"Are you sure it's okay for you to be discharged early?"

He watched her brush her teeth from the bathroom door frame. Leaning against the frame, he has his arms crossed over his chest. He was freshly showered for he woke up earlier than her.

He wanted to go home early to fulfill his promise to Lucille to make her the best waffles in the world. As soon as she learned that he was going home early, she got ready to go back to the villa too.

She cannot remain in the hospital for much longer. She is going to be sick for real if she continues her stay.

"I don't have any medical condition that needs medical attention. Even if we had the money to waste, a sprained ankle and a cut on my hand were not enough for me to waste hospital resources," she grumbled and spat toothpaste bubbles on the sink.

"Should I inform the nurse on duty of you wanting to get out?"

"Yes, please. Thank you. I'll take a quick shower then we can go - I hope."

Luke pulled the bathroom door to give Jess privacy, then head to the nurse station to inform them of Jess' decision.

When he got there the discharge paper was already ready. It seemed like they were already anticipating her plan to get out of the hospital. He now believed that Jess being held in the hospital was just a prank from Ellise.

He was even signed as the guardian in the discharge paper. He shook his head in amusement. The signing of everything was done with a breeze since everything was already ready and the hospital fees were already settled.

He didn't bother to ask who settled the hospital bills. He thanked the nurse on duty and returned to Jess' room. This stay in the hospital felt strange. It doesn't feel like they stayed in a hospital at all.

It's like they went for a staycation in a five-star hotel instead of staying in a hospital.

"Thank you for your time, Doctor Neves."

He heard Jess saying when he pushed the door open. The young good-looking doctor is back.

"Good morning," he greeted the doctor, and just like yesterday, he simply gave him a polite small nod.

He scoffed inwardly thinking that he was so friendly with his banter with Jess and he was being treated like a piece of furniture. The nerve of this doctor!

"You are very much welcome, Miss Zimmerman. As much as we wouldn't want to have you here in our hospital, I wish to see you again," he gave him a charming smile.

The corner of her mouth was tugged into a mocking smirk. The nerve of this doctor to low-key flirt with her.

"I'm grateful for your service, Doctor Neves, but no, I don't wish to see you again," she smirked.

She was expecting him to get annoyed but instead what she said seemed to just amuse the hell out of him.

"Miss Zimmerman, you can never tell what would happen tomorrow. We might end up seeing sooner than you expected."

"It won't happen because I am not expecting you in any way possible." She clicked her tongue at how impertinent the doctor is. Being good-looking doesn't give him the free pass to be a jerk!

He just chuckled at her outburst.

"It seemed like your friend already settled your discharge papers. Get well soon, Miss Zimmerman. It was nice to meet you."

"I am a patient of this hospital. I am not here to meet you. Good day, doctor!"

She hopped on her good feet and beckon Luke to leave. A nurse has a wheelchair ready for her to use but she politely declined. She grabbed Luke's arm instead.

The resort has a car waiting for them when they come out of the lobby.

"Did you call the resort to pick us up?" she asked Luke as they got in the backseat of the car.

"No. I thought you did." He creased his eyebrow, "Ellise, maybe?"

"Don't know. Don't care. Let's just go home. I want to sleep more," she yawned and leaned her head to Luke's shoulder.

"The hospital bill was already settled too when I signed your discharge papers," he informed her.

"It's probably Ellise who took care of it. Don't think of it anymore." She said, yawning again.

"Weren't you able to get a good sleep last night?" he asked as she kept on yawning.

"I couldn't sleep last night. I truly detest the hospital. If you didn't stay with me, there was a possibility that I would jump out of the hospital window."

"Your doctor was such a weirdo and a little dip shit." he sneered thinking how he treated him.

"True. I couldn't believe his shamelessness!"

He was still complaining about the doctor when he heard soft snoring. When he glanced over his shoulder he found Jess asleep. She must have stayed awake all night.

When they arrived at the resort he tried to wake her up but she was sleeping like a log. He had no choice but to carry her in his arms to their villa. He didn't bother to wake her up, because he knew how cranky she could be when her sleep got disturbed.

She didn't wake up even when he deposited her in her bed and covered her with a blanket.

He shook his head in amusement and headed to the kitchen to prepare for his out-of-this-world waffles. When he opened their pantry, there wasn't enough flour to make waffles. He called the concierge to ask for some flour and fresh strawberries and blueberries.

While he was waiting for the flour to be delivered to their villa, he opened his phone and report to Ellise.

He saw that his message was read but he didn't get any reply. He thought Jess and her friends were a bunch of weirdos. Meeting Ellise, he wondered what kind of person is the other friend - Dana. According to Jess, Dana is the normal one.

But then, Jess' idea of normal is never normal, he chuckled softly.

He was deep in his thoughts when he heard a soft knock. He stood up to get the flour that he requested. However, he was surprised to see Noah instead of the hotel staff.

"Good morning, Luke. Can I talk to Jess?"

He knitted his eyebrows that Noah is asking for his permission - to talk to Jess?

"She is asleep. I don't suggest waking her up. But if you want to get acquainted with monster Jess who lacks sleep - be my guest." he grinned.

"Oh, if that's the case. I would rather not," he chuckled, thinking of Jess' temper.

"By the way, is the little miss awake? I promised to make her some waffles yesterday, but we don't have enough flour in our pantry."

"Thank you. Sorry for my daughter's imposition. We have flour in our villa, I guess." he cocked his head thinking if they do have flour.

"I already requested some flour. I'm just waiting for it to be delivered."

"I see. I'll just tell Lucille then," he shuffled his feet. He has no idea what else to talk to Luke about.

"Okay, just I can have the waffles ready in about thirty to forty minutes. I can just deliver it later once I'm done."

"Uhm," he scratched his neck, and smiled impishly, "Can I just bring Lucille over?"

He understood what he was trying to do. He was taking the chance to see Jess. He remembered the issues between him and Jess and how Jess cried over Noah, but then, he has no valid reason to actually decline him.

He could, but it would arouse suspicion. Also, he promised himself that he would just stand on the sideline and be a spectator of whatever Jess and Noah would become.

"Sure, that would be fine."

He looked over his shoulder as he saw three resort staff climbing the stairs to their villa. He saw one carrying a basket of assorted fruits when he just asked for strawberries and blueberries.

One was carrying a huge basket of wildflowers, and the other one was carrying a basket that seemed to be wine? He hoped they didn't forget to bring the flour that he asked for.

"My flour is here. You can bring Lucille," he glanced at his watch, the time is quarter to eight. "Maybe around ten? It would be brunch."

Noah nodded and said goodbye, stepping sideways to give way to the hotel staff.

"Come in, please. I didn't ask for these other things," he told the employees.

"They are from Miss Samara and Briare. A get-well present for Miss Zimmerman."

"I see. Well, thank you."

He was talking to the employees when he received a call from Ellise and excused himself to answer it. He just gestured to the resort staff to leave everything on the kitchen island.

When he was done with his call, the resort workers had already left. Everything had already been fixed on the counter.

The card caught his attention while he was inspecting the bouquet of wildflowers. Red liquid was dripping from the card, and when he picked it up he noticed a familiar metallic smell of blood!