CHAPTER 423: THE CHAOS IN YOU

"I pray for your swift recovery," Sylvia said gently before turning to leave.

She paused just outside the room where Lucius stood waiting. Offering a soft smile, she asked, "How have you been, Lucius?"

"I’m well," he replied with curiosity. "I wasn’t expecting to see you here. It’s been quite a while."

Sylvia gave a light chuckle. "It’s only been two months, hasn’t it? We last met at that charity gala, remember?"

"Yeah, we did. You’re looking better than the last time," Lucius remarked, studying her carefully.

Sylvia offered a faint smile but didn’t mention that it was Aiden who had kept her away from the alcohol these past weeks.

"You must be in a hurry to leave," Lucius guessed.

"Not yet. I need to give a statement to Zayne," Sylvia replied.

Lucius’s brows drew together. "Statement? About what?"

"The person who attacked Roger... I knew him. From my college days," she revealed quietly.

Lucius frowned, the weight of her words sinking in. "How do you know that?"

"Roger told me," Sylvia began, her voice low. "It was Josh, the guy I was once involved with. It’s a long story, but the important part is... Roger saved me from him back then. I never imagined Josh would go this far," she admitted, guilt creeping into her expression.

Lucius opened his mouth to ask more, but before he could speak, Zayne appeared with a fellow officer at his side. They exchanged brief greetings as a nurse approached, guiding them toward the room. Once she had shown the way, the nurse quietly excused herself.

"We’re here to take the victim’s statement," Zayne announced as he and the officer entered.

Sylvia and Lucius followed behind, standing off to the side near the door as their eyes fixed on Roger lying in the hospital bed.

~~~~

By the time, Varya arrived in the hospital with Layla and Aiden, Zayne had left with the officer to catch Josh. They had received the footage from a store too, where Josh was seen buying a sharp knife. So, now, it was easier to press the charges on him.

"Roger!" Varya hugged him as she sat on the bed.

Roger’s hand moved to her back, patting it. She pulled away first, her hands cupping his face. "You scared me," she whispered.

Layla placed the bouquet on the table while Aiden put a small duffle bag on the sofa.

"I didn’t want to," Roger replied. "Did you cry? Your eyes are swollen," he added, holding her hand.

"No. Why would I cry?" Varya lied.

Roger, however, knew the truth. He simply kissed on the top of her forehead.

"Layla, why did you come all the way here?" Roger turned his gaze to her, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

"To wish you a speedy recovery, of course," Layla replied with a warm smile.

"Yeah, but don’t overwork yourself. You and the boss already have enough on your plate," Roger murmured, concern evident in his voice.

"You’re part of our family, Roger," Layla said gently. Then she glanced at Lucius. "Anyway, we’ll get going now."

She stepped over to Varya, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Take care, Varya," she said softly, giving her shoulder a light, reassuring squeeze before stepping back and waving.

"Call me if you need anything," Lucius added, offering Roger a nod before following Layla out of the room.

"I’ll go to home now. Roger, I’ll come in the evening," Aiden stated.

"You don’t need to trouble yourself," Varya whispered gently. "I’ll stay with Roger in the hospital," she added. "You already did a lot of help."

"Varya is right. She can stay here," Roger told him.

"Okay. Then, I’ll come tomorrow in the morning. Give a call if anything urgent comes. And enjoy your lunch," Aiden said, gesturing toward the jute bag on the sofa that held a tiffin box filled with homemade food.

As he stepped out of the room, he noticed Sylvia seated on a chair just outside.

"You came to see Roger?" Aiden asked, mildly surprised.

"I did, earlier," Sylvia replied. "But I decided to wait for you."

"Oh," Aiden said with a small smile. "Shall we head out, then?"

Sylvia gave a soft hum of agreement, and the two walked side by side toward the hospital parking lot.

"Want me to drive?" Aiden offered, unlocking the car.

"No need," Sylvia said, her hand already reaching for the keys inside the purse. "I can drive too."

Once they settled inside the car, Sylvia started the engine and drove out of the hospital. As she merged onto the main highway, she finally spoke.

"I apologized to Roger. This time, sincerely. I finally closed that Chapter of my life."

Aiden turned to her, mildly surprised. "That’s... really good to hear."

Silence settled between them, thick but not uncomfortable. Neither of them broke it. Aiden wanted to ask if she had given any thought to what he had suggested before, but hesitation held him back. Meanwhile, Sylvia was carefully assembling the words she wanted to say.

The drive ended in quiet contemplation. After parking the car, they stepped out and walked toward the building.

"You can have lunch at my place," Sylvia offered as the elevator doors slid open and they stepped inside.

Aiden glanced at her. "What’s on the menu?"

"Just something simple. Unless you have a preference?" she replied.

"No," he said with a small smile. "I’ll eat whatever you make."

"Okay." Sylvia looked at the display of the elevator while fidgeting with her fingers.

"About what you said I think I will give it a shot," she finally answered.

"What did I say?" Aiden teased her.

"That we should date," Sylvia replied, meeting his gaze. "But I tell you beforehand, I am kind of a mess in my head. I do get angry sometimes and it’s tough to handle me. I may want to brea–" she couldn’t finish her words as Aiden pressed his index finger on her lips.

"You forgot that I can handle the chaos in you," Aiden asserted, peering into her eyes with an intense stare.