New style

A man laughed on the hospital bed with some drip attached to him. His face carried exhaustion as if he had undergone tremendous pain.

The door opened with a butler in a black uniform walking inside.

The butler bowed to the man and said, "Alpha, it is time for your meal. You need to eat something."

Roland creased his brow, staring at the butler and the plate of food. "Take it away. I'm not eating anything," he said, closing his eyes, about to sleep, waiting for the butler to leave.

"Stop doing this to yourself, Roland," the butler said, his tone turning serious. "It has been three years since Rose left, and you have been like this. Why stress yourself so much?"

Roland's arrogant expression faltered when he heard the butler mention Rose. "Don't talk about her again in my presence. I don't care about her. To hell with Rose," he said, his tone cold and his voice high.

The butler chuckled instead at his words. "You say that you don't care about her, then why are you like this, Alpha? If you don't love her, the mate bond shouldn't be affecting you like this," the butler said, shaking his head.

"Stop it!" Roland ordered, glaring at the butler. "I don't love that woman. She came into my life by accident, and she had the mind to run away, leaving me without saying anything. Don't mention her name to me, Alfred."

"Yes, master, I understand," Alfred said, nodding his head as if he had understood what Roland was saying and wouldn't speak further on the matter.

But Roland was sensitive; he could see the sarcasm in the butler's gaze.

"I said I don't love her. Don't give me that look," Roland roared, pointing his finger at Alfred.

Alfred laughed slightly. "Okay, master, I have heard you. You don't love the madam. Is that okay with you now?"

"Yes, it is enough. Good, you understand," Roland hissed, rubbing his head.

"But master, let me ask you a question," Alfred suddenly said, looking at him.

"Yes, go on, ask," Roland said, his gaze fixing on him, urging him to be quick.

"If you find Rose today, what would you do to her?" Alfred asked, his tone filled with conflict.

"Of course, if I found her today, I would tie her feet and wouldn't let her escape from me. I'll keep her in the pack," Roland responded, shocking himself after he had spoken.

What was he even saying? He didn't love that woman to say such a thing!

Alfred chuckled, noticing Roland's arrogant expression fading as the truth in his heart was uncovered.

"Master, oh, here is your meal. Come on, eat," the butler said, walking to Roland and offering him the plate of food.

Rolan took the food, eating from it, his thoughts drifting back to Rose.

"Butler, I want to use the toilet," Rolan said after a while, dropping his plate and getting off the bed. Alfred wanted to support him, but he rejected him with a gesture.

The butler nodded and stood aside.

Rolan left his ward, walking down the corridors that led to the toilet.

There were some patients walking around and a crowd of people.

Rolan's eyes were only focused on his path until he saw a familiar back.

"Rose!" he called, his voice almost shaky.

The door clicked open, and Rose walked into the ward, her eyes immediately spotting Zara on the bed.

Without hesitation, she held Tobi's little hands, leading him to the bed.

"Mummy, what happened to Aunty Zara?" Tobi asked, his voice soft.

His Aunty Zara wasn't like this. There were bandages all over her head and legs. His Aunty Zara definitely didn't like that kind of hairstyle, and neither did she like that kind of stockings, Tobi thought, nodding his small head to himself.

"Dear, Aunty is fine," Rose said, rubbing Tobi's back. "She's just going through a new phase."

Rose explained the harsh news to her son in the simplest way she could so it wouldn't sound too sad and make him cry.

Her son Tobi was an empathetic child; she didn't want him to cry.

When he heard that someone was in pain, he would cry for them. This was a special habit of Tobi's that Rose didn't know how it came to be.

"Okay, Aunty Zara is going through a new phase and has decided to change her hairstyle and socks. I understand, Mommy," Tobi said, nodding his head like a good boy, looking at Rose as if he had understood everything.

Rose wanted to laugh in her heart because of his naive words, but she couldn't. This was not the moment.

"Zara, are you okay?" Rose asked, taking a seat next to the bed and placing Tobi on her thigh. "We miss you. Tobi misses you too," she added.

Zara felt her consciousness returning as she heard her best friend's voice. Then she opened her eyes, her gaze spotting Rose and Tobi.

"Rose, you came. I thought I was going to die without seeing you and Tobi," she cried, overwhelmed by the feeling. Rose got up, wanting to give her a comforting hug, but she found no way to do so, so she sat back down.

"Don't cry. How do you feel now? Is it severe compared to before?" Rose asked, holding her hand.

She didn't like seeing Zara in such a condition. She hoped her friend would get well soon.

"There is nothing serious," Zara said. "The doctor said that I won't be able to use my legs anymore," she added, her last words accompanied by a smirk on her face.

"This can't be real, Zara. The doctors must be playing a big joke," Rose said, shaking her head in disbelief. She really wished that what Zara said the doctor had told her wasn't true.

"Mummy, Aunty Zara can't walk again?" Tobi raised his little head, looking at Rose as he asked.

He wasn't understanding his mummy and aunty's conversation, so he asked Darius in his mind, and Darius was explaining everything.

His aunty wouldn't be able to walk—it was very bad.

Tobi started crying, and Rose hurriedly comforted him. "Don't worry, your aunty will be fine. It's not serious. Don't cry about little things, Tobi."

Rose patted his back, but Tobi was still crying.

Zara had to intervene. "Tobi, look at me. Am I dead? You better be a good boy and stop crying, or I'll be dead for real," Zara said, her voice as stern as it could be.

Rose was gentle with Tobi, but Zara was the exact opposite. She didn't pamper kids. Kids should grow strong, not weak.

Tobi sniffed, wiping his tears on his shoulder, and stopped crying as Zara had expected.

Tobi ran behind Rose and yelled with giggles, "Mummy, Aunty still has strength to yell at me. Look, she's okay and not sick!"

"Yes, she's okay, as I told you. She is," Rose smiled, rubbing Tobi's shoulders. He had been easily fooled by Zara.

"Rose, I need water," Zara suddenly said, then began coughing seriously.

Hearing Zara's request, Rose panicked, opening the door and rushing to get water for her because she didn't know the actual place to get it.

Seeing a nurse nearby, she stopped her. "Nurse, please, ward 104 needs water. Can you get it for her?"

"Sure, it will be done," the nurse nodded before walking away.

Assured that the nurse would bring water to Zara's ward, Rose headed to the toilet as she felt pressed.

Between the doors next to the female and male toilets, Rose suddenly felt a presence behind her. Before she could react, her nose was gagged, and she fainted.