The hospital was quiet at 3:00 a.m., the kind of silence that felt sacred. Nora moved through the pale, sterile hallways like a ghost, her footsteps echoing softly. She reached Asher's room and gently pushed the door open.
The little boy lay peacefully, his small chest rising and falling beneath the thin white blanket. Bandages wrapped gently around his forehead and side. Nora's heart tightened at the sight, but she allowed herself a small smile. He was safe.
She walked to his bedside and brushed a strand of hair from his face, leaning down to press a gentle kiss on his cheek. "You're strong," she whispered. Carefully, she adjusted the blanket, tucking him in.
As she straightened, she froze—the sound of the door creaking open behind her pulled her attention around. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw Zayan standing in the doorway.
He looked just as surprised. "Uhmm… I thought you were in the mansion," he said awkwardly.
"No," Nora answered, barely above a whisper.
"Oh…" Zayan rubbed the back of his neck, stepping further into the room. "So… how is he doing?"
"He's still asleep," she replied quietly, watching the boy for a moment before turning to Zayan. Her gaze sharpened. "How much did you pay for the surgery, huh?"
Zayan blinked. "What?"
She stepped closer, her voice growing firmer. "How much did you pay, Master?"
He sighed, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Ten million."
Her eyes widened. "T…T…Ten million?!"
"Yeah," he said, with a slight smirk and his signature British drawl, "Not like I could ignore it."
Nora's lips parted in disbelief. "I thought… you were a devil. A man without love. No emotion. So why help… a maid who doesn't even meet your standards? An orphan—"
She didn't finish.
Zayan closed the distance in a blink, his hand reaching up to grip her neck—not to hurt her, but to hold her still. Then his lips crashed into hers, silencing her doubts, her words, her pain.
It was fierce. Desperate. Possessive.
He pulled her closer until there was no space between them. His other hand tangled into her hair. She melted into the kiss, her hands gently resting on his chest. For two long minutes, the world faded. Only the thudding of their hearts remained.
When they finally parted, their breaths were shallow.
Nora looked up at him. "I owe you… and I will repay you."
Zayan's lips curled into a dark smile. "You know what I want," he said, voice low and smooth. "I'll be waiting."
Neither of them spoke another word.
They walked out of the hospital side by side—one a devil, the other a maid—but in that moment, their fates had entwined tighter than ever before.