Ethan gave a curt nod, casting a brief glance at her face before turning back to stare out of the car through the rearview mirror.
"You look shaken," he noted.
"Yeah," Ruthlyn replied. "I saw Shikera in the lobby and thought she found out already. But she said she ca here just to visit her doctor."
His brows furrowed slightly but his lips remained shut. Instead, he started the car and drove away. The only sound in the silent car was that of Ruthlyn’s finger typing away on the keyboard of the laptop on her legs.
She looked up only after a few minutes and stared out of the car, noting the surroundings.
"Where do you plan to drop off?" she asked, seeing that they were almost at DL Corporation which she handled while Enoch handled Anderson Corporation.
"Where do you want to?" Ethan returned the question.
Ruthlyn took her ti in answering the question, avoiding Ethan’s gaze as she looked down at the laptop’s screen.
"You can actually drop off at the hotel in the distance," she stated.
As expected, Ethan found a spot to pull over as soon as he could. The slight furrow in his brows had turned into a complete frown.
"Did any of those idiotic business n bully you while I and Ray were away?" he asked, a serious look in his eyes.
"Of course not," Ruthlyn replied, chuckling nervously. "I stay there because it’s an hassle returning to the mansion when I won’t be able to stay there for more than an hour."
"And what about Enoch? He lets you stay in an hotel alone while he returns ho?"
She shook her head in reply.
"No, we both stay at the hotel together. In the sa room," she stated, the latter part of her sentence spoken in a lower pitch than the forr.
"Oh, cool."
He drove back onto the highway without leaving anymore comnt as if he was not bothered, until he spoke up all of a sudden.
"Just so you know, I and Kera will have our wedding before you two so do not think of doing anything that might hasten yours."
It took a while before Ruthlyn could understand what he ant and when she finally did, she was more surprised that he and Shikera would be having another wedding.
"A wedding? Aren’t you two married already?" she questioned.
"Another one," Ethan deadpanned. "Probably one with reporters. She might actually have to report her own wedding herself."
"That...would be wonderful," Ruthlyn affird. It was not like she could argue against his decision to have his wedding before hers and Enoch’s anyway.
They soon got to the hotel where he dropped her off. Before leaving, he dialled Shikera’s number and counted the number of rings until she picked up. Just twice, it ant she was alright.
"Hey," he called.
"Ethan? Are you ho already?" Her voice sounded excited to his ears.
"No, not yet. Just wanted to ask if you are okay," he asked.
There was a slight pause from Shikera’s side before she replied, "Oh, Ruth told you she saw ? I was in the hospital to see Krystal and I’m actually on my way ho now."
"You’re sure? Tell if there’s—"
"Of course, Honey. See you at ho but don’t hurry back," she interjected.
"I love you, Shikera."
She chuckled, her laughter sounding awkward over the phone.
"Jeez, Ethan! Just co ho and let’s talk," she said.
"Will be with you in a few hours," Ethan replied. He disconnected the call and leaned back on the seat, while releasing a sigh.
★★★
Music Rec: Bring back by Miles Away.
Shikera stared at the screen of her phone even after she dropped the call, her heart beating faster than normal for a reason she could not pinpoint. Sohow, she could feel everything was going wrong sowhere.
"Kera?" she turned in the swivel chair she was sitting on to face the door, from where Krystal was walking towards her with a bunch of papers in hand.
"Yeah? You don’t look good," she stated in the most casual manner she could. From Krystal’s slightly downcast expression, she could already tell that the test results weren’t good, whatever it contained. However, she would not be Shikera if she did not take everything with a smile and insist she was okay.
She stood up from the chair to et Krystal halfway through the room, extending her hand to take the test results from her.
Krystal handed it over and watched as Shikera, without reading it, tucked the papers in her bag.
"You didn’t bother checking what it contained," Krystal pointed out.
"Did I need to? You would still need to explain everything at the end of it all," Shikera replied. "Am I dying?"
Krystal glared at her, the frown on her face deepening.
"When you walked in that door, I asked if you were okay. Were you speaking the truth when you said it was just a slight headache?" she asked.
"Yeah, I was. Just a slight headache and I’m also feeling lightheaded. Nothing serious, to be honest."
"To be dishonest you an?" Krystal countered. "What I saw in that test isn’t just headache and shit. It’s the worst your immune system has ever been, Shikera Anderson!"
"That’s not new. Several doctors always say that when they see my dical charts," Shikera retorted in a confident voice. Only soone who knew her well would be able to sense the shaky undertone of her voice.
Krystal scoffed, stepping forward to place her hand on Shikera’s shoulders.
"Look here, Kera. I can clearly rember the day you returned ho and your test results then. It wouldn’t be wrong to say you are my first ever patient cause I studied your case right from when I was still in grade 12. If I tell you this is the worst condition your system has ever been, then you have to take my words for it and believe !" she exclaid.
Shikera let out her lower lip which she had been biting down on, and snapped her head up to look at Krystal.
"What do I do then?!" she questioned, her voice louder than normal. "I know before anyone else that I’m getting worse as the days pass by what do I do? What the hell am I to do, Krystal?!"
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