╰┈➤ ❝ [decaying is not in her vocabulary]

Third Person POV

"Out of the way!"

In a hallway of a hospital, a woman is lying unconsciously on an emergency stretcher, being rushed to the emergency room. The wheels of the stretcher can be heard whirring on the ground while nurses and doctors shoosh people out of the way in the hallway. 

And most of all, the white-haired man was also rushing along, he kept his gaze on your breathing as tears brimmed in his eyes from the panic he was feeling.

The people in the hallway were startled when they saw the stretcher rushing through, and the white cloth on the stretcher bed is covered with blood. Your body is covered with cuts, bruises, blood, fractures, and more fatal injuries.

Finally, they reached the destination, the emergency room.

The nurses continued to rush you inside, but Mikey was held back.

"We're sorry, sir. Please stay here until the procedure is finished, visitors or guardians aren't allowed inside."

"Is there any way to make this quicker?" Mikey asked desperately with his voice cracking, finding answers from the doctor's eyes as his chest rose up, brows furrowing, and glared at the doctor, he was feeling impatient. 

The doctors were taken aback as they looked at each other. "We do not condone rushing and putting on pressure to the professional doctors in here, who have more knowledge in these kinds of things, sir."

Mikey just sighed as his heartbeat quickens, this scene is familiar, he hates hospitals. Hospitals are what he loathes the most. Hospitals have a place in his mind, but no place in his heart.

"Now if you may excuse us, sir. We'll now proceed inside," The doctor informed, giving him a final look before going in, "Please don't make a scene in here."

"What are you implying?" Mikey's ears perked from the sentence, "You think I'm insane?"

"No, sir. We're just warning."

"Say it straightforwardly then." Mikey walked to them until someone grabbed his wrist from behind.

"Sorry for the commotion." Kakucho spoke, and Mikey looked back to see other Bonten members are there, already arrived at the hospital.

The doctors looked at the men's foreign faces, which were unfamiliar to them. Even so, the small smudged blood on their suits, which they thought had been wiped away, was still visible, as well as their notorious Bonten tattoo, which they also thought had been covered, all exposed to the doctor's eyes and suspicions.

"Call securities and authorities." A doctor whispered as they secretly nudge their colleague.

A doctor was about to run off, until a gun is pointed at his back, making him freeze.

"I know what you're thinking," Rindou whispered as he pressed the gun harder, "Turn back."

The three doctors froze in place as their hearts rapidly beat, they didn't dare turn back, even bat an eye at these criminals that they call.

"You have the intention to not put much effort into healing this patient named (L/N) (Y/N), right?" He added.

"Never knew this private hospital's holders are that easy. Nevertheless, we still got ahold of it." Koko sighs.

The doctors' eyes widened as they looked at the men.

"Your management, firm, building, and all are now under my name." Koko remarked.

"Stop saying nonsense," They retorted. "We can sue you for this, vile criminals—!"

"Watch it," Sanzu warned.

"Do a better work if you don't want this to be bankrupt and go downhill. It's not owned by a public tenancy or governance, in any way, right? So as a result, no one will defend this," He added, "So watch it."

"Start the procedure, now."

The startled doctors rushed into the operating room to begin the surgery. They didn't hesitate to bring out the equipment and promptly started checking your vitals while you lay unconscious on the stretcher.

"A-and what will we receive with healing this p-patient...?" One of the nurses asked who was profusely sweating.

"Golden karats, those crimin- men said." Another nurse whispered.

"Is the credibility that high?" 

"They easily owned this hospital just for a short time, how is scamming us with even just golden bars possible..." A nurse replied.

"As soon as we're done with this patient, they'll give us back the land, we'll even get a large amount of revenue."

"With a golden karat." The nurse gritted her teeth as she applied pressure to your slit in the skin caused by the stabbed wooden twig, blood dripping down as your internal organs could be seen from the stomach.

"Careful with that patient, our life also depends on her." The doctor pointed.

The nurses and doctors exchanged terrified glances, sweat dripping down their brows as they speeded up the procedure, ignoring the Bonten guards watching them with firearms.

Mikey and the other men are sitting on the cold metal chairs in the hallway, a waiting area. Everyone kept quiet, except muttering mumbled words.

"I can't fucking stand this anymore," Koko grunted as he stood up from the chair.

"Boss," Sanzu sat beside Mikey.

Mikey didn't speak, only staring at the floor with his elbows resting on his knees.

"Hanma escaped." Sanzu muttered as he lowered his head.

Mikey kept quiet, but he can feel his chest heaving.

"Sanzu," Koko whispered as he widened his eyes in threat. "Why'd you say it?"

"I had to."

"Why'd you let him escape?" Mikey spoke with a deep tone, making the men turn their heads to him.

Sanzu also kept quiet, not daring to answer Mikey's baleful question.

"I asked, why did you let him escape?"

Only their presence and the thick cold tangible air surrounding them can be felt. The clock ticking on the hospital's plain white wall can be heard, ticking every second.

"I said, why'd the fuck you let him escape?!" Mikey's voice raised.

"We didn't have enough time, we rushed as soon we received the news that (Y/N) is in the hos—" Sanzu's words were cut off as Mikey shoved him on the wall as he held Bonten's number two's collar.

"Why did you let that happen...?!"

"Do you know who's inside that operating room, laying lifeless...?! I, rather none of us wants to sit in these cold metal chairs for hours, knowing that we're waiting for someone who's on the verge of dying!" Mikey spat his words as he gritted his teeth and just stared at Sanzu with enraged eyes.

"Stop blaming me for all the cause." Sanzu muttered as he lowered his head.

Mikey only stared at him with his pupils dilated, eyes contrasting into fury as he held back his fist colliding with Sanzu's face, "Sanzu, as much as I want to punch you too, I can't at this circumstance."

"You see, we never had a conversation before, unless it's about business and (Y/N)." Sanzu mumbled, "Nonetheless, I still respect you as my colleague, more like I have high regards for you."

"It pains me how I was planning to initiate a conversation with you just now, but our conversation was neglected again."

"Now if you may excuse me," Sanzu muttered in a gloomy, melancholic tone, "I'll go now, I can't bear being always blamed all the time."

Sanzu then lightly shoved Mikey away and walked out of the hallway, but turned back once again. "May (Y/N)'s surgery be successful, and I hope she wakes up."

Rindou just slid down the wall as he held his forehead, sighing as he asked. "How long is the surgery?"

"Ran," Rindou called.

But out of all the men, Ran is the quietest at this moment. Hindering his emotions as he sat on the farthest chair among the men, staring at the floor.

Mikey only sat back in his chair since his chest felt heavier than usual, and Bonten's number two wasn't in sight.

"Just let your sentiments out, Mikey," Kakucho told. "We'll go to Sanzu afterward."

Mikey still refuses to talk as he only faced them, "I don't need to."

Mikey returned his gaze to the operation room door with a void in his eyes; he felt bleak, and the cold air added to that. His anxiety grew and grew, it never stopped, and it will never stop until those operating room doors opened and the doctors finally telling him the news.

But there are what-ifs. 

He thought, what if you decided to let go? What if the surgery wasn't successful? What if you just disappear in his arms in just a blink of an eye like a fragile glass, as if you two weren't just talking an hour ago. 

No, he can't bear to see that, let alone think of it, but his thoughts are starting to eat him.

Wondering how would you look like after being in this damned hospital. He doesn't know, no one knows what the future holds, but he knows that willpower is stronger than anything, even his sentiments. 

"I believe in her, she has the will to live."

Stepmother Eri's POV

"Patient 106, (L/N) Eri... I repeat, Patient 106, (L/N) Eri is awake!"

Voices in the distance... As my unconscious state wanes, I can only hear faint voices. I hear footsteps rush inside the room as I notice my joints begin to move and feel them, and my heart begins to beat erratically. It must be the doctors and nurses.

"Patient 106 is awake!"

I feel them slowly taking out my tubes, and adjusting the dextrose on my side, yet my body felt so heavy, I couldn't move a body.

Murmurs, mumbles, whispers, mutters, inaudible sounds, and incoherent words are all I can hear and comprehend. My ability to think and sense is gradually faltering, but I can sense the presence of doctors, nurses, and other familiar faces around my hospital bed.

"Please leave, we need privacy." A man in his 40s dressed in a suit told.

"Zane Willbert..." I weakly whispered, and I know who is the man on my side as I catch a glimpse of him.

"Madame Erianne Dhiore (L/N), you're awake from a coma."

I groggily opened my eyes, still adjusting to the new environment. It seems like everything had changed, and I can hardly tell which is which.

"Please rest for a minute." He told, and I just stared at the wall for a few minutes, my eyes widened and red. I don't know what I'm doing, I'm so confused, and it's like I'm in a subconscious state. 

"W-where's my daughter (Y/N)...?" Luckily, I didn't lose my memories.

I panicked, "Call the company, tell the organization I woke up, retire me from my fake job as a stripper in the nightclub, remove the contract, withdraw 70% of the shares in the compan—"

Zane took a deep breathe for a moment, "You need to rest first, you just woke up—"

"Zane," I glared at him, "I, Erianne Dhiore (L/N) from Dias Corporation am commanding a request."

"If you want to know—" Zane sighed, "The last place I saw was when she was in a nightclub too."

I feel my chest churn from all these puzzles, more than one year has been wasted in my life. I feel like I have a big responsibility to do... to pay for the cost I have done.

"T-tell me more." I coughed, and the pain in my brain started to bang, but I forced myself to process and comprehend these millions of information.

I missed a lot over the past few years. All sleeping while my daughter is somewhere out there.

"I pretended to be a waiter and watched (Y/N) out from Bonten. I only did as what you told me, Madame Dhiore."

"I am still working as an investigator and a secretary under your company." He added.

Feeling hurried and rush, I breathed heavily, and my heart beat starts to quicken. Zane saw it on the monitor beside my bed, "Madame, please, calm down. Rest for a bit—"

"I-I can't," I grit my teeth, "I can't stay composed and relaxed, knowing that my daughter is somewhere out there, in their grasp."

"We will, the Dias Company would start operating again as soon as you've recovered." Zane said.

"Waking up from a coma is like waking up full of hurdles," I thought, "Zane, I trust you as my secretary. I'll delegate the task from the company and investigation of my daughter to you, help me, please."

"I will, Madame. You can always trust me, but please, don't be persistent at this moment. All I'm asking is for you to rest and wait for the right time we do action. Rushing only makes the situation worst." Zane told while holding documents.

"This can reassure you, you've been derelict by this hospital, abandoned, left your almost decaying corpse in here." Zane told me as he handed me the papers containing vital information, and the status of the hospital that I stayed in.

I try to lift my hand which is still covered in plasters, bandages, and injected dextrose to get the paper, but it refuses to do so, making me wince in pain and irritation.

"I see, you're struggling." He mumbled to himself, then talked orotundly. "I'll just conclude the summary to you."

"Hanma Shuji, behind everything to your hospitalization. Their organization holds a title to this hospital, rather, they own the residence."

My jaw clenched, eyes twitching from the mention. His name describes my downfall, my nemesis, my destruction. It's all vivid, I still remember him, "Sick."

"Bonten, a criminal organization whom you trusted with." Zane added, making my eyes widened.

"Dias Corporation's debt to Bonten... is already paid." He added.

I stared at the paper in his hands, the shreds of evidence and circumstances are incontrovertible enough to prove my anticipations.

"My sentiments will remain the same, I need a long interrogation with them." 

"Yet I know trust can't be earned back again."

"I guess... keeping a hidden identity would lead me to such dreadful fates." I added.

"Madame, when will you reveal yourself? How will you explain everything?" Zane told me, and his tone is hurried.

"As soon as I'm fully recovered, this hospital is the last thing I want to see," I grumbled, "I'll bring the Dias Corporation's prized possession back, and use it as my leverage to restore my daughter's sanity."

"The last thing I also want to see is a supreme court."

"Will we suppress even the regional trial court? Madame, what are you thinking? What are you planning? Your father won't like this, he trusted you to settle neutral for the sake of Dias Corporation before he passed away. He never wants to see any of his loved ones fight in a court... let alone... you! His only daughter." Zane exclaimed in a panicked tone, I can sense his palpitation, his dread that brings that one memory back, that forever hunts us.

My notions and willpower were what kept me alive.

"Power, influence, and jurisdiction are above everything, yes? For I, won't tarnish my knowledge that I had been delegated from my father," I confided, "This brings me back to where he had to fight in a court of tax appeals, he was easily defeated just because of an influent adversary, causing the Dias Corporation to drown in debt... and that includes our debt to this so-called Bonten."

Nevertheless, I was a mystery, it was a mystery.

"And for that, I shall reveal the second forbidden knowledge."