Eleanor squinted her eyes, crossed her arms, and wondered why she was having a conversation with someone she barely knew."Are you a child?" she grunted."No. But you'll feel better if we do, right?" Zack grinned."I'll feel better?" she repeated."Yes. Don't be like your brother," he said."What about my brother?""He's weak. He simply leaves those who berate him without fighting back. I can feel that you're a bit different. I know you feel like grabbing their hair or smashing their faces every time they look down on you," Zack reasoned.Eleanor sort of agreed with what Zack said. She really did feel like pulling the hair of the staff who were too unapproachable and condescending to her today, but even if she wanted to, she couldn't do that. She didn't want to cause any trouble for her brother."Forget it," she said. "But if you're saying that to comfort me, then thanks.""Nah. I am not comforting you, though," he said."Then stop bothering me."Eleanor walked away, but Zack kept fol
A few moments before Eleanor returned to Drake's ward, Drake asked the nurse to call Lucille on his phone. The nurse held the phone for him as he greeted Lucille on the other side of the line."Hello, my dear Lucille," he greeted, but the other line remained silent. He checked his phone’s screen and wondered if there was a network error."I... I am here," Lucille stuttered, causing Drake to chuckle. He adored how Lucille stuttered; each time they talked, she seemed surprised, yet she wanted to act tough when she ultimately couldn't."Where are you? Can you—""I said, I am here," she said."What do you mean?" Drake looked at the nurse, confused at what Lucille said, and the nurse simply shrugged her shoulders."I saw you in the news. I am here in the lobby," she clarified."You've been there?""Yes.""Then why are you not going straight here?" he asked, still confused."I... I don't know if I'm allowed to visit you," she shyly said.Drake laughed again, finding her amusing. "You’re wor
Lucille finally snapped out of her reverie, her face now flushed red."What the hell are you doing?" she yelled, her annoyance growing as she saw Drake's wide smile. "Pervert!" With frustration, she slapped Drake's arm, causing him to groan in pain."Ack! Why did you hit me?" he groaned."Ah! I'm sorry!" she stammered, flustered by her own actions. Lucille hastily left the room, running away until she found herself sitting on the stairs, burying her face in her knees.Biting her lower lip, her heart continued to pound rapidly as she exclaimed, "What the hell was that? Are we really in a relationship now? Is this really how it started?" She wondered aloud, still reeling from the unexpected kiss.However, her thoughts were interrupted when her eyes met Marianne, who was climbing up the stairs."What are you doing?" Marianne asked, looking at Lucille with a bemused expression, wondering why she was sitting alone on the stairs, hugging herself."Why are you here?" Lucille snapped."Why ca
Marianne's eyes widened in disbelief as she found herself face-to-face with one of the key figures from Gracestone Trading Corporation."CEO Zack White?" The words escaped her lips before she could stop herself.Zack's attention, however, was fixated on the person in the wheelchair that he was pushing."Director Zemo White?" she blurted out again, her mind racing to piece together the unexpected puzzle before her."Are you doing a roll call?" Zack quipped, breaking the tension with a hint of amusement in his voice."Oh, I'm sorry. It was just unexpected to see you here," Marianne apologized, attempting to regain her composure in the presence of such influential individuals."It's fine," Zack replied casually, his gaze shifting to the hospital bed where Drake lay, unable to nod due to the neck brace. Zack's eyes met Drake's, but Drake's thoughts were consumed with the memory of Zack callously pushing him off the building.Suppressing his rage, Drake redirected his attention to Zemo, kn
"Is this the right time for me to drink a health potion?" Drake contemplated inwardly, his eyes fixated on the device that Zack had attached to Zemo's wheelchair. He gestured for Zemo to turn around for a moment, leaving Zemo puzzled but compliant.Drake retrieved three health potions, just enough to regain strength in his arms and upper body so he could sit up on his own. "What are you going to do anyway?" Drake asked, prompting Zemo to face him again."You—" Zemo began, almost commenting on Drake suddenly sitting up, but he covered his mouth, quickly composing himself. "I don't actually have a plan. What else can I do when I can't walk?" he said, feigning helplessness.Drake grinned, aware that Zemo could walk just fine. He faked a sigh and added, "I'm lost too. I can't sit up on my own either."Zemo also grinned, impressed by how their spoken words contrasted with their actions. Despite their admirable efforts, they couldn't change the fact that they were currently stuck, unable to
Lucille’s mind spun as she tried to navigate through the fragments of her memory. The encounter with Zack left her shaken and disoriented. The mere thought of his presence triggered an inexplicable fear that she couldn't rationalize."That man... why do I feel scared of him?" Her voice trembled with unease as she grappled with the flashes of the unsettling encounter."Lucille, you're awake.” Eleanor entered. Her sudden appearance brought a sense of relief, albeit momentarily. “How are you feeling?" Eleanor's concern was evident in her voice."I... I don't know," Lucille stammered, her thoughts still clouded by the haunting image of Zack. "What happened?" she asked."You collapsed suddenly," Eleanor explained gently. "Do you not remember?"Lucille's brows furrowed as she struggled to grasp the sequence of events. "Do you know who's the man with Marianne?" she asked, her voice laced with apprehension."Do you mean Zack White?" Eleanor's response was almost immediate, her tone tinged wit
Eleanor found herself in a state of panic, unsure of what steps to take with both Zack and Lucille unconscious in the hospital bed. She hesitated, grappling with the fear of potential consequences if she were to call for help after knocking Zack unconscious."Would they arrest me or charge me because I knocked someone down?" She weighed her options, contemplating the repercussions. Her gaze shifted to the back of Zack's head, widening as she noticed a few drops of red liquid seeping through."I can't let Drake know about this!" Eleanor exclaimed, feeling the weight of her actions. In a flurry of panicked decisions, she attempted to move Zack, inadvertently causing him to fall hard onto the tiled floor."Oh no!" She gasped in shock, realizing she had caused further injury to him. Despite her distress, she was resolute in her decision not to call for help, fearing the repercussions it might have on her image and relationships.Eleanor, perceived as gentle and delicate by those around he
Drake rubbed his eyes, feeling the fatigue setting in from staring at his holographic system screen for hours. It had been an hour since Eleanor left his room, and during that time, Zack's location remained the same."What is he doing in that room? Is there something wrong with this feature?" Drake mumbled to himself, randomly tapping on his screen to check for any issues with his system. After confirming that everything was functioning correctly, he speculated, "Did he fall asleep under the bed or something?"Closing his system screen abruptly, Drake was startled when Marianne entered his room unexpectedly."Why are you still here?" he inquired, his eyes reflecting a mixture of curiosity and mild annoyance."I helped take care of Lucille's hospital admission," Marianne explained, placing a few papers on the table."Oh, thank you," Drake replied, acknowledging her assistance. He nodded appreciatively at Marianne, but a perplexed expression crossed his face as he wondered why she was s