could it be?

Ciara's pov

The first thing I became aware of was a steady beeping sound. The second thing was an intense and overwhelming feeling that was consuming my body. There was a constant throbbing in my head that matched the rhythm of my heartbeat and the mechanical beeping echoing around me. Sharp and heavy pain in my chest made it hard to breathe. My eyes were closed and I didn't want to open them because of the fear that I might be here again. In the place, I hate the most.

As I slowly opened my eyes, I blinked a few times to clear the blurry vision in my eyes. I scanned the room to orient myself and forced a smile when I realized I really was. The beeping sound was coming from a large, gray machine beside me. It took a moment for me to realize that I was connected to the machine through the various tubes sticking out of my arm. My arms and legs were cold despite being covered by a thick and soft blanket. There was the unmistakable smell of sterile equipment that was found only in a hospital.

I let out a heavy sigh before I slowly sat up in bed and wondered how I got here because the last thing I remember was me fainting in my bed.

"Who brought me here? How did I get in here? "I asked myself, but then someone suddenly popped into my mind. A small amount of smile flashed on my lips as I thought of that particular person who could be the one who took me in here.

"Could it be him?" I asked myself, referring to Tyron, but my smile quickly faded as my mind interrupted. Thinking that he just walked out of my room and left me behind while I was there screaming all my pain out.

"But no, he might be guilty of what he did to you, right?" I tried convincing myself that it was him, the fact that I saw how he got worried earlier could be a chance that he still cared for me and he brought me here.

"I know he still cares for me, I won't doubt that."

"You okay?"

"Oh, God!" I suddenly felt a little jump-scared on my system because of the shock when I heard someone speak out of nowhere. And when I turned my head on the door, there was a tall woman standing near the door looking at me while smiling. She even laughed when she saw my expression.

"You startled me, didn't you know how to knock?"

I gently caressed my chest to calm myself down because I can still feel the fast beating of my heart. The nurse walks into the room while carrying a tray with food and medicine in it.

"Are you still good? Is he that strict? That's why your mind was also getting affected? "I frowned at what the nurse was saying.

"Huh?"

"You're talking to yourself and laughing alone. I should have told them you shouldn't have been brought here," my brows furrowed even more.

"Where must I be taken, then?" I asked.

"Mental," she answered as she gently laughed, obviously just playing around. Do I look that crazy to bring me up there?

"By the way, I'm Kaye." She introduced.

"I'm Ci-"

"Ciara. Yeah, I know, because the person who brought you here was the person who asked me to take care of you." My eyes widened at what she said. So, does that mean she knows who??

"Who was it? Can you tell me who?" I asked. The excitement was visible in the tone of my voice as I asked her, but it was also quickly dropped because of her answer.

"Secret!" I rubbed my nape when she smiled at me widely. But still.

"I'm thankful to whoever that person is, he just saved my life. Didn't know someone would really do that for me, he's so thoughtful." I utter while still in the process of thinking who could possibly be that person.

"Yeah, he really is. I strongly agree with you. Just so you know, he might look so bad because of his cold personality, but he'll probably run ahead of you just to take every bullet so it won't reach you. That's how he cares for you, Ciara. That's what his feelings can do for you."

I froze from my seat when she uttered those words, felt like I had a spine-chilling moment and a little spark on my chest. I can sense that she meant every word she says and it makes me overthink even more who she was referring to because I can't think of anyone and only Tyron who keeps on popping in my mind.

Could it really be him? Could he possibly do that for me? I know he cares for me, but I don't think he has feelings for me that can make him do it for me. Knowing him, he'll probably catch the bullet, but not for me. But for that girl.

I can't even smile at what this nurse just told me because there's a part of me thinking it's too impossible that it was Tyron. Well, maybe, he's that person with a cold personality because that's how he acts towards me, but that risky thing she mentioned? I don't think it'll be Tyron.

Is there anyone else who's willing to do that for me? Who would it be?

"Here, eat this. It's your food, eat all of that to regain your energy. Then after your meal, take your medicine, okay?" She reminded me.

"Get well. I'll be the one who will put in the fault when he finds out you haven't even regained your strength." She said,

"I'll go ahead now, don't forget your medicine. I'll go back here so I can tell you when you will get home." She smiles at me.

"Wouldn't he be going to pick me up here?" I asked, trying to find a clue who it could be, but she just shrugged.

"I don't think he will, he didn't mention anything about it," she responded, which made me nod.

Tyron's pov

I'm at a loss for words as to why I'm feeling this way. I felt anxious and guilty after witnessing how she struggled to breathe earlier. I was stunned and didn't know what to do, so I left right away. I'm not sure what happened to her after that. I can't understand myself anymore, I know what I did earlier was wrong because I was carried away by my anger, but this is what I want, isn't it? To hurt her and get revenge. But why do I feel like I am suddenly regretting it all? Damn it.

All I knew was that I left the house and my feet took me somewhere.

"Yes, Sir? Good Afternoon! Cadena for your dog or cat, sir?" The sales lady asked me, I was momentarily stunned by her question. I roam my eyes off around their shop. And there, I saw a bunch of chains and leashes for the animals. I looked at the sales lady for a while and there's a distinctness in me that she seemed to be saying I should buy one.

What am I going to do with those chains?

But then, my eyes darkened when I remembered her.

"Chain for a human, Miss," without any hesitation, I said it that made the sales lady's brows furrowed.

"Where will you use it, sir? This is a rare item in our shop because you can't find it anywhere since this was barely used. But anyway, give me a minute, sir. I'll get it." She said with a confused face before turning his back.

"All right, let me see it."

Maybe it would be better if this will be the one I will use for her, so she can't escape again whenever I'm not in the house.

"Here it is, sir." She handed me the chain she was holding. It's a collar choker with a chain leash.

"You can use it for your pets, sir, but you could also use that for a p-person if you wanted." She said and when I looked at the sales lady, she was biting her lips as if she was stopping herself from smiling.

What's so funny with this chain? I know how to use this and this is not the chain that I was expecting to see, because this chain was only used for— damn it. Nevermind.

"I'll take this. How much?" I grabbed my wallet and didn't take a look at her again. It's annoying to me how she was stopping herself from smiling, does she even think that I will really do that? No way, I'll use this for a different purpose.

"That's 1,547, sir," she replied. I handed her the exact amount of the price and left the shop as nothing happened.

I went home to Hannah's house first. I just smiled when she quickly ran out of her house and greeted me as soon as I got out of the car.

"Where have you been this time, hon? I didn't know you'd come home too in here, you made me just travel alone earlier! Oh God, you're really something else. But why are you here?" She raised one eyebrow.

"You leave Ciara again alone there?" She asked incredulously, obviously startled by my sudden arrival. I cleared my throat before I answered her.

"I don't. It's just that, I happened to pass by somewhere earlier and saw a thing, I remember something when I saw it that's why I brought it," I lied. I forcedly smile at her. I know my smile is fake and she can sense it. I also don’t know, I’m just not in the mood right now. Something's bothering my mind but I can't figure out what it is. It's making me feel anxious.

"Really? Did you buy something? Let me take a look at it, is it for me?" She said, excitedly.

"It's nothing—" she immediately rushed open the door of my car and saw the brown paper bag that was placed from the shotgun seat. She took it out from my car and peered inside.

"Ah..? What's this? What are you going to do with this thing, hon?" She looked at me puzzled as she saw what was inside the paper bag. She took it out and her face frowned.

"Why does it look like this? What's this collar choker for?" She gazed at me again, "are you perhaps.. going to use this on someone, hon?" She asked curiously, looking surprised at what she saw. I gulped.

I immediately took it from her hand and quickly thought of an excuse. I know she's thinking about that. Because I won't deny it, this thing was only for those couples who would like to do it. But this is not for it! I'm not going to use it for that thing, I have my own purpose why I bought this and it is not for that thing which couples often do.

"No! I bought this for a dog.. yeah. Remember the dog you requested and wanted to buy? We're going to use this for that," I think of it as an excuse. But she just looks at me suspiciously as if she's expecting me to say the expected reason.

"You're too advanced, we haven't even bought that dog, but you already bought a chain for him? Are you good?" She chuckled, probably thinking that I'm acting so weird right now. Well, to hell, yeah. I know I'm acting so damn weird and I hate it.

"Well anyway, let's go inside, I cooked my favorite dish." Her face went bright as she pulled me inside her house. I didn't speak anymore and let her pull me as I sighed in relief.

She assisted and prepared food for us. As we both started eating, she came out with a question that I'm not expecting her to bring.

"How's Ciara? Is she okay? You've told her something so bad, and I didn't like it. Probably, it has a big impact on her and it makes her upset a lot. Did you even try apologizing to her? I didn't expect you to say that to her... I'm disappointed, Ty." Her voice seemed so concerned and down when she remembered what happened earlier, I sighed and put the utensils down as I wiped my mouth.

"I don't," I replied. The tone was so serious as well as my face stilled straight, giving her an expressionless face.

"What?" She frowned. "You didn't apologize to her? Why??" I shrugged at her question.

"I just don't feel like saying it. Maybe she deserves it?" She scoffed as I said those.

"Why are you so angry with her? I'm really disappointed in you, Tyron. I didn't like what you just did earlier to her!" She exclaimed and pinned me with her glaring eyes.

"Don't tell me, you hurt her again?" She raised her eyebrow, she looked so furious and I can't help but sigh. She's more concerned about that woman than me.

"No. I'm not." I lied and continued eating, avoiding her gaze. I know she'll sense that I'm lying once our gaze met. My eyes really can't lie, that's why it's so easy for her to read me, she can sense if I'm telling the truth or not just by looking directly into my eyes.

"Really?" She doesn't seem to believe me.

"Yep, you told me not to hurt her once more, so I did. Why? you want me to hurt her again?" I tried to sound so innocent as I raised my head to confidently look at her just to prove to her that I'm not lying.

Well, maybe I did it. But I didn't mean to do it, it's just that my anger took over my system and I didn't control myself anymore.

I heard her sigh.

"But, what about her bruises? Where did it come from? I saw it earlier, are you sure you're not hurting her anymore? You could just tell me the truth because it's making me worry a lot." The concerns were so visible in her tone, even in her eyes. It is as if it's forcing me to tell her the truth because it's hurting her seeing me lying even though the truth was so clear.

“Maybe, it's her allergy? I don't know, but I'm not hurting her anymore.” I still lied. I can't, I just can't tell her. Why would I say yes if I didn't mean to do it? I didn't even notice that I'm hurting her that much. What was I'm planning to do was only talk to her and confirm what they just talked about. That's all, I just want to hear from her what really just happened between them, but I didn't expect that my rage would engulf my whole system that time as soon as I saw her face looking so damn innocent and pitiful.

It's making me furious because that was the expression she gave me back then when I asked her to tell me the truth if she's really the reason why our wedding continued and she confessed, she forced her parents to arrange me to her even though her parents really planned to help our business even without exchange from us. And now that I see that damn expression of her again, I really can't help but lose control of myself and didn't realize what I just did and tell her, I just realize everything when I saw her almost die in my hands, looking so pale, having a hard time catching a breath and having cold hands.

“You sure? Can you take her to the hospital at least? So that the doctor could check her up as well as her health? She looks so fragile when I'm with her earlier. I'm really worried about her condition. Can you please help her once, Ty, please? For me?" I heard Hannah talk.

“She's fine, that's nothing. She can handle herself, don't mind about her."

"Please, just this one? After all, she's your priority, Ty. She's your wife, remember?" I looked at her and saw the agony in her eyes, but I didn't answer. She must know the answer.

"Tyron."

"Let me do anything, except that," I said and gave her a serious look that made her shoulders drop.

"You won't even do a single thing for her, why would I bother to ask you a favor anyway." She rolled her eyes on me and rose from her seat. I could feel the coldness of the atmosphere as she looked at me.

"Finish your food and go home after." She said, and without looking back, she left me there alone, going straight to her room. I even waited for her a bit to go down again so I could tell her that I'm leaving, but a few more hours passed of waiting, she really didn't come down.

I sighed. Why is it always about her, Hannah? How can I get us back if you always keep pushing me towards her?