Lewis didn't say anything for a long time.
The light in Josephine's eyes slowly dimmed down. Soon, a hurt expression appeared on her face.
She went silent for a moment before lowering her hand sadly.
Lewis suddenly lifted her head, his hand caressing her cheek. "You're right."
The young woman looked surprised for a moment before staring at him happily.
He was still leaning against the headboard while looking weak. His form seemed to blend into the white wall behind him, but it brought out the color in his eyes.
The slightest trace of a smile was curled on his lips. "You're right. I like you the most."
The frown on Josephine's face relaxed slowly upon hearing the man's reply. A glimmer of joy flickered in her teary eyes, rekindling a spark of hope within her.
She firmly grasped, nestling even closer and burying her face in the warmth of his palm.
As the vibrant fireworks painted the sky with bursts of color, their shadows danced on the windowpane, flickering and intertwining with each dazzling explosion.
Lewis reached out and picked up the watch on the nightstand, glancing at the dial to check the time. It was already 11.30 pm.
"Sit here." The man patted the spot next to him on the bed.
Josephine shook her head before gesturing, "No, you're injured, so we can't sleep together."
"I'll be fine. Come here." Lewis grabbed her hand gently. He was unable to exert any strength since he had just undergone the operation.
The young woman hesitated for a moment before getting up to her feet and sitting down right next to him.
"Take off your shoes and lie down."
Josephine kicked her shoes off, flipped the covers away, and sat beside Lewis.
She then turned around to stare at him.
The man rested a hand on her head. "Go to sleep."
She gestured, "No way! I need to watch over you!"
Josephine scolded herself for accidentally falling asleep earlier. She did promise Conrad that she would take good care of Lewis, after all.
"There's no use watching over me. It's not like I can leave on my own anyway. Now, be a good girl and sleep."
The young woman blinked silently, still looking a little hesitant.
However, she did feel drained. It had been two days since she last rested fitfully, not to mention the one time she managed to sleep, she ended up having a nightmare.
"Listen to me. Just sleep right now. I won't leave."
Whenever Lewis issued an order, Josephine felt compelled to obey without question. His words seemed to possess a commanding power that triggered an instinctual obedience within her, as if bound by an invisible curse.
The latter pondered for a moment before shifting to a lying position. Once she made herself comfortable, she stared at Lewis unblinkingly as though he was going to disappear anytime soon.
She gestured, "Are you not going to sleep?"
Lewis hung his head while caressing Josephine's locks gently. "I just woke up, so I'm not going to sleep anymore."
The young woman wanted to gesture something else, but he quickly turned off the light, causing the ward to plunge into darkness.
Surprised, she quickly snuggled into Lewis' arms and wrapped her arms around his waist before burying her face into his hips.
His clothes smelled of disinfectants, which was something Josephine disliked. Still, she tightened the hug subconsciously.
By then, the young woman was already exhausted, so she fell asleep by Lewis' side in less than a minute.
A while later, once Lewis was certain that Josephine was sound asleep, he threw off the covers and got out of bed.
Lewis withdrew a cigarette from his pocket and headed toward the window. Then, he slid it open before leaning against the windowsill and lighting his cigarette.
The lighter's soft click resounded in the silent ward. The glow emitted by the tiny flame was cast on the man's face.
With his cigarette trapped between his fingers, Lewis tilted his head to look at the scenery.
His ward was located on the eighth floor, so he wasn't able to see much of the horizon. All he could see was the street right outside the hospital, which was still brightly lit despite the late hour.
Hardington was a lot more boisterous and bustling compared to Elysium.
During winter, most of the shops in Elysium were already closed at this hour, which made the city seem quieter than usual.
Conrad dropped by with food the following day.
The first thing he saw was Josephine lying on the hospital bed while snoozing away, whereas Lewis happened to be sitting on the couch with one hand supporting his head. His eyes flew open when he heard the door opening.
"Chairman Alvarez—" Conrad didn't know what to say at that time.
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