Chapter 12
1448 Words
Izzy let out a deep sigh after reading the text message. She didn’t even need to ask who sent it—there was only one person who ever messaged her like this: Seth Santiago.
She rolled her eyes as she reread the message, then chose to shove her phone into her pocket.
“Your boss won’t lose his mind if I ignore his text, right?”
Izzy said, deliberately raising her voice so the person on the other end could hear her.
She rolled her eyes again when the driver didn’t even glance at her.
“We’re here.”
A moment later, she heard Mang Robert’s gruff voice.
Instead of responding to Seth Santiago’s grumpy driver, Izzy chose to quietly open the car door and quickly step out.
“I’ll go ahead, Manong. Thanks for the ride. Please let Sir Seth know I got back to the hospital safely.”
She said cheerfully, rolling her eyes when the driver simply stared at her.
“Nice talking to you… You know, talking once in a while won’t kill you.”
She shook her head, falling silent when the driver shot her an unimpressed look.
So rude… As if I wanted to make him wait outside the coffee shop for hours.
She muttered to herself, forcing a smile before speaking again.
“Well, I’m off now. Thanks again, and please tell Sir Seth I said thank you.”
“You tell him yourself.”
The driver replied lazily, making Izzy grimace.
“Ugh, whatever. Bye!”
She huffed, slamming the car door shut.
—
As soon as Izzy entered the hospital, she rushed toward the ward where her mother was staying. Her heart pounded when she saw the empty hospital bed from the doorway.
Scratching her head in panic, she stepped inside and exhaled sharply when she noticed that even their belongings were gone.
It was as if her mother and uncle had never been there that morning.
“Where…?”
She muttered absentmindedly, running a hand through her hair.
“Are you looking for your mother?”
A fellow patient nearby spoke up, making Izzy turn to them.
If she could, she would’ve replied—
Obviously. Who else would I be looking for?
But she knew better, so instead, she forced a polite smile and nodded.
“Yes… Do you know where she is? The doctor didn’t mention that she could be discharged yet. Was she transferred to another ward?”
“Oh, yes, I think so. I’m not sure, but a handsome man came by earlier. He looked rich from the way he dressed and carried himself. Your mother was moved to another ward, but I don’t know where.”
Confusion washed over Izzy.
“Who could it be?”
She murmured to herself.
Handsome and rich…
She thought for a moment before her eyes widened in realization. Her anxiety spiked as the patient continued speaking.
“I overheard that the man is the secretary of the president of that charity you went to for help. I didn’t catch everything, but that’s what I think they said.”
“Seth…”
Izzy whispered, her eyes still wide. A lump formed in her throat as unease settled in.
What if Seth tells Mom about our conversation about the money?
She thought, trying to calm herself despite the rising fear and dread.
What would her uncle say? More than that, she wasn’t sure she could bear her mother’s reaction if she found out what she had done.
Too anxious to even thank the patient, Izzy hurriedly ran toward the nurse’s station.
“Izzy?”
Before she could reach it, she stopped in her tracks when she heard Dr. Martin, her mother’s doctor, call her name.
“Doctor, where’s my mother?”
She asked breathlessly. The doctor smiled before answering.
“The charity you reached out to came here and moved her to a private room.”
“What? A private room? Isn’t that expensive, Doctor? That’s why she was staying in the ward…”
“Isn’t this a good thing? She has her own room now, which means less stress and a more comfortable recovery.”
“It’s not that I don’t appreciate it, Doctor, but where is she? I’ll just go see her.”
Without waiting for a response, Izzy quickly headed toward the direction the doctor pointed to.
—
Standing outside the closed door, Izzy hesitated. She could already hear several voices inside, including her mother’s cheerful tone.
Should she knock or just walk in?
She took a deep breath, trying to shake off her nerves. She didn’t even know who else was inside besides her uncle and mother.
After wasting a few more moments outside, she finally gathered her courage and turned the doorknob.
The moment she stepped inside, her breath caught.
Even though the man in front of her had his back turned, she immediately recognized him by his stance and build.
“Oh, Izzy’s here.”
Her uncle beamed upon seeing her. Slowly, Izzy walked forward. She forced an awkward smile as everyone turned their gaze toward her.
Her heart pounded even harder when her eyes met his.
Seth Santiago… What are you doing here?
She wanted to ask out loud but couldn’t, especially with the way he was staring at her so intensely.
“Sweetheart, where have you been? Why are you only arriving now?”
“Uh, Mom… I got called into work. I’m sorry…”
She mumbled, avoiding Seth’s gaze.
“Oh, right. You mentioned that before you left earlier. I forgot. But it’s fine, you’re here now. By the way, Izzy, this is Sir Seth Santiago, and this is Ed, his secretary.”
Her mother introduced them enthusiastically.
Izzy wanted to tell her that she already knew them, but she held back. It was clear from her mother and uncle’s expressions that they were thrilled by their visitors.
But really, what are you doing here, Seth?
She wondered again, forcing a smile as she turned to him.
“G-good evening…”
She greeted, her voice slightly trembling. She noticed the smirk on Seth’s lips before he extended his hand toward her.
“Hi, I’m Seth Santiago. I’m the president of the charity…”
He said, emphasizing the word charity with a knowing smirk.
“I-Isabel Vergara…”
She feigned an introduction.
“Sweetheart, we should be very grateful. The president of the charity that helped pay for my treatment is here in person to visit us.”
“O-oh, yes… S-sir, thank you very much for h-helping my mother. I will forever be indebted to your k-kindness…”
Izzy stammered, barely able to maintain eye contact with him.
She could play along with whatever game Seth Santiago was playing.
What she couldn’t handle was the question that had been haunting her since she arrived—
What do you really want, Seth?
“It’s my pleasure to meet you, Isabel. It’s getting late. Maybe we should go now…”
He said with a polite smile. Izzy barely nodded, watching as he bid farewell to her mother and uncle.
The moment he stepped out of the room, Izzy quickly followed him.
She wasn’t surprised to find him waiting in the hallway, as if he expected her to come after him.
“Izzy…”
He called her name, his voice cold and serious.
“Sir Seth, w-why are you here?”
She asked immediately.
“I helped your mother. I thought it wouldn’t hurt to pay her a visit. In fact, I wanted to play along with your lies… Charity? Hah… That’s the best excuse you could come up with?”
He scoffed, making Izzy gulp.
“I-I couldn’t exactly tell the truth about where I got the money… Sir Seth—”
“Seth.”
“Huh?”
She looked at him in confusion.
“Just call me Seth. I’m not your boss, so drop the formalities.”
“S-Seth… Thank you for helping my mother, for moving her to a better room… But you didn’t have to do all that…”
She said in a breathless rush.
“Why not? Are you afraid I’ll use this as leverage to collect what you owe me? Don’t worry, Isabel. I didn’t do it to help you. I did it because I don’t like staying in a regular hospital ward with other patients—it disgusts me. I did it for myself. There’s nothing more to discuss.”
He then leaned in closer, his warm breath brushing against her skin.
“If you ignore my messages again, I swear I won’t hesitate to take what’s already mine. And trust me, you won’t like it.”
- Writer
