Chapter 8
Morning sunlight sliced through the gaps in the window blinds, throwing bright yellow stripes across the white hospital bed.
Ella slowly opened her eyes. Her body felt heavy and rested. She hadn't slept that deeply in months.
She turned her head toward the corner of the room, her heart giving a sudden, hard thump against her ribs.
Javier was still there. He sat on the sofa, resting his elbow on the armrest and leaning his chin on his knuckles.
The laptop was gone. Instead, he held a thick file folder stamped with red "CLASSIFIED" letters. He was reading the pages slowly.
His suit jacket was still on the chair. His tie was loosened, and the top two buttons of his dress shirt were undone. He looked less like a terrifying official and more like a tired man.
Ella held her breath. She closed her eyes quickly, trying to fake sleep so he wouldn't leave.
She peeked through her eyelashes, tracing the straight line of his nose and the sharp cut of his jaw.
The sound of paper rustling filled the room. Javier lifted his left arm and checked his watch.
He looked up from the file. His dark eyes locked directly onto Ella's face.
"The heart rate monitor gave you away," he said. His morning voice was deep and raspy. "Stop pretending."
Ella's face burned hot. She opened her eyes fully and sat up, pulling the blanket tight across her chest to hide her embarrassment.
Javier closed the file. He stood up and shoved the papers into his briefcase.
Panic seized Ella's throat. Her fingers dug into the blanket. "Are you leaving?" the words spilled out before she could stop them.
Javier snapped the briefcase shut. "Yes. I have a high-level security briefing."
Ella bit her bottom lip. The fear of being left behind clawed at her stomach. She had to know.
"When I get better," she started, her voice shaking. "Are you going to get tired of me? Like Brenda did? Are you going to throw me away?"
Javier's hand froze on the handle of his briefcase. The air in the room turned to ice.
He turned around slowly. His eyes were dark and heavy with an intimidating pressure.
He walked to the foot of her bed. He planted both hands flat on the metal railing, leaning his large frame toward her.
"The medical, security, and time resources I have allocated to you exceed any standard operational budget," Javier stated coldly.
He stared directly into her eyes. "I am a decision-maker who does not take losses. I do not abandon my assets halfway through their lifecycle."
The words were brutal. They were cold, calculated, and entirely devoid of human warmth.
But Ella's brain processed the data. The fear in her chest vanished, replaced by a sudden, overwhelming rush of relief.
He wasn't calling her an object. He was using the only language he knew to promise her absolute protection.
Ella looked at his rigid, angry face. The corners of her mouth twitched. A small, genuine smile broke across her face.
He stood up abruptly, his jawline snapping tight as he broke eye contact. He turned his back to her, staring out the window, his broad shoulders rigidly locked. "Rest," he ordered, his voice echoing with an extra layer of biting frost.
He grabbed his briefcase and turned toward the door.
He walked out of the room so fast it almost looked like he was running away.
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