"Wait here."

Anna instructed her bodyguard just right outside the door leading into Angelo's room and turned before he bowed in obedience. She couldn't believe it, she didn't even know why her legs had led her to the front door leading into Angelo's room in the first place. She was nervous. Too nervous to even think of anything else.

Did she even think it through? Even after everything Shink had said, was she really sure she wanted to go through with it? She wasn't even sure she was in control of her thoughts anymore, She turned back to the guard. He knew exactly what Anna needed to do.
He knew what she meant when she asked him to guard the door.

Another word for 'don't let anyone through.'

He turned the knob open so she could get in and then shut the door after her, standing firm right outside with a huge frown on his face, tugging his jacket in place.

"Patricia."

Anna held her breath as she froze right in front of the door. That was someone she had no idea she was going to bump into. Of course she was going to be there. Patricia never let herself be apart from Angelo. She never gave herself a second worth of break to be away from him. Patricia knew how to seize every opportunity she found to be with Angelo anyway and this was just one of those times.

She watched how Patricia froze for a second, refraining from moving a muscle without even taking a second to look at her.

"I had no idea you were going to be here."

Patricia exhaled and went back to cleaning Angelo who still happened to be unconscious. Anna watched her dab the towel back into the bowl of warm water, she squeezed it gently and cleaned Angelo's arm with it. She found her head slowly moving towards his direction. He was so deep in sleep to move. He looked so pale, so different, so...sick. She never imagined Angelo to ever be in the state he was in. It was just the other day he had a lot to say to her and now, he couldn't even keep his eyes open long enough to say anything.

She could see the what was left of needle outside his skin while the drip flowed slowly through it. She could also see how the better half of his face hid behind the oxygen mask.

He looked so helpless.
So lifeless.

"I had no idea I had to ask for your permission to be here"

Patricia got up, distracting Anna as she threw the towel into the bowl, picked up the bowl and headed straight to the bedside drawer, still avoiding eye contact with her.

"No, no that wasn't what i meant." Not that she needed to explain, "you know that's not what I meant." for some reason, Anna felt like she had to. She felt the need to ensure that Patricia did not misunderstand the situation. Even though she was married to Angelo, she was aware of how much she meant to him. He needed her, Anna knew that much and there was no way she was going to take one of the only few good people in Angelo's life away from him

"Maybe if you would be better at your responsibilities as a wife, I would not have to go through the stress if doing any of this, I would not have to see your face every damn second."

"Excuse me?"

Now Anna found that offensive.
How could Patricia say that to her when all she spent her entire week doing was trying to find a donor for the transplant. She had barely even had the time to breathe or sleep or be at Trusk. Patricia was barely even doing anything besides be his personal handbag all day and she thought she could badmouth her? Judge her?

Paticia dropped the bowl with a thud on the table and then turned to Anna in a hurry. It was no use keeping it in anyway.

"Where have you been all day Anna?"

Anna flickered her tongue on her lower teeth. Not like she owed anyone any explanations especially Patricia.

"I stoppoed by the office for a second. I had to drop off something."

But she always found herself explaining either ways. Patricia scoffed. It was exactly as she guessed.

"is that all you ever care about? That office? That company?"

"Patricia." Anna took a deep breath. Of course she would misunderstand. "it's not even like that-"

"You know, this is all your fault. He's this way because of you."

Patricia had tears in her eyes. Anna could see that.

Her?

How on earth was it because of her?

"Angelo never missed his medication. Not even for one day. He survived years without an episode and suddenly you show up and have his head messed up. You did this."

Anna exhaled. She didn't know what to say. She tried to understand where she was coming from, she wanted to and so, she could understand Patricia's hurt. Patricia sniffed.

"I've tried to understand why he did it, why he chose you. Everyone says it's just for the company but that's not just it. It's everything. It's the way he looks at you. It's the same way he used to look at me."

She sniffed.

"He was really good at hiding it but it didn't take long for me to find out he's in love with you."

Anna could feel her heart skip a beat.

"Patricia-"

"You," Patricia repeated. "You can't even be here for him when he needs you. How can he chose you over me? How can he want to be with you over me? You don't care about him. All you care about is that stupid company, everyone knows that but you know what's even worse? It's the fact that he knows that too and is just letting you use him.  You can't even bring yourself to pretend to be concerned about whether he lives or dies." She scoffed. "I feel terribly embarrassed when I think of how I keep losing to you when you don't even deserve him."

Anna let out a weak exhale.

"You don't deserve him. You never have and you never will. I don't know how but I'm going to make sure to get him back, and then I'd make him realize how much of a bad idea getting involved with you is. Angelo is mine, he's all I have, he's a good man. One of the few good men in this world, and I'd die first before I let anyone take him for granted , before I let anyone harm him. Never forget that. "

Patricia eyed Anna and then sniffed as hard as she could. She stormed to the door, opened it quickly and then stormed out.

Anna exhaled. She slowly turned to the bed, taking in everything Patricia has said to her. She was right. Maybe it was all her fault, maybe Angelo was that way because he got attached to her. Maybe she was a bit selfish, too hard on him. All he ever did was help her, be there for her in so many cases and she never even got the chance to thank him. Angelo was a good man and he didn't deserve her. She knew that. She always had but what was she going to do? Was she really sure she could live with herself, with her guilt if she watched him die like that?

Knock, knock.

Anna cleaned. Her eyes quickly before the door opened.

"Mrs Trusk?"
She sniffed and raised her head to stop her tears from falling again.

"What is it Bruce?" She asked him as he took a few more steps in.

"There's something you need to know."

Now that had caught her attention. Anna slowly turned her gaze to him, hoping he just went straight to the point already.

"It's your sister-in-law. She just arrived and she's at the doctor's office right now."

"What?"