CHAPTER 74: EXCESSIVE EXPECTATIONS

The door to the hospital room creaked softly as Alaric pushed it open. The scent of antiseptic immediately filled his nose, sharp and sterile. Sunlight streamed through a half open curtain, casting a warm glow on the cream colored blanket draped over Siera’s body.

Alaric stepped inside. His shoes made faint clicks on the tile floor. But after only a few steps, he stopped.

His eyes were fixed on Siera, who was sitting upright in bed, her back against the pillows. She had a phone pressed to her ear.

"I already told you, don’t call me here. Someone might—" Her voice cut off as she turned and saw who was standing in the doorway.

Alaric said nothing. His brown eyes were sharp, tracking her every movement. In that split second, Siera quickly ended the call, tapping the screen too hastily. She placed the phone beside the pillow, acting like nothing had happened. A small, uneasy smile appeared on her face.

"Mr. Alaric... you came," she said. Her voice tried to sound normal, but there was a slight tremble in her tone.

Alaric didn’t answer right away. He stood silently, his eyes scanning her face, then drifting down to her bandaged hand. After a pause, he finally spoke, his voice flat but heavy.

"How are you feeling?"

Siera nodded quickly. "Better. It still hurts a bit when I move it, but... the doctor said it’ll just take time." She looked down, then met his gaze again, trying to appear composed.

But to Alaric, nothing escaped his notice. The way she had hurried to put her phone down. The forced calmness in her smile. It was all too telling.

He pulled a chair from beside the bed and sat down. Leaning forward slightly, he clasped his hands in front of his knees. His gaze never left Siera, as if he were trying to see past the surface of the familiar face in front of him.

"Who were you talking to just now?" he asked suddenly.

Siera froze for a fraction of a second. Then she let out a short laugh. Light and quick, but slightly forced. "Oh... that? Just an old friend. He heard I was in the hospital and wanted to check on me," she replied, her answer coming a little too fast, as if rehearsed.

Alaric straightened up in his seat. His eyebrows lifted slightly. "An old friend?" he repeated slowly, watching her closely.

Siera nodded. "Yes. You know how quickly news can spread... especially about things like this."

There was a beat of silence between them.

Alaric responded to Siera’s explanation with nothing more than a brief glance and a short-lived stare, as if hiding something behind it. Siera, meanwhile, busied herself by adjusting her pillow, pretending not to notice that Alaric’s look just now hinted at suspicion.

In the midst of the silence, the phone in the young man’s suit pocket vibrated, followed by a short ringtone. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the phone, the screen now glowing. His eyes flicked to the name on the display: Mr. Langston, Brightmind Robotics.

For a moment, his expression grew more serious. He knew this call wasn’t something he could ignore.

"Excuse me for a moment," he said briefly to Siera before taking a few steps away, moving closer to the window so he could focus on the conversation.

With a single tap, he answered the call. The voice on the other end came through immediately, skipping any pleasantries.

"Good morning, Alaric," the man’s voice was firm and authoritative. "We’ve discussed your partnership proposal with our director. And... he would like to speak with you in person today. Do you have time?"

Alaric paused, his eyes gazing blankly out the hospital window. His thoughts raced, trying to process the information. A direct meeting with the director wasn’t a small matter.

It meant they were taking his proposal seriously, but it also meant he might be tested. Whether his idea could truly be executed, or if it would end up as nothing more than a forgotten note in time.

After a few seconds, Alaric responded, his voice low but steady.

"Thank you, Mr. Langston. Of course, I’ll make time to meet him."

There was a brief pause on the other end before Langston spoke again.

"Good. In that case, please come to the same location you visited last time. Our director happens to be there today."

Alaric gave a small nod, as if mentally noting the appointment. "Alright. I’ll see you there, Mr. Langston."

From the tone of his voice, the man on the other end seemed to smile. "See you later, Alaric."

The call ended, and the screen went dark. Alaric took a long breath and slipped the phone back into his pocket. His expression was now unreadable, but his eyes held a sharper focus than before.

The meeting with Brightmind Robotics’ director could be a major turning point—not just for his business, but for his place in a much larger game.

He turned back toward the hospital bed. Siera was watching him, though she quickly looked away when she realized he had noticed. The air grew a little more awkward.

"You seem busy," Siera finally said, trying to break the silence. Her voice was soft and carried a certain undertone that made Alaric look at her again.

He gave a slight nod. "There’s an important meeting I need to attend."

He straightened his suit, a small gesture more out of habit than necessity. Something he often did when preparing to face something serious.

Alaric reached for his coat hanging on the back of the chair, getting ready to leave. But suddenly, he stopped. His gaze swept the room, and then something clicked in his mind. He turned back toward Siera.

"Wait a second," he said, his tone calm but laced with a question. "Where’s Damian? Why isn’t he here?"

Siera, who had been leaning against the bed looking rather pale, turned to him.

"Damian... went home for a bit," she said quietly. "He said he wanted to change clothes and bring a few things I need from the house. He was also going to pick up some fruit."

Alaric frowned slightly, uncertain. He knew Damian wasn’t the type to be careless when it came to watching over Siera. Still, the explanation made sense. He slowly exhaled.

Siera continued, her voice carrying a hopeful tone, as if asking Alaric to stay.

"That’s why... can you stay here for a little while? At least until he gets back. I..." she bit her lower lip briefly. "I feel safer when you’re around."

Her words left Alaric silent for a moment. He stared at her for a long time, as if searching for something in her expression. But in the end, he slowly shook his head.

"Siera... I can’t. This matter... it’s too important. If I miss this meeting, they might lose trust in my company. And I can’t afford to take that risk."

This not only concerns the fate and continuation of the company, but also concerns the many people who stand under it. His employees and the people who worked for him, Alaric must have thought about that first.

Siera held her breath, trying to keep her face composed, though the dimming light in her eyes betrayed her. Her bandaged hand clenched the edge of the blanket, trying to hold back emotions she couldn’t fully express.

Alaric didn’t look back again after that. He had already slipped his coat on completely and was heading for the door. The sound of his footsteps echoed softly across the quiet hospital floor, followed by the turning of the door handle.

As the door clicked shut behind him, silence returned to the room. Siera lowered her gaze, staring at the bandage on her hand that still ached. Her heart hurt far more than the wound. Slowly, her lips trembled, the words slipping out in a whisper meant only for herself.

"Does that mean I don’t matter...?" she murmured. "Even though I’m here because I saved you, Alaric..."

Her eyes began to well with tears, but she quickly wiped them away with the back of her hand. She didn’t want to look weak, even though deep down, the disappointment in her was only growing stronger.

Maybe he was foolish to expect anything different. Alaric always carried too heavy a burden of responsibility. He thinks in terms of consequences, outcomes, and strategy. He doesn’t have the luxury of giving in to emotions as he wishes.

And he was nothing to Alaric. Alaric didn’t seem to care at all, just a hint of agreement. She had chosen that opposition from the start. Siera stared at the screen of her cellphone which she had quickly turned off.

There was a feeling that lingered in her heart about the treatment from the man the girl wanted to be hers.

However, her desire did not fade even though he had been disappointed repeatedly. Hurt by his own expectations that he shouldn’t have placed on his boss.