NovelEnglishChapter 96
Chapter 96
Ella & Liam
Ella
The constant beeping of the monitors, the fluorescent lights buzzing overhead, and the steady stream of nurses
entering and leaving my room made the days of the following week blend together into one big blur.
| tried to keep busy as best | could; | read through two of the books Alexander had brought, did crossword
puzzles, and watched countless movies. But if it weren't for my visitors, | might have lost my mind completely.
Lilith was always there first, arriving each morning with fresh clothes and homemade food, refusing to leteat
the hospital food. She would brush my hair, helpwash up, and make sure | was comfortable. Sometimes she
would just sit beside me, reading quietly or working on her knitting while | dozed or did my own thing. | was glad
for her company.
And then there was Liam. He visited nearly as often as Lilith, usually in the afternoons when he wasn’t busy with
the Alpha Council. He would bring news, tellstories to makelaugh, and sometimes just sit with me
watching terrible daytTV.
It was nice, having people who cared whether I lived or died.
But the biggest surprise was Alexander. True to his word, he cback the next day after our first chess game.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtAnd the day after that. And the day after that.
Every evening around seven, he would arrive. No matter how busy his day had been, no matter what Alpha
duties required his attention, he'd sit in the chair beside my bed and set up the
board.
“Knight to F3,” | said on the fourth night, moving my piece without hesitation and taking his bishop.
Alexander nodded approvingly. “Good move.”
I'd been getting better under his guidance. Not good enough to beat him-I doubted that would ever happen-but
good enough to make the games last longer and occasionally surprise him with a clever move.
“You've been practicing,” he said a few minutes later as | captured one of his
pawns.
shrugged. “Lilith’s been playing withduring the day. She’s not as good as you, though.”
Alexander's lips quirked up at the corners. “Few are.”
| rolled my eyes at his arrogance, but | couldn't help but smile, too. As much as | hated to admit it, these evening
chess games had becthe highlight of my days in the hospital. For
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Chapter 96
a few hours, it felt like everything else fell away.
| wasn’t sure if Alexander was just acting for the benefit of the hospital staff, playing the role of devoted husband
to bolster his image. If he was, he was a damn good actor. When we played together, he seemed awfully
engaged for someone who didn’t really want to be there, sometimes even laughing at my terrible jokes or
teasingabout my moves.
As for what happened in the alley, we didn’t talk about it. Not even once. Maybe that was for the best; it was
easier to just pretend it didn’t happen and move on with our contract.
| also had to pretend that it didn’t hurt like hell to think that way. But, just like chess, | found myself getting
better at that.
“Check,” he said, moving his queen into position
| frowned at the board as | tried to figure a way out. “Hmm, what if I...” | moved my king to safety, only to realize
too late that I'd just exposed my bishop.
Alexander's smile widened as he captured it, instantly puttingin check mate. “You're getting better, but you
still need to think a few moves ahead.”
| huffed, tugging Alexander's sweatshirt more snugly around me. I'd worn it every day since he brought it,
partially because it was genuinely comfortable and partially because...
No. | wasn’t going to think about it. Just like the alley, the scent that had faded on his sweatshirt wouldn't affect
“I'll beat you one of these days,” | muttered.
“I look forward to it.”
| blushed, but it was short-lived. Alexander left after that and our little bubble of normalcy popped, just as it did
every night.
The following morning, Dr. Evelyn announced that | could be discharged soon, maybe even the next day if my
tests continued to improve. | hadn't seen Alexander or Liam at all that day, but | assumed they were just busy.
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