CHAPTER 160: CHAPTER 160

Olivia’s POV - Present day

Pain.

That was the first thing I felt. A dull, throbbing ache that radiated from everywhere and nowhere at once.

My head hurt. My body felt heavy, like someone had replaced my bones with lead. And there was a weird, antiseptic smell that tickled my nose.

Hospital.

I tried to open my eyes, but my eyelids felt like they weighed a thousand pounds. It took several attempts before I finally managed to crack them open.

White ceiling. Fluorescent lights. The steady beep of a heart monitor somewhere to my left.

Definitely a hospital.

What happened? Why am I...

The memory slammed into me at once.

The light bulb. Maxwell’s desk. The stool. The electrical wire. The shock that had felt like lightning coursing through my entire body.

The sensation of falling. And then... nothing. Just darkness.

Oh no. Oh God, I electrocuted myself.

"Thank God! You’re finally awake!"

I turned my head slowly toward the voice.

Julian was sitting in a chair beside my bed, looking completely messed up. His hair was a mess, and his clothes were wrinkled like he’d been sitting there for hours. But his pale face broke into a relieved smile when our eyes met.

"Julian?" My voice came out as a croak, dry and rough. "What... what happened?"

"What happened is that you decided to play electrician despite having no qualifications whatsoever," Julian said, reaching for a cup of water with a straw and holding it to my lips. "Drink. Slowly."

I took a few small sips, the cool water soothing my raw throat. "How long was I out?"

"Almost all day," Julian said, setting the cup back on the bedside table.

"All day?" I tried to sit up, but Julian’s hand immediately pressed against my shoulder, keeping me down.

"Easy! Don’t move too fast. The doctor said you might be dizzy."

"What time is it?"

"Eight PM."

Eight PM? I’d been unconscious for almost an entire workday?

Panic started creeping in. "Oh no. Oh God, Maxwell. He told me to stop, but I wouldn’t listen. I kept climbing up there like an idiot, and now..." My voice was rising now. "He must be so angry. He’s probably going to fire me. Oh God, I’m going to lose my job..."

"Olivia, breathe," Julian interrupted, his hands on both my shoulders now. "Just breathe. You nearly died. Maxwell Wellington and his stupid ego can wait."

But I couldn’t stop talking. "Where is he? Is he outside? Did he come to check on me?"

Julian’s expression shifted slightly. "I don’t know anything about Maxwell. I’ve been the only one here by your side."

I blinked. "You’ve been here the whole time?"

"Of course I have. Someone had to make sure you didn’t slip into a coma or something." He tried to smile, but it looked strained. "You scared the hell out of me, Liv."

"But Maxwell..." I couldn’t let it go. "How did you even know what happened to me?"

"I saw the security guys carrying you out of the building," Julian explained, settling back into his chair. "You were completely unconscious, and they were rushing you to the ambulance. I followed immediately."

"And Maxwell?" I asked again, needing to know. "Did you see him? Did he... did he say anything?"

Julian shook his head slowly. "I didn’t see him at all. Not when they were carrying you out, not at the hospital. Nothing."

The information settled over me like a heavy load on my chest.

Maxwell hadn’t come.

He’d been there when I got shocked. He’d seen me fall, must have called for help. But then he’d just... left? Hadn’t even bothered to check if I was okay?

Of course he didn’t. Why would he? You disobeyed a direct order. You broke his expensive light fixture. You’re just his annoying assistant who can’t follow simple instructions.

"It’s all my fault," I whispered, feeling tears prick at my eyes. "He told me to stop. He said he’d call maintenance. But I was too stubborn, too proud to just admit he was right, and now..."

"Olivia, stop," Julian said firmly. "You getting hurt is not your fault - a little bit, yes. But Maxwell was also at fault too. He’s the one who should have called maintenance from the start instead of playing his stupid power games."

"But I should have listened when he told me to stop..."

"Guys!" Julian suddenly perked up, looking toward the door. "She’s awake!"

I followed his gaze and saw a doctor entering.

"Good evening, Ms. Hopton," she said, approaching my bed with a smile. "I’m Dr. Gilly. How are you feeling?"

Ms. Hopton? Shit, she knows. She knows. Will she tell Maxwell?

"Ms?" She called out again when I didn’t answer, "How’re you feeling?"

"Like I got hit by a car," I admitted finally.

"That’s to be expected." She pulled out a small flashlight and started checking my pupils. "You received a significant electrical shock. Can you tell me what you remember?"

I explained what had happened - the light bulb, the wire, the shock. She nodded, taking notes.

"You were very lucky," Dr. Gilly said. "The shock caused you to lose consciousness, and you have some minor burns on your hand, but there’s no permanent damage to your heart or nervous system. You’ll be sore for a few days, and you might experience some residual tingling in your extremities, but you should make a full recovery."

"Can I go home?" I asked hopefully.

Dr. Gilly considered this. "Normally, I’d want to keep you overnight for observation. But given that you’ve been stable for several hours now and all your tests came back normal, I’m willing to discharge you if you promise to rest and have someone stay with you tonight. Do you live alone?"

"I have a roommate," I said quickly. "She’ll be there."

"Then yes, you can go home. But if you experience any chest pain, difficulty breathing, severe headaches, or loss of consciousness, you come back immediately. Understood?"

"Understood."

Dr. Gilly handed me a packet of discharge papers and aftercare instructions, then left to process my release.

Julian immediately started helping me sit up, moving slowly and carefully like I was a precious egg. "Easy does it. Take your time."

Everything ached. My muscles, my joints, even my hair seemed to hurt. But I managed to swing my legs over the side of the bed without passing out.

"How’s it going with Ken?" I asked as Julian helped me into my shoes.

Julian’s expression darkened. "Not now, Liv. Let’s get you home first, then we can talk about that disaster."

"That bad?"

"Worse." He handed me my bag. "But it can wait. You need to focus on not falling over right now."

It took another twenty minutes to finish all the discharge paperwork. Fortunately, the hospital bill was being covered by Wellington & Sons - apparently, since the accident had happened in the office, it fell under their insurance.

At least Maxwell did one thing right, I thought bitterly. Even if he couldn’t be bothered to check if I was still breathing.

Julian helped me down to the hospital entrance, supporting most of my weight as we walked. I felt weak and shaky, like a newborn calf trying to stand for the first time.

"Wait here," Julian said, settling me onto a bench. "I’ll get a cab."

He flagged down a taxi, and the driver pulled up to the curb immediately. Julian helped me into the backseat.

"Thanks for everything," I told Julian as he held the door open. "You didn’t have to stay all day."

"Of course I did. That’s what friends do." He squeezed my hand. "Text me when you get home safe, okay? And Liv? Take tomorrow off. You look like death."

"Thanks," I said dryly. "You really know how to make a girl feel special."

He grinned. "That’s what I’m here for. Now go. Get some rest."

As he was about to close the door, I stopped him quickly. "Wait, Julian. The doctor. She knows I’m a woman."

Julian shook his head, "Don’t worry about that boo. I’ll make sure she doesn’t talk."

"Thank you."

He closed the door, and I leaned back against the seat, closing my eyes against the wave of exhaustion that was threatening to pull me under.

"Where to, miss?" the driver asked.

I told him my address without opening my eyes.

The driver didn’t respond, just put the car in gear and pulled away from the hospital.

We drove in silence for several minutes, the motion of the car almost lulling me to sleep despite my discomfort. The driver kept the radio off, which I was grateful for. My head was still pounding, and music would have been unbearable.

I was just starting to drift off when a voice came from the front seat.

"Livy, how are you feeling?"

My eyes flew open.

That voice. That nickname. My Stranger.

I sat up straight - too fast, making my head spin - and leaned forward to look at the driver.

But I couldn’t see his face. He was wearing his usual dark hoodie pulled up over his head, and the angle of the rearview mirror was positioned so that I couldn’t catch his reflection.

"You," I breathed.

"Me," he confirmed, and I could hear the smile in his voice. "Did you really think I wouldn’t come check on you after you electrocuted yourself?"