylvia’s brows knit slightly in confusion.

"I saw the passcode that first time we met," he explained. "You were entering it so casually. I didn’t mean to invade your privacy, but... you weren’t in a good state last night. I had to do something."

His gaze met hers. "Why did you let it get that bad, Sylvia? Why did you ignore your health like that?"

Aiden couldn’t quite understand the sudden concern that gripped him. Until now, he had never felt anything for Sylvia. In fact, whenever she found herself in trouble and Lucius sought his help, Aiden would always pass the responsibility to Roger. It wasn’t just disinterest—it was her attitude she carried like armor, that always kept him at arm’s length.

"I didn’t really ignore it," Sylvia said, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I just hadn’t gotten a check-up in a while, that’s all." She looked away, her voice softening. "Thank you... for helping me. I won’t forget it."

A knock at the door broke the silence, and Aiden turned to see the nurse entering with a file in hand.

"Please sign here," she said, handing him the clipboard.

Without hesitation, Aiden signed at the bottom and took the discharge papers from her. He

"I’ll wait for you outside," he said before stepping out of the room, giving a moment for Sylvia to change her clothes.

A few minutes later, Sylvia stepped out of the hospital room, looking slightly pale but steady on her feet.

"Let’s go," Aiden said, walking up to her. "We still need to pick up your medicines."

"You don’t have to trouble yourself," she replied.

Aiden let out a short chuckle. "You want me to leave you here all by yourself?" he muttered.

They entered the elevator together. It was crowded, pressing them into opposite corners with strangers in between. Finally, it stopped on the first floor, the crowd spilling out and giving them space to breathe.

"Wait for me over there," Aiden said, gesturing toward a seating area in the lobby.

Sylvia followed his gesture and made her way to the chairs as Aiden headed toward the in-house pharmacy. A few minutes later, he returned with a small paper bag in hand, filled with her prescribed medications.

Sylvia rose from her seat and walked over to Aiden. She reached for the paper bag, but he pulled it slightly back, refusing to let her take it.

"I can carry it," Aiden said firmly, then turned to lead the way toward the parking lot.

Once they reached the car, he opened the passenger door and waited until Sylvia settled in, making sure she was comfortable before walking around to the driver’s side. After getting in, he handed her the paper bag.

Without another word, Aiden started the engine, and the car rolled out of the hospital grounds.

"Lucius and Layla were missing you," Aiden said after a brief silence.

Sylvia turned her head slightly. "Did you tell them?"

"No," he replied. "But I’ll inform them once I drop you home."

"You don’t have to," Sylvia said softly.

"Why not? Boss will call you again. He was genuinely worried," Aiden replied, his eyes on the road.

"It’s Christmas," she murmured. "I don’t want Lucius and Layla worrying about me today. I’ll call him later and just say I got stuck somewhere."

Aiden glanced at her briefly before returning it to the highway. "Is that what you always do?" he asked, arching an eyebrow. "Hide everything from Boss? Put on a graceful front while quietly drowning in your own mess? And then acting rebellious and angry because no one was there to genuinely feel your pain."

Sylvia didn’t respond immediately, her fingers tightening around the paper bag in her lap.

"Since we are neighbors, why don’t you consider befriending me?" Aiden suggested to her. "You can rely on me whenever you need someone. I am a good listener too," he affirmed.

Sylvia smiled a little. "Didn’t you always run away from me? Don’t hide it. But my presence always made you feel uncomfortable," she muttered.