Saved by the Master (De La Cerna #1)

Chapter Two

CHAPTER TWO

Hospital

Zaheera

First, my boyfriend broke up with me and then cheated on me, and now, there are video scandals circulating on the internet.

“Z. . .” Louella called to me slowly.

I turned to Louella, and I just couldn’t help but be nervous while looking at my best friend’s worried face. I immediately knew that something was wrong. I looked down and saw Louella holding my phone. I immediately went toward her and snatched the phone. My face was horrified upon seeing myself in the video. My hands began trembling again, and I almost dropped Louella’s phone, but luckily, Louella quickly went to me and guided me to the couch.

“Lou, I... I am on the news. They’re calling me w***e, cheater, gold digger! Lou, you know I’m not like that! I genuinely love Coven! He knows it because I always tell him that. I always show it!” I sobbed. “How could... how could he do this to me? Of all people! I trusted him. I loved him!”

It was live news where I was reported to be cheating on Coven. People keep commenting that I was so bitter to the point that I would do such a thing. Some are even commenting that maybe the reason why I didn’t want to break up is because I am after Coven’s money. Coven was interviewed, and what I heard from him was too improbable to believe. It was like he became a whole different person... a person I wished I had never met.

“I don’t know why she did that. I don’t know if she was capable of doing that. It made me ask myself if I’m not enough for her. I’ve done everything to make our relationship work, and this is what I received.” Coven made a fake laugh, but it looked like he was hurting more and was the victim of all this.

“I loved her. I’ve always told people, to the world, that I love her. But maybe, loving her is just not enough. Maybe I should have done better.”

Coven is rich and is known worldwide. His number of followers on social media is insane, and whenever he posts pictures or videos of us together on his feed, we get thousands of comments telling him how cute we are together and what a perfect couple we are. Everyone knows about our relationship, and now people are siding with him.

“God knows how much I love him,” I covered my face with my shaky hands. I am sitting on the floor, leaning on Louella.

Right after the interview with Coven, I received tons of phone texts and calls from unknown numbers. I declined every one of them and deleted all the messages. My family called me, but I just don’t want to talk to people. I don’t want to explain everything every time. I then received an email from the company, firing her from her work.

"f**k! f**k! f**k!" I threw my phone, causing it to crack.

My mind went blank. I just stopped talking, and I don’t know what’s gotten into me. I just find myself pulling my body to stand up and walk quickly to the kitchen, grabbing the innocent knife lying on the kitchen counter.

“Z! Please... don’t do this. Please... put the knife down, Z.” Louella sobbed heartbreakingly while watching her best friend lose hope because of what had happened.

“It’s over now, Lou. How can I live properly after what happened? How can I face my family? There’s no point in living anymore…” I said desperately. I’m so sure now that I don’t want to live anymore.

“There is!” she shrieked when she saw the knife slowly cutting my wrist. “Z, please! I am begging you. Put the knife down. Don’t do this. We’ll get through this together. I’m here. We’re here. Please!”

But I was too hurt to listen. I sobbed loudly and cut myself deeper, which made the blood stream down non-stop.

↭

Louella

I screamed in horror and watched as the knife slowly dropped to the floor, escaping from Zaheera’s grip. She knelt down until she sat on the floor, leaning against the cabinet. Her hand was lying on the floor, bathing in her blood.

“Zaheera! Oh my gosh!” I ran towards her, who was now slowly becoming unconscious.

I quickly got a towel to stop the bleeding, but it didn’t, so I called security to help get her in the car. The security guard was confused, but he still helped me. He carried her until we reached the parking lot. I didn’t even manage to thank the security guard as I quickly got inside the car. I am shuddering in fear. I fear for my best friend’s life. I fear that she might not be able to handle it.

I made it to the hospital after 5 minutes since it was near my condo. I immediately asked for help. The nurses immediately came to me and helped me, but when they recognized my best friend’s face, they quickly backed off and whispered something to each other.

“What are you doing?! f*****g help my friend!” But to no avail, no one helped me.

I held Zaheera’s hand. She’s still unconscious. My sight was getting blurry. I gritted my teeth and went to one of the nurses and held him by the collar.

“Are you really going to ignore my friend?! Are you f*****g sure that you’re a nurse?!” Still, there’s no response from them.

“Where is one of your interns, Gavin? Where is Gavin Valinado?!”

A few moments later, Gavin came hurriedly. He looked so worn out and had a bruise on his face. I immediately went to check on him.

“Oh my gosh! What happened to you?” I asked in disbelief.

“Don’t mind me, Lou. What are you doing here? Why are you making a scene?”

“Gav, your sister…” I uttered and looked at Zaheera, who was still lying on the lounge chair since no one was willing to help her.

“They won’t help her. Please, Gav. Help your sister.”

Gavin immediately went to his sister. One of the nurses who came with Gavin helped him. They put her on the stretcher and placed her in the vacant bed in the ward. Gavin was stunned and stepped back upon seeing the cut on her wrist. He looked at me. I wanted to say something. My mouth opened and then closed again. I was like that for a moment; in the end, I just nodded and watched as his eyes watered. He hugged me, and that made me cry even more.

“She’s all over the news and she couldn’t stand it. I... I tried to stop her. I swear I tried!” I sobbed into Gavin’s chest, finally able to talk.

“Coven will pay for this. My sister has suffered enough, and she didn’t deserve any of this.”

I broke away from the hug and observed Gavin’s face, now full of bruises and blood.

“Yes, he will. But first, we have to do something about your bruises. We have to cover them up.”

“I know. I don’t want ZL to worry about me.”

He wiped his tears when someone stepped into the ward. He adjusted his posture. I looked at the moon, whose aura was overpowering the entire hospital.

“I received a report that someone had made a scene earlier at the nurse station,” the man said. I walked forward and was shocked to see Mr. Vyrxon De La Cerna. That was when I realized that we were in the De La Cerna Medicals.

I raised my hand. “That’s me. I made a scene. The nurses and doctors at the nurses’ station were not willing to help my best friend until Gavin came.”

I saw how dead serious Vyrxon’s face was at that moment. He looked at Zaheera, who was unconscious because of the medicine. Her wrist was now covered in a bandage.

“What happened to the patient?”

The surroundings were dead silent when he asked that. Nobody dared to answer his question because no one knew how to answer it. He looked at Gavin.

“Mr. Valinado, what happened to the patient?” he asked. Vyrxon noticed how Gavin clenched his fist and clenched his jaw.

“She committed suicide, Sir.”

Vyrxon slowly nodded, his eyes still locked on Zaheera.

“Transfer her to the VIP room and give her everything she needs.”

Gavin nodded and answered in a firm voice, “Yes, Sir.”

Vyrxon took a last look at Zaheera’s face, jaw clenching but with no emotion in his eyes.

“Give me their names,” Vyron announced before he stormed out of the ward.

↭

Zaheera

I woke up with a heavy feeling. Slowly, I opened my eyes and was surprised to see myself lying on a hospital bed. Louella noticed my little movements and she immediately called Gavin. Gavin then called a doctor and they went inside together.

They checked up on me and told me I’m fine, though I don’t know if I should believe him. I don’t feel fine at all. The doctor just told me to take a rest and that I will be discharged by the afternoon. He also advised me to visit a psychiatrist if ever I need someone who can help me with my mental health. After the doctor left, Gavin immediately walked towards me and gave me a light hug.

“You made me worried, ZL.”

I responded to his hug and tapped his back. Louella also came and hugged me. Both are crying ‘cause of relief.

“I’m so sorry for making you worry, guys,” I apologized with teary eyes.

“Please, don’t do that again,” Gavin pleaded. My mouth remained zipped.

Instead, I roamed my eyes and was shocked by how huge my room was. Did Louella put me in here? Knowing her, she would go to this extent.

“Why am I in the VIP room?” I asked.

“Well, you know. After you played Fruit Ninja, I immediately ran you to the hospital, but no one would attend to your wound. I made a scene, and then Gavin came. They treated your wound, and the CEO came; then he asked for the names of those who didn’t do their job properly. They are fired now, and the interns who were with them yesterday were pulled out from their internship, and for appeasement, he offered to transfer you to the VIP room.” There’s a hint of hesitation in Louella’s facial expression, but I’m glad she still decided to tell me the truth.

I didn’t even bother to ask why. They probably recognized me and didn’t want to touch me. Coven’s family is well known in Southeast Asia, especially here in the Philippines.

“What’s the CEO’s name? Where in the hospital are we exactly?” she asked instead.

“Mr. Vyrxon De La Cerna. You know him, right?” I nodded slowly.

“De La Cerna Medicals?”

Louella smirked. “Yes, you’re admitted here at De La Cerna Medicals. Oh, this is so exciting! De La Cerna is your ex-boyfriend’s business enemy.”

After my wound was healed, I began applying for a job, but I was declined on the spot because they didn’t want to ruin the company’s reputation or they don’t accept undergraduates. I was not able to finish college because my mother got sick from all the work she’d been doing. So, I decided to stop for a while and applied for a job. Coven helped me and got me a job as a secretary in his uncle’s company. I was able to afford medicine and medical check-ups for my mother until she got better. But instead of continuing my degree, I decided to keep working so I could provide for my family’s needs. I was already planning on continuing my degree after I saved up for my brother’s medical school. But things happened with Coven, and now, I don’t know what to do.

“f*****g s**t!” I cursed while massaging my legs. My feet hurt from walking.

I applied many times but still got rejected even though my credentials were good enough for the job. And I’m starting to think that Coven has something to do with it. I even forced myself to ignore all the catcalls and names I received from the people. On the way home, I decided to visit my brother and saw him outside the hospital while talking to someone. Gavin was facing in my direction. That’s why I could clearly see him, and my face paled seeing bruises on my brother’s face.

I immediately ran to my brother, not minding the person Gavin was talking to.

“Gavin! What happened to you?!” Gavin’s eyes widened, his body jolting, causing him to take a step back.

“ZL! What are you doing here?”

“Don’t change the subject, Gavin. What happened to you?! Why are there so many bruises on your face? And in your arms?!” I admit I’m being hysterical at this moment, and I don’t care. My brother is hurt, and I am pissed!

“He was bullied and beaten to death again.”

My eyes widen in disbelief. I can’t believe that these things happened to my brother.

“Again?!” I can’t help but yell.

I knew the man I was talking to. His face was all over the internet and was always viral on social media. The man in front of me was Vyrxon De La Cerna.

“Yeah, the first time it happened was the same day you were brought to the hospital,” Vyrxon answered.

“How did I not notice it?! You didn’t have any bruises when I woke up!” I was confused.

“Lou helped me cover the bruises with makeup. She bought a concealer at Watsons.”

I brushed my hair with my fingers and paced in front of my brother. I stopped and glared at him in frustration.

“Why didn’t you tell me?!”

“Because I don’t want you to worry! You have so many problems on your plate right now, and I don’t want to add to them!”

I was speechless. I was just in tears and was looking at my brother. All of this happened because of me. My brother probably got bullied because of the video.

“There was nothing to worry about anymore, Miss Valinado. I’ve already taken action. I apologize that this happened to your brother while he’s in our care.” Thankfully, I calmed down upon hearing Vyrxon.

“Thank you, Mr. De La Cerna.”

“It is my responsibility to discipline my employees. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I still have meetings to attend. It’s not nice seeing you here, Miss Valinado. I don’t want to see you here again lying in bed,” said Vyrxon in his baritone voice. His voice was calm, but truthfully, it was scary.

But before Vyrxon fully turned his back on them, I called him. I could see how Vyrxon looked at me deeply. It was as if he was looking directly into my soul― fiercely.

“Thank you for that night,” I sincerely said and smiled at him.

Vyrxon’s jaw clenched as he looked at me intently before answering her. “This is a hospital, and what they did to you was unethical and against the law.”

Vyrxon walked away from us, but before he got inside his car, he turned around. His gaze darted to mine. We were not so far from each other, so I could hear what he said clearly.

“Do not give up your life for a bastard. He doesn’t deserve any of your blood.”