Chapter 3 Chapter 3

Elias's eyes zeroed in on a dark bruise marring her pale wrist.

It was a stark reminder of the pain he had caused her unintentionally, when his mind was fogged by agony.

Elias touched her wrist, feeling guilty.

Though she didn't recognise him, he remembered her very well.

He couldn't resist the urge to caress her lips gently, savouring the memory of their sweet taste from last night.

But his touch interrupted Callie's peaceful slumber, and she responded by biting down on his finger in annoyance.

Surprisingly, the sensation sent a jolt of arousal through Elias, his body instinctively responding before his mind could process the complex mix of emotions coursing through him.

Reluctantly, Elias withdrew his hand.

He got out of bed and stood.

She was still wearing the same blouse from the night before.

Its back was ripped open, exposing her fair skin to his view.

Elias swallowed hard and forced himself to look away, a difficult task.

At the same time, he couldn't help but feel a little exasperated.

In her eyes, he was but a stranger.

Did she always let down her guard like this in front of strangers?

Baffled by her audacity, Elias frowned, but he couldn't bring himself to disturb her rest.

Gently, he lifted her and settled her comfortably onto the bed, draping a cute quilt with little pandas over her.

Her petite frame felt light as a feather in his arms.

Glancing at the drizzle outside, Elias knew the rain last night had likely erased his tracks and thrown off his assailants from the Misehell Organisation.

Yet, he couldn't stay here.

Her safety was at risk if he lingered.

Just as he was about to leave, a photo frame sticking out from the trash can caught his eye-a picture of Callie with another man, leaning into his arms, looking radiant with joy.

A feeling Elias had never experienced surged within him, and he longed to know what it was like to be genuinely happy like that.

With a final look at Callie, Elias left, closing the door gently on his way out.

***

Callie awoke in a daze, only to find herself in her own bed.

The stranger was gone, leaving her both puzzled and relieved.

But something bothered her more-how had she ended up on the bed, covered with the quilt?

She couldn't remember doing that herself, which meant the stranger must have done it.

As she pulled away the thin quilt, she realised the sorry state of her clothes, barely hanging onto her body.

Her frustration grew at the realisation that the stranger might have seen her nearly naked.

'Ugh! I'm never buying anything from that online boutique again!' Callie ground her teeth, furious.

Why were her clothes so easy to tear, while his seemed indestructible?

Right then, Callie's phone rang, jolting her from her thoughts.

Callie dug around the pile of quilts until she'd unearthed her phone.

'Hey, Cece, I've set up a blind date for you. You better go and give it a shot!' The voice on the other end belonged to Lily Hartwell, Callie's best friend and a B-list actress.

'Hey, Lilypad!' Callie made a valiant effort to change the subject. 'So, what exotic location are you off to this time for your ad shoot? Can you hook me up with some freebies? I need them for the orphanage-'

Lily cut her off with a booming voice, 'Quit dodging the topic, Callista Hawthorne! I've set you up on a blind date. You better show up, got it?'

Callie yawned and grumbled, 'Lily, seriously? I'm only twenty-five. Why do you always act like my mom and meddle in my love life?

'If I had a clueless daughter like you, I'd give her a good shake.' Lily's words dripped with sarcasm. 'How can I meddle in your love life when you don't even have one?'

'I had one,' Callie protested.

'Notice the use of past tense.' It sounded like Lily was grinding her teeth. 'That jerk Simon cheated on you, and now he has the nerve to invite you to his wedding. Don't you think it's time to show him what he's missing? Going alone would be admitting defeat. Not going is even worse, and I know you're better than that.'

Simon.

The name brought on a fresh wave of pain Callie thought she had long put behind her.

Simon Moncrieff was her colleague at Rosedale Hospital and her boyfriend for three years.

Well, ex-boyfriend now.

He also held the dubious title of 'jerkwad,' in Lily's words, which had been upgraded to 'Scoundrel Supreme' status after he broke up with Callie, betraying her trust by having an affair with the hospital director's daughter.

The wounds were still fresh, but revenge wasn't as simple as it seemed.

Callie struggled to find the right words, but Lily seemed pressed for time. 'Listen, I have to go now. I'll have my assistant send you the details for the blind date later. You may act tough, but don't think you can hide under your covers and cry just because I'm out of town. Stay strong, my girl!'

With that, she abruptly hung up, leaving Callie with teary-eyed frustration.

How did Lily always manage to see through her defences when she wasn't even in the room?

Callie fell back into bed, staring at the ceiling.

She had turned down other blind dates in the past, but this time, she couldn't refuse.

It was Lily's way of looking out for her.

***

Time marched on.

The enigmatic stranger from that fateful night had vanished without a trace, as if he were a figment of Callie's imagination.

Her demanding work as a surgical resident left her no room to dwell on him anyway-morning rounds at 6:30 am, assisting in surgeries from 7:30 till 11:30, afternoon clinics and consultations from 1 pm, then afternoon rounds at 3:00, followed by medical conferences at 5:00.

Meanwhile, Simon and Abby, his fiancée, seemed to revel in flaunting their relationship in front of Callie.