The Lotus And The Billionaire

Chapter 50: Fever

“Diaz, are you…”

I looked away from Alvarez, aware that I wouldn’t be able to lie and act tough when it came to this. With me being sick, there’s nowhere else for me to run. I have no intentions of doing so, but with him handing me the pill without realizing that I’m afraid…

Damn it.

Alvarez stared at me with one of his brows raised, as if asking what was wrong. He’s done feeding me the porridge, which is why it’s just the medicine left. It was the prescription of the family doctor of the Alvarezes, who was just here.

“You can’t take…these?” he asked as he eyed the pill as if he couldn’t believe what he had just learned about me.

I sighed. “Yeah, I can’t.”

“Why?”

“It’s too big...” I reasoned out as I looked

“And my d**k isn’t?”

For some reason, I was able to gather the strength to throw a pillow at him. He easily evaded it as my throw was too slow, laughing. Does he seriously think this is all too funny?!

I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned my body on the headrest of the bed. Alvarez noticed my temperament and immediately composed himself as he looked at the pill.

It was a tad too big for me. When I was a kid, I came across a terrible rumor about a schoolmate getting a pill stuck in their throat, who eventually passed away. Since then, I have always refused to drink anything that was likely to cause something as terrible as that.

No one ever knew about that except my parents and Vin, who never dared to mock me for it. But my husband right here, who wouldn’t pass on an opportunity to make a mockery of me, would most likely use it against me.

“Look, there’s a valid reason as to why I can’t drink those.”

“And what is that?”

I didn’t want to tell him, but if I didn’t, he’d force me to drink it. I understand his concern because it’s related to my health, but I don’t think I can…

Perhaps he could just call their family doctor again. I know I shouldn’t act like such a VIP, but I’m scared. Every time I remember how I had imagined something like that to happen, I get chills.

“Fine, I’ll tell you.”

And so, I really did end up telling him.

I thought he’d burst out laughing upon finding out that I have that kind of fear. But contrary to what I had expected, he only looked at me as if he already expected it.

“I thought you just didn’t like being taken care of or anything like that.”

“That, too.”

He scoffed and stared at me as if he was contemplating something. I already had a feeling it’d turn out to be something I wouldn’t like, but I gave him the benefit of the doubt.

Truth be told, I know that I can just sleep this fever off and I’ll be fine the next day. That was how it has always been for the past few years. However, with Alvarez being a worrywart, I doubt I’d be able to get away with that.

I pursed my lips together as I waited for Alvarez, praying that he would let me off the hook and just allow me to rest. Even when it was unlikely, I hoped.

“You still have to drink this…” he trailed off as he held the glass of water.

Ah, of course.

“I’m not good at taking care of people, so I’m not really sure about what I’m supposed to do. The only thing I can do is to help you take your medicine to make sure you'll get better as soon as possible.”

“I understand…” That was the only thing I could say because I knew he was right. There’s no way for me to refute that.

“Good. Now, drink up…”

“But…”

“Scared?”

I nodded and weakly pushed his hand away. “I don’t think I—”

Without warning, Alvarez grabbed my chin and gently squeezed it. As my mouth went agape, he placed the pill on my tongue. I thought he was going to force me to swallow it.

I was gripping his wrist so hard, feeling scared as horrible thoughts began to cloud my mind. And just as I was about to cry, he snatched the water from the glass I was holding.

“Sorry about this…” he muttered as he drank the water and then passed it into my mouth, forcing me to take the water and pill at once.

It was so fast that I had no time to react. Alvarez’s tongue was pushing both the water and the pill onto my throat. His hand was on my nape to make sure that I wouldn’t pull away. I had no other choice but to swallow it, with the water swiftly pushing it down my throat.

When it was all over, Alvarez pulled away. Both of us were panting despite the kiss not being as passionate as any kiss we’d shared before. And it wasn’t even a kiss! I think. It was just him making sure I could drink the pill.

As I caught my breath, I felt the need to hold onto his arm. He was staring down at me, his hands still on my waist. Heck, I didn’t even notice that they had already slipped in there!

“Congrats, you’re alive,” he told me as he rewarded me with a pat on the head.

“Why the hell did you…”

“Does it matter? You’ve taken the medicine. Just rest.”

“But what if you catch my flu?!”

He kissed me! At this point, it won’t be unlikely for him to catch it. Sure, he did it for my sake, but even then, I felt a foreign feeling creeping upon me.

I pursed my lips and looked away. Somehow…I wanted Alvarez to kiss me again. It’s not that I can’t get enough of him, but it’s because it makes me feel giddy and that distracts me from how much pain I’m feeling in my body right now.

I wanted to tell him what I felt, but I didn’t have the courage to do so. Instead, I watched him go outside the bedroom to clean up. f**k, I didn’t even get the chance to tell him that I’m thankful.

Had he left me with an unfamiliar doctor or simply a guard, I would have gone hysterical, especially after everything I learned about. Perhaps that was what he was thinking of when he decided to stay here with me.

As I waited for him to come back to ask him a few questions, I heard my phone ring. This is the first time in a while. I remember the last call I had on this phone being from my mother, and ever since, I haven’t received any calls.

I couldn’t really read the name on my phone screen because my mind wasn’t working properly. My head is spinning, and I feel like throwing up. This is the first time I have ever been this sick and I don’t even know if it’s solely because of the stress I’ve been accumulating over the past months.

“Sorry, I think I took too long…” Alvarez told me as he came in, carrying his laptop.

“Are you going to work here?”

My voice was hoarse. This is the first time I’ve ever heard my voice sound as terrible as this. Still, I didn’t care anymore because I was too busy wondering how I could get better as soon as possible.

I tried to lie down on the bed carefully, which Alvarez noticed, and immediately went over to help me out. He really is worried, huh? Well, he’d definitely be put in a bad light if something ever happened to me.

My eyelids feel heavy, almost as if they were weighing down on me. Even then, I tried to fight it because I had a lot of questions in store for Alvarez.

“Diaz, go to sleep,” he told me as he sat beside me.

“Won’t you get sick?”

“Worried about me now?”

“No, f**k you...”

He chuckled, shaking his head jokingly. “I think you’re all better. You’re already annoying.”

“But, will you?”

“Will I get sick? No, I’m a lot tougher than this.”

“Says the person who needed me to take care of him when he busied himself to starvation,” I replied, my tone dripping with sarcasm.

“Does arguing with me make you feel better? You seem to be a lot more okay than you were earlier.”

“It’s because I’ve already eaten, you idiot.”

Alvarez continued to piss me off, but I could see him working on things that were probably sent to him by his secretary. Ah, right. I wanted to ask him if it really was okay for him to not go to work for now.

“Hey,” I called.

He didn’t answer, so I figured he’d gotten a little too focused on what he was checking. Or perhaps it’s because my voice is too weak now that I’m sick?

“Alvarez…” I whined as I tugged the hem of his shirt, almost like a kid wanting to be noticed.

“Hmm?” he finally responded, looking like he was trying to fight off a smile.

“Is it okay for you to not go to work?”

“They can function without me.”

“But you have plenty of things to attend to,” I replied with a matter-of-fact tone. Trying to match his temperament. “I checked your schedule yesterday, you know!”

“And? It’s not like the conference would go wrong without me…” he trailed off as he lightly flicked my forehead. “They’d be fine without me, Diaz. And besides, I have a feeling that Sky will be there right now.”

As far as I know, each member of the Alvarez clan has their own business to deal with, which is why Gray Alvarez is now the head of the clan and the one owning the biggest company built by their ancestors.

Honestly, I don’t get the issue the cousins have and I don’t want to know. Right now, I just want to get better so the two of us can go back to work. I…really don’t want to be a burden to Alvarez right now.

I stared at the ceiling and wondered if he was finally regretting that day when he came rushing to our house to arrange that damned wedding. Perhaps he does most of the time, especially when things are quite dicey between us.

As the sound of Alvarez’s fingers typing on his MacBook at a pace I was unable to keep up with echoed across the room, more questions began to formulate within my head.

That was when I remembered something I had completely wiped off my mind…

“Hey, have I ever told you what Zenon wanted from me?”

He looked at me with furrowed brows. “I don’t think so? Is there something I’m not aware of yet?”

I nodded. “I believe it had something to do with us. He wanted me to leave you and run away with him. Perhaps to ruin both of our families…”

“Seriously? Was that after we got married or…”

“Before. It was after our union was announced. He really wanted me to accept the proposal of the Levistes, but I was afraid of marrying someone like him.”

I guess I somehow got lucky that it was Alvarez I met back there. If it was someone else, I would likely be married to Zenon Leviste already. I refuse to believe that he wouldn’t end up hurting me, especially with the way he spoke to me the last time we met.

Ah, damn that guy. He’s the reason I’m currently being a burden to Alvarez. He’s already given me a great deal of help, yet here I am…

When I agreed to marry Alvarez, I lingered on to something I thought would remain for as long as it could. The glimmering hope I had.

I believed I would be independent despite living with him. But as it turns out…

I’m incapable.

Of course, I am.

“Diaz,” he called after a long stretch of silence.

“Hmm?”

“You’re not an inconvenience.”