Twisted Ties of Love

After roughly forty minutes, Presley emerged.

Izabella trailed closely behind him, her voice raspy as she called out, "Presley."

Presley paused, turning to face her. "Casey's safe for now. I need to study the virus in his body, but don't worry. I had already encountered this virus abroad and have done some research. The antidote will be ready soon."

His words weren't merely to comfort Izabella. As a contagious virus, it occupied a significant portion of Presley's memory.

Izabella locked eyes with Presley, knowing he wasn't deceiving her.

She had always trusted Presley. His words always held true-like when she was diagnosed with stomach cancer, and Presley vowed to save her. He indeed went abroad and developed a cancer-fighting drug. He had never reneged on any promise to her. Instead, it was her who had initially hurt him and caused him to leave home.

"Thank you." She owed Presley a thank you for everything he had done for her, for fulfilling her last wish after her death, scattering her ashes in the sea.

Presley met her gaze, the familiar pain seeping into his bones. It took him a while to shake off the bone-chilling ache.

"It's okay." Presley had just finished a surgery and was somewhat worn out. Still in his protective gear, he needed to head to the sterilization room.

"Can I see him?"

"You can, but you must put on the protective gear and limit contact. You need to disinfect once you leave," Presley instructed.

Seeing his old friend looking so weary, Izabella didn't dare engage in extended conversation.

Presley turned to leave, pausing after a few steps. How did she know his name? He didn't dwell on it, attributing her knowledge to having seen him somewhere else as he was a man of science. Izabella had to wear protective gear to see Casey, and her time inside was strictly controlled.

Holding Casey's hand, Izabella tried to feel his warmth.

"Are you uncomfortable?"

"No." Casey reassured Izabella only after the doctors and nurses had confirmed she wouldn't catch his disease. He held her hand tightly. "It's like having a cold. Apart from feeling a bit weak, I'm not uncomfortable. If you don't believe me, I'll do a somersault on the bed for you."

As he attempted to get up, the needle in his hand hindered his movement. He hadn't been on his feet for a while, and as he tried to rise, his head spun, causing him to sit unsteadily on the bed's edge. Izabella quickly moved to support him, but Casey, like a startled bird, instinctively avoided her touch.

Izabella froze, feeling a chill run through her body.

"If your disease isn't cured, does that mean I can't touch you?"

Casey looked up, his usually bright eyes now clouded and dull.

"Bella, it's for your own good."

Izabella tried to steady her emotions, but her nose tingled uncomfortably. The moment she opened her mouth, her voice carried a sob. "What do you mean it's for my own good? The doctors can touch you, why can't I?"

"Don't cry, Bella." He always found himself helpless when Izabella cried, and now he didn't even dare to wipe her tears.

Izabella turned her head away. "Do you still mean what you said the other day?"

"Every word I've spoken to you is true. I would never lie to you."

"Then you must get better. I'm waiting for you to marry me. Don't go back on your word. I will wait for you." Waiting was nothing new to her. She didn't fear the wait, no matter how long. What she feared was him not wanting her.

Her visits were limited to twenty minutes before the medical staff urged her to leave for disinfection.

The nurses would reassure her daily. "Don't worry. He'll be fine. Professor Felton from our hospital is very skilled. He's the one who developed the drug for stomach cancer. This virus won't be a problem for him. You must take care of yourself, eat and sleep on time, so when Mr. Dempsey wakes up, you don't collapse."

These words of comfort had little effect. It was nothing more than a means to keep warm together.

Izabella took their words to heart, yet she frequently forgot to eat on time and suffered from insomnia at night.

Her phone was set with meal reminders, and melatonin had become her sleeping pill, from one tablet to two.

While picking up her lunch, she ran into Liam who was also at the hospital entrance collecting his takeaway. Seeing Izabella, he was surprised.

"Madam." He slipped up before realizing Izabella had already separated from Brett. His own mental state had been tense recently due to Brett always reminiscing about his past with Izabella.

An insufficient rest had led to a lapse in his judgment, causing him to address Izabella as "Madam" out of habit.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Salotti."

Izabella shook her head.

Being at the hospital, she was aware of Brett's condition. After the bullet was removed, he had been unconscious for several days before recently waking up. The nurses mentioned that Brett had passed the critical period and was okay.