Reuben felt worse with each passing second and the only thing he wanted to do was shut his eyes and get some much-needed rest.

The package that he had just received was from his grandfather, Aloysius Ming.

*This will be very useful in the future, relationship-wise.*

The message he had received after the package was handed over to him was both suspicious and thought-provoking.

However curious he was, Reuben was in no state to bother about it as his head felt like it would split in half if he stayed awake any longer.

"I asked the maid to not be allowed inside so that she doesn't disturb my rest." He mumbled groggily as he headed back to his bed.

Reuben had already taken the medication that the doctor had given him the moment he got back home and had fallen asleep.

The security guard had disturbed his sleep to deliver Grandpa Ming's package and now Reuben was heading back to his room to try and get some sleep once again.

Reuben hated it when people were around while he was sick.

He would become a complete recluse when he got sick and only ventured out after he was all better.

The pressure to not show any weakness before the enemies was something he had been bearing since he had taken over Ming Enterprises.

The higher one was the greater the chance of falling. Hence he would stay indoors until he was feeling better.

Reuben had a good few hours of sleep when he was suddenly awakened by the sound of someone's breathing.

His eyes opened and though he felt hazy due to the medication he was sure that there was someone else who had just entered his bedroom.

'Who has the guts to enter my house even after I gave strict orders of not letting anyone inside!?' He growled in his heart.

Reuben did not make a move and stayed still to make it appear as though he was still fast asleep as he wanted to see what the intruder's purpose was.

The person who had just entered had placed something on the table by his bed before he heard shuffling noises.

'Not only did this person insolently enter my bedroom they dared to climb into my bed!' His anger rose with every move this intruder made.

Reuben gritted his teeth when he felt the blanket that was covering his face being moved away.

Within seconds, he had come up with his plan of action and did not hesitate to follow through with it.

The moment the blanket slid away from his face, he leaped forward and succeeded in grasping the neck of his intruder.

Not leaving the other person a chance to react, he pinned them on the bed that they had dared to climb onto.

In his delirious state of mind, he did not bother to pay attention to who it was whose neck he had held in a chokehold.

'I don't even want to taint my eyes by looking at such a cheap woman who would be willing to climb into another man's bed for some money.' He scoffed and fixed his sight on his hands which were around her neck.

"Who sent you here?" He spat out in a menacing voice which stopped the attempts of the person who was clawing at his hands.

This was not the first time that he had faced such shameless women who attempted to catch him in his weak state and try to take advantage of him.

The incident with Talia drugging him was just another one in the long list of schemes made against him.

'How did they know that I was sick? Did they send someone to spy on me?' He cursed himself for being careless.

His enemies were waiting for a chance to make trouble for him and here he was, giving them a free invitation to drag him down from the heights that he had struggled to reach.

One person's face came to his mind, a person who wasn't beneath this to trap him by sending a vagabond woman to his bed.

The memories of the schemes that he had faced which were orchestrated by the very same person, made his hands around the woman's slender neck tighten further.

The woman pinned on the bed had stopped struggling by now and only a single word left her mouth.

"Ruby…"

That word brought his world crashing down on him as his head whiplashed to take a look at the woman whom he had been choking until now.

As though he had been burned by fire, he let go of the hold on the woman's neck when he realized who it was.

"Kitten!" His eyes widened as he called out the name of his girlfriend but he got no response.

Panic filled his heart and for the first time in what seemed like an eternity, Reuben Ming, the Demon Emperor of the business world felt fear shroud his entire being.

He knew the strength he had used to choke the intruder was enough to kill them.

He now cursed his ill-luck which had played him in such a cruel way.

The person whom he had been calling a cheap woman to climb onto his bed for money turned out to be his girlfriend.

"Kitten, wake up!" He uttered as he patted her cheek lightly with his trembling hands.

Seeing no movement from her, he placed his ear on her chest and heaved a sigh of relief after he heard a weak pulse coming from her.

But the pulse was extremely weak which was causing his panic and terror to heighten.

"Kitten… Lina… Wake up! I'm sorry!" He called out again as he shook her shoulders but to no avail.

The lady laid still on his bed and the glaring red handprints on her neck made Reuben feel like an asshole for what he had done.

Not knowing what else to do, he decided to give her CPR.

Bending forward he quickly pinched her nose to close it and began blowing air into her mouth.

"Wake up… Wake up…" He chanted like a prayer while continuing to give her mouth to mouth.

A few more attempts later, just as Reuben was about to give her another round of CPR Lina opened her eyes with a start and began coughing.

Now if this was another person and they had the audacity to cough right on Reuben's face then he wouldn't have hesitated to skin them alive.

But the person who had done that feat was his beloved Kitten, so all he felt right now was relief that she had woken up.

"Kitten? Baby? Are you alright!?" He inquired as he helped her sit up straight and supported her back as she rose.

Lina continued coughing while holding onto her aching throat.

Reuben forgot all about his own sickness and jumped out of bed to fetch her a glass of water which was on his bedside table.

'A bento and a thermos?' He glanced at the woman trying to catch her breath and then at the new items on the table.

A smile arose on his lips when he realized why she must have appeared here at his place but he did not have time to remain on this sweet gesture.

Without wasting much time, he poured her a glass of water and helped her to drink it.

Lina grimaced when the mere act of swallowing caused her to wince due to the pain.

Reuben felt even more guilty when he saw the minute changes in her expressions and bowed his head.

"I'm sorry, Kitten. I did not know that it was you." He apologized which made Lina's eyes open wide.

Lina glanced up with a glare when she heard his words.

"So you stopped because it was me? What if it was someone else?" She questioned with a hoarse voice.

The fear she felt when he had spoken while choking her was still vivid in her mind.

Reuben's eyes darkened with just the thought of what he would have done if it was someone else but he hid those thoughts on account of the woman sitting before her.

"I thought that someone had broken into my house so I was defending myself." He muttered while rubbing his temples which were beginning to throb painfully.

Lina noticed his subconscious actions and hurried to jump out of his bed.

'Him almost choking me to death made me forget why I was even here in the first place.' She shook her head and then glared at him.

'Does she doubt my explanation?' He wondered in fear when he saw her glare.

Reuben gazed back at her with the trepidation of what she might say after the horrible thing that he had done to her.

"Kitten, I truly am sorry! I had no idea that it was you!" He hurried to explain himself.

"I'll take whatever punishment you give me just don't be mad at me! I feel horrible for hurting you." He muttered with his eyes staring straight into hers.

Lina touched her throat when she heard his words and felt a shooting pain when her finger came in contact with her skin.

"Get in bed!" She ordered in a firm voice which made him freeze.

Lina held his shoulder and pushed him onto the bed then she made him sit with his back against the bedrest.

"Why didn't you tell me that you were sick?" She interrogated while feeling his forehead with the back of her palm.