Chapter 28
Delayed Response
A persistent ringing sound pierced Lucia's ears.
Muscle memory kicked in immediately as she reached for her phone and silenced the alarm she had set the night before.
6:03 a.m.
Three hours before the scheduled pickup.
Frowning, she felt something was wrong.
Her body felt heavy. Uncomfortable. Especially around her lower abdomen—waves of pain rising and falling in irregular intervals.
"Did I eat something bad yesterday…?"
The pain made it difficult to move. After taking several slow, deep breaths, she carefully shifted her body—
Something damp and warm spread between her thighs.
"…?"
"Huh? Did I pee myself?"
Panicked, she threw the blanket aside.
Hiss—!
She sucked in a sharp breath.
A deep red stain bloomed across her crotch and had already seeped into the bedsheet.
For a moment, her mind went blank.
Forgetting the pain in her stomach, she rushed toward the bathroom.
Looking down at herself, pale-faced, realization slowly sank in.
"…Damn."
Her brows furrowed deeply.
After removing her clothes, another sharp breath escaped her lips as she saw the blood still flowing.
Turning on the shower, she sat down beneath the water, trying to calm her racing heart.
But the wave of emotions crashed harder.
Shock.
Embarrassment.
Confusion.
Helplessness.
Her vision blurred for a second—
Then another sharp cramp stabbed into her abdomen.
"Argh—! What the hell?!"
Her face drained of color as she curled forward, hugging her stomach.
With trembling fingers, she reached to turn off the shower.
After struggling to stand, she failed. Her legs felt weak.
Instead, she crawled out of the bathroom and toward the bed.
Her breathing grew uneven as she frantically searched for her phone.
Without thinking, she dialed Edward.
The call connected quickly.
{Hello? Lucius? What's up? Why are you calling this early? Oh—did you miss your buddy already? Hahaha—}
Lucia couldn't respond.
All that came out was a faint, broken whimper.
Edward immediately fell silent.
{Luci? Can you hear me? Where are you? Hey—answer me! Luci! What happened?!}
The teasing tone vanished instantly.
He was already on his feet, pulling on clothes and grabbing his car keys.
Another soft sob came through the speaker.
Edward's heart dropped.
Still holding the call with Lucia, he grabbed a second phone from his drawer and dialed a number saved under the hotel's management contact.
"Send someone to check on my friend immediately! Her name is Lucia—black and white hair—she checked in yesterday! Move now! I'll explain later!"
His tone was sharp and commanding.
On the other end, someone reacted quickly.
{Alright! Reception! Check the guest list! Now!}
Edward could hear orders being barked in the background.
{Sir, we've sent staff to her floor. I'll wait for updates here.}
"Okay."
Edward's voice turned cold.
He rushed into his car.
His focus split in two—one ear listening to the silent call with Lucia, the other focused on the road.
No sound came from her end anymore.
A chill crept up his spine.
He tightened his grip on the steering wheel and pressed harder on the accelerator.
What should have been a one-hour drive was cut down by more than half.
Tires screeched against the pavement at the hotel's entrance.
Edward tossed the car key toward the valet booth without even looking and stormed inside.
At the reception desk stood a well-dressed man tapping his foot restlessly.
The moment he saw Edward, his expression shifted with relief.
"Sir!"
Edward grabbed him by the shoulders.
"Where's my friend?! What happened to her?!"
"Sir, please—follow me."
They hurried toward the elevator.
"As soon as we received your call, we sent staff to check her room," the manager began carefully.
Edward's expression darkened.
"However…"
The pause felt suffocating.
The manager continued quickly.
"We found your friend unconscious beside the bed. We've already sent a doctor to examine her. We hope it's nothing serious."
Unconscious.
Edward's breath hitched.
The elevator doors opened—
He rushed out before they fully parted.
"Which room?!"
"408! On the right!"
Several staff members stood outside the door, speaking in low voices.
They immediately stepped aside when they saw Edward and the manager approaching.
The door was already open.
Edward rushed inside.
A woman in a white coat stood near the bed, calmly issuing instructions to the medical staff.
On the bed—
Lucia lay pale against the sheets.
Her face was drained of color, faint lines of discomfort visible between her brows as her chest rose and fell unevenly.
Edward's heart clenched painfully.
He stepped closer, finally seeing her clearly.
Her knuckles were faintly curled.
Her lips slightly parted.
He wanted to call her name—
But he was afraid of disturbing the examination.
So he stayed beside the bed.
Silent.
His brows tightly furrowed.
His fists clenched so hard that his knuckles turned white.
After a brief silence, Edward shifted his attention to the doctor, who was already waiting for him to acknowledge her.
"Doctor… my friend… is she alright?"
The female doctor gestured for him to follow her toward the window. Edward complied immediately.
When their eyes met, she introduced herself first.
"Dina Purawana. Private practitioner. Are you the patient's close relative, sir?"
Edward was slightly caught off guard by the formal question. A hint of irritation surfaced, but he suppressed it and answered politely.
"Yes. I'm her close friend—Edward Nathaniel Vermeer. I'm aware of her… personal circumstances."
The last part slipped out more defensively than intended.
"I see."
Doctor Dina nodded calmly.
"Then let's discuss her condition. For now, she is stable. There are no life-threatening symptoms. With proper care, she should recover."
Edward exhaled quietly.
"However," the doctor continued, "there are several factors that concern us. She fainted due to hyperventilation. She also has a high fever."
Edward's brows tightened.
"We can see a connection between her menstruation and the fact that she took a cold shower. If her cramps are severe, a sudden drop in body temperature could have worsened the pain and triggered stress."
She paused briefly.
"As an adult woman, she should be aware of such risks. Especially if she has a history of painful cycles."
The words hit Edward harder than expected.
"Additionally," Dina continued in a professional tone, "hyperventilation often links to anxiety or panic responses. If the patient has a tendency toward extreme stress reactions, she should not be left alone without proper support."
She stopped there.
"That said… we still lack a clear explanation for the panic level she experienced."
Edward felt his mind go blank.
'Period… hyperventilation… Luci…'
He knew the truth.
Lucia had not grown up as a woman.
She had not experienced any of this before.
And mentally—she was still adjusting.
'I should have anticipated this…'
Guilt tightened around his chest.
'Did I assume she would be fine? Was I careless?'
Lowering his head slightly, he spoke in a quieter tone.
"I'm sorry, doctor. I… didn't consider that this could happen. Her situation is… complicated. I should have paid closer attention."
Doctor Dina studied him for a moment.
She could sense his sincerity.
"I won't press further if you're unwilling to elaborate," she said calmly. "But as a medical professional, I must advise you that incomplete information limits our treatment plan."
She softened her tone slightly.
"For now, we will stabilize her condition. Based on her vitals, she should regain consciousness after sufficient rest—likely in the afternoon."
Before Edward could respond, a ringtone interrupted the conversation.
They both turned toward the bed.
Lucia's phone was ringing.
After a brief hesitation, Edward picked it up. The number was unfamiliar.
{Hello, Miss Lucia. Our team is ready to escort you to the airport. We will arrive at your location in thirty minutes.}
A crisp female voice spoke from the other side.
Edward immediately understood who it was.
Switching to English smoothly, he responded.
"Hello, ma'am. I apologize for answering on Lucia's behalf. I'm her friend, Edward. She's currently unable to respond due to unexpected circumstances. She's unconscious at the moment. May we request some additional time?"
A brief silence followed.
{That is not a problem, Sir Edward. As Lucia's friend, are you aware of our operational plan?}
"Yes. I understand the details. There is a medical professional present monitoring her condition."
His phrasing was deliberate.
He subtly indicated that an uninformed third party was nearby.
{I see… Very well. We will not approach as a team. However, as team leader, I must personally verify the situation. I will arrive as an acquaintance. Please help align our dialogue later. I will see you in thirty minutes, Sir Edward.}
The call ended.
Edward turned to the others.
"An acquaintance of hers. They had a scheduled meeting. She'll be coming shortly."
Doctor Dina did not pry. She simply returned to Lucia's bedside to brief her team.
Now that his focus had shifted, Edward felt slightly more grounded.
He pulled a chair closer and sat beside Lucia.
Looking at her more closely now, he couldn't help but notice how different she looked.
Beautiful.
Completely different from the familiar, somewhat dull yet handsome face he had known for years.
His best friend since middle school—
Now a young woman.
A real woman.
Capable of bleeding.
Capable of giving birth.
'Damn. What the hell am I thinking…'
He quickly averted his gaze.
'I should inform Sister Sophia… But if I tell her without understanding Luci's condition, she'll only panic. Better to discuss it with Luci first. She would prefer that.'
With that decision made, he used the time to contact his family's butler to rearrange his schedule for today and tomorrow.
Not long after, Lucia's phone rang again.
Edward stood immediately and answered.
"Hello."
{Sir Edward, I have arrived at the hotel lobby. May I ask which room you are in?}
"No need. I'll come down to meet you. Please wait a moment."
{Understood.}
Ending the call, Edward hurried toward the lobby.
He spotted her immediately.
Standing near the reception desk was a woman in a formal suit, her posture straight and composed. Her dark hair was tied neatly in a low ponytail. She appeared to be in her early thirties.
Though her face carried natural beauty enhanced by light makeup, her presence radiated professionalism.
Yet there was also warmth in her expression—like a dependable older sister.
She smiled when she saw Edward approaching.
"Nice to meet you, ma'am. I'm Edward."
"Nice to meet you as well, Edward. I'm Han Ji-an, team leader for the escort operation."
They exchanged a brief handshake.
As they walked toward the elevator, they quietly rehearsed their cover story—who she was, the purpose of the meeting, and the adjusted timeline.
Meanwhile—
Upstairs—
Lucia's fingers twitched slightly against the bedsheet.
Her breathing shifted.
And slowly…
She began to regain consciousness.