Date The CEO.com

The paramedics soon came to assess the situation. Since Ambryan could have sustained other injuries, they had decided to bring him to the hospital. Eve rode with him inside the ambulance. Neither one of them mentioned a word to each other.

Arms crossed, Eve scowled at the floor. How was he mad at her like it was her fault?! Not too long ago, she had mentioned that he was the best guy for her. Did her words mean little? How could it have gone over his head?

And over a guy barely out of his teens?!

She groaned and hit the back of her head against the wall behind her.

Ambryan glanced in her direction. "Are you still mad at me?"

"I don't know…" Eve replied in nonchalance. "Are YOU still mad at me? Because I think that's what got us here in the first place. Maybe I will not be mad anymore if you're not mad anymore first."

"Eve…"

"Let me cool my head a little more."

"Okay."

Turning his head, Ambryan stared up at the vehicle's ceiling. Eve was right though. What had gone through his head to make that reckless decision? Things could have been a lot worse than they were now. He just got lucky that he went away with only a twisted ankle.

Although, his bottom did feel tender. It was the main reason for the hospital visit.

Eve stayed by his side throughout the process until he had been transported to a private room. A cast had been wrapped around his injured left right ankle. The nurses also elevated it off the bed so he couldn't move it unless necessary.

"Well, this is not how I pictured this day would go." Eve sighed, entering the room. "I had called your mother about what happened. I'm sorry but she's your family so she had every right to know that you were jealous of a kid and injured yourself."

Ambryan gave her a deadpan expression.

A sarcastic smile stretched her lips when she reached his bedside. "Just kidding. You can tell about the jealous part yourself. I only told her that we went to the skate park and you got yourself injured."

Eve pulled a chair so she could sit. "Oh, and I heard her tell your father that he and Madison will be relieving you of CEO duties until you can walk without aid."

"It's only a twisted ankle," Ambryan emphasized. "I sit at a desk all day. It won't prevent me from doing my job well. I can even do it while at home if they don't want me to go to the office."

"Not unless your mother manages to get a doctor's note that you can't use gadgets."

"That sounds ridiculous."

"I believe Aunt Avery is capable of anything." Eve chuckled. She locked her mobile phone and placed it on the bed table. Then, she folded her arms over the mattress. "How are you really feeling? I heard the paramedics. It's not just a twisted ankle. How's your hip?"

Ambryan glared at the wall across the room. "I'm not that old."

"This has nothing to do with age. You tripped right after you landed on your foot!"

"It's fine."

"If I poke it, would you flinch?"

"They injected a pain reliever so no."

"So there is pain!" Eve exclaimed, pointing a finger at him. Ambryan didn't share her enthusiasm. She sighed and cupped her cheek. "Come on, Ambee. There's no need to be embarrassed. I saw what happened. I'm the last person you need to act brave in front of."

Ambryan remained quiet. He was downright humiliated by what happened. Thinking back on it, he should have controlled himself before. Eve was right on all accounts. He had let the twerp get under his skin when he should have proven his maturity—something Tristan lacked.

Yet, he had stooped down to his level.

Eve bit her bottom lip. She rose to her feet and sat on the bed, cuddling beside him. With his foot raised in the air, he wasn't about to escape easily. "Fine. You can act in any way you want but don't think you can just get back to work after being discharged. We all know you can handle it. There's no need for you to prove your top tier performance."

Ambryan raised his eyebrows. His frustrations had melted away when she laid her head on his shoulder. "If you think work is the only way for me to prove my competence, you are mistaken, my dear Eve."

"In fact…" His voice dropped into a husky tone. "I can even prove it right now." 

The hair on the back of her neck rose. She looked up at him, brown eyes popping out of their sockets. "You—This is not—Ambee, this is a hospital!"

Blood crawled up her neck and her cheeks. She could be wrong but she knew that look in his eyes. What pain reliever had the doctors given him? Anesthesia? Was he high right now? This was completely inappropriate behavior!

"So?" Ambryan blinked. "I believe reproduction and anatomy are being practiced here."

"It's not like that and you know it!" Eve protested, her mouth hanging open. "If you so much as even try, I am walking out that door."

"And here I thought younger people take the 'You Only Live Once' motto to heart."

"No wonder you got yourself injured then."

Ambryan clamped his mouth shut. Eve huffed and sank down the wall. At this point, he had taken her appearance in. The makeup she wore had worn off. Black eyeliner had smudged under her eyes while her lipstick had faded, revealing their natural pale state.

The situation had affected her more than he knew.

He grasped her hand in his. "I'm sorry for getting jealous."

Eve turned her head in his direction. She arched an eyebrow. "And?"

Ambryan averted his eyes and took a deep breath. "And I will try to control myself next time."

She kissed his cheek. "Thank you. I'm glad you didn't get more serious injuries."

Unsatisfied, Ambryan grabbed her chin and captured her lips. His other hand slithered around her waist. He pulled her into him, savouring her taste. Any ounce of jealousy he had left projected into the kiss. Only he could do this to her. The twerp could only dream of it.

And no matter what Tristan could imagine, it would never be close to the original.

Ambryan moved to her jawline. Then, his lips trailed down the side of her neck. Hunger swelled up inside of him. The chains that lifted his leg sling to the ceiling rattled when he fully turned to his side so he could kiss her exposed collarbone. 

Eve's voice wobbled as she spoke. "Ambee…"

"You were saying?" He teased against her skin. His hand pulled the hem of shirt out of her jeans and slid up her spine, searching for a clasp. "It was something about walking out the door, right?"

"Bastard," she muttered.

It made him chuckle. "No cursing the birthday boy."

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The door opened.

"YAN! I heard about what happened—"

A remote control went flying towards Richard. He yelped and moved out of the way, crouching. Eve jumped off the bed at once. She undid the rest of her hem and let it hang around her hips. A glance over her shoulder, she spotted Ambryan's glare. 

She moved so Richard couldn't see it.

"Richard!" Eve greeted him. "So nice of you to visit."

Their guest slowly lowered his arms. He took one look at her swollen lips and instantly knew why he was attacked the moment he stepped in. "Now that you mention it… maybe it would be nicer to visit at another time. Nicer is better than nice. Don't you agree?"

Ambryan rolled onto his back. He had lost his chance. 

Eve wasn't about to let Richard go.

"No, no, no! Stay!" Eve insisted. She grabbed Richard by the wrist and yanked him towards the bed. "Ambryan has been sulking about missing work because of what happened. I'm sure he'll feel better by talking about it. And since he has talked my ear off, your presence will not only help him but me as well."

"Oh, but—" Richard shivered when he saw his best friend's scowl. He turned his back on Ambryan, scared to see more. "The chairman at Venus Investments called not too long ago. I missed it because I was driving. Let me just step out so I can call him back—"

"I'm sure he can wait." Eve plastered her best fake smile, silently wishing the ground would swallow her up. It was obvious from Richard's behavior that he had witnessed what happened. His persistence to leave only made her feel more embarrassed.

Because of that, she decided to switch tactics.

"You would be doing me a real favor, Richard," Eve pleaded. Her brown eyes drooped at the corners. "I have to get Ambryan's medicine as the doctor prescribed. I was there but couldn't stop him from getting injured. Please let me do something that would help Ambryan out. I would at least feel less guilty."

Ambryan frowned, hearing her obvious lie. He didn't know whether to be impressed or to be disappointed that she really didn't want to be alone with him for some time. Then, he drilled an intense gaze into the back of Richard's head—the only person who could turn this situation around.

The latter must have missed the telepathic message because he cleared his throat and said, "Well, when you put it like that…"

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I'll be back soon!" Eve fled out of the room before he could change his mind. Her heart beat erratically inside her chest. She pressed the button on the elevator and proceeded to calm herself down.

'How long was it before Ambryan was discharged again?'

Richard gulped. He eventually turned around, moving as slowly as possible. Even when he fully faced the bed, he avoided Ambryan's eyes. "Is it too late to wish you a happy birthday?"

"Ah, if only you can turn back time…" Ambryan began to say. "Then maybe you can find out for yourself."