William drove straight to the hospital, his heart pounding the entire way. The world outside blurred past the windows — lights, buildings, streets — all meaningless compared to the single thought echoing in his mind: Edward is awake.
He reached the private ward and paused at the doorway. Edward was already sitting up slightly, his thin frame leaning against the pillow, eyes fixed on the door as if he had been waiting for him. When William stepped in, their gazes met instantly.
Edward had lost a lot of weight; his skin was pale, his cheeks hollow. He didn't quite look like himself anymore. Still, when he saw William, he managed a small smile beneath the oxygen mask.
William walked closer, his eyes turning red. He reached out and took his brother's hand gently, afraid to pull him into a hug with all the wires and tubes around him.
They just looked at each other — two brothers caught between tears and relief.
"I missed you so much," William said, his voice trembling with emotion.
Edward gave a faint nod and squeezed his brother's hand weakly, his own eyes glistening.
Just then, the doctor entered the room, checking the monitor beside the bed. "Dr. Edward is doing well," the doctor said reassuringly. "For now, he just needs rest and careful monitoring. If his progress continues, we'll remove the oxygen completely soon."
William nodded quickly.
"Thank you, doctor."
After the doctor left, two nurses came in to check Edward's pulse and oxygen levels. Then, one of them gently removed the oxygen mask, explaining each step to William as they did.
William watched closely, his protective instincts kicking in. Every movement the nurses made felt too rough, too impersonal. His jaw tightened, his shoulders tense, but he stayed quiet — trusting them, even if his heart wanted to push them away and shield his brother himself.
When the nurses finally stepped out, Edward let out a quiet breath.
"Better?" William asked softly.
Edward nodded again, his lips twitching into the faintest smile.
After a brief silence, Edward turned his head toward his brother and smiled weakly.
"How's everything going?"
he asked suddenly.
William froze for a moment. He was never good at explaining things, and Edward had been in a coma for months. How could he possibly summarize everything that had happened?
He took a slow breath.
"Don't you think we should talk about this later?"
he asked gently, worried about his brother's strength.
"No, no,"
Edward said, his voice faint but firm. "I'm fine. I want to know."
William hesitated, then nodded.
"Alright... well, I got a lead — and they're being dealt with now. But I think we should talk more about that when you're home. Somewhere private."
Edward gave a thumbs-up, since he couldn't move his head much yet.
"You don't have to worry," William added softly. "You're safe now."
Edward exhaled slowly, then managed another question.
"And the companies? How's business? Who's been handling the affairs of the hospital?"
William smiled faintly.
"Genevieve's been incredibly helpful. And... I've been overseeing everything myself. The board couldn't agree on anyone else they trusted more, so they made me acting CEO until you woke up. It's so difficult cause it my first time dealing with such organisations but luckily everything is going fine.
Edward gave another small thumbs-up, his eyes showing gratitude.
"That must be stressful," he murmured. "Running both companies. yours which you know everything about and another which you know clearly nothing about."
William chuckled under his breath. "It was stressful, yeah. But nothing compared to what you've been through. You woke up and still have everything you feared losing while you were in that coma. The hospital is doing perfectly fine — waiting for you to come back."
Edward smiled again, raising his thumb one last time — a silent gesture of relief and pride.
For a moment, neither of them spoke. The machines hummed quietly, the faint rhythm of Edward's heartbeat steady and strong. William sat there, watching his brother breathe, feeling like—for the first time in months—things might finally start
Soon, William's phone started ringing. He reached out to pick it up, and upon seeing the caller ID, a smile appeared on his lips.
On the other end, Tina was silent, as if regretting why she had called—but the sound of his voice brought her back from her thoughts.
"Tina," he said tenderly, wondering if she was still there.
"Mr. William," she replied softly.
William pulled the phone slightly away from his ear, glancing at the screen again just to be sure it was really her before speaking once more.
"I just got a call from you," he said.
"Oh, about that—I was calling to find out how your brother is doing."
William smiled.
"I just got here, and he's doing great. Would you like to say hi to him? He's right here next to me."
"No, no," she replied quickly. "I was actually calling to speak to you. Maybe some other time—I'll say hello to him."
William could hear the surprise and hesitation in her voice. It amused him a little; he couldn't help but tease her with his tone.
While he spoke, William noticed Genevieve walking into the ward. He guessed the doctors must have called her too. She looked at her brother in surprise, wondering who William was talking to that had put him in such a cheerful mood.
"Hmm, okay," William said, smiling. "So, are you free tomorrow? We could pick up where we left off today."
Just then, William excused himself, leaving Genevieve and Edward alone—but they still caught his last sentence.
"No, Mr. William, I don't think that will be necessary," Tina replied. "You have other things to attend to—like your brother, who just woke up from a coma. Besides, I have class tomorrow."
William nodded, his voice softening.
"Alright then, I'll call you later. Please take good care of yourself—and your mom too."
When William walked back into the hospital ward, the sight that greeted him made him stop in his tracks.
Genevieve was leaning over Edward, her head resting gently on his arm. Her face was red, eyes puffy and glistening with tears. She was crying so hard it looked as though the dam of emotion she'd been holding back for days had finally broken.
Edward's weak hand rested lightly on her hair, trying to comfort her.
William smiled faintly as he approached them.
Edward looked up at him and managed a tired grin. "William," he said softly, then turned back to Genevieve. "Please tell Genny I'm okay now. She doesn't have to cry anymore."
William said nothing. He just watched them quietly, his expression unreadable. He sat down beside Edward, pulled out his phone, and began scrolling through it—more to give them privacy than from genuine distraction.
Edward noticed, though. He had barely woken up from a coma, and William was already retreating him calm, distant self again.
Edward sighed and turned his attention back to Genevieve. "Genny, it's okay," he said in a gentle tone. "I'm fine now. I'm not going anywhere ever again."
But Genevieve just sobbed harder. "I thought I lost you," she whispered between tears. "I was so scared... I didn't want to be alone without you."
William's fingers froze over his phone. Alone? he thought, glancing at her. What about me? Haven't I been here all along—for both of you?
But he said nothing. He just kept staring, expression calm, though his chest felt strangely heavy.
"Don't say that," Edward soothed. "You're not alone. You still have William—he's our big brother, remember?"
Genevieve nodded but didn't respond. She clutched Edward's hand tighter, tears still streaming down her cheeks.
"I love you, Edward," she said suddenly, her voice trembling but clear. "Please, don't ever scare me like that again."
The words caught William off guard. He looked up sharply, his phone forgotten. She said 'I love you.'
It wasn't jealousy it was something else. A quiet ache. He couldn't remember the last time Genevieve had said those words to him. Not even when he had been shot 2years ago, lying in a hospital bed just like this. She hadn't come in to see him back then. She'd stood outside the door, silent, distant... and then left.
But now here she was—pouring out her heart to Edward.
Edward smiled through the exhaustion. "I love you too, Genny," he whispered.
For a moment, silence settled in the room. Then Genevieve finally lifted her head, her teary eyes meeting William's. But the instant she caught his gaze, she looked away quickly, her cheeks flushed.
"I brought you some warm soup," she said, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "I made it this morning when I heard you were awake. Just the way you like it."
Edward chuckled weakly. "That's so sweet, Genny. I can't eat right now, but I can definitely inhale your soup and tease myself with the aroma. We'll keep the rest in the fridge until, six hours later."
Genevieve frowned at him, half amused, half annoyed. "Did the doctor say that? Because six hours sounds ridiculous! What if you faint before then?"
Edward gave her a playful grin. "No, doctor didn't say it I did. And in case you forgot, I am a doctor. Don't worry, I'll be fine. They're sending me for more tests soon, so I shouldn't push my luck."
Genevieve rolled her eyes but smiled softly. She opened her bag and carefully took out a small food container. The scent of homemade soup filled the room warm, rich, comforting.
Edward inhaled deeply, smiling with contentment. Then his gaze shifted to the second container.
"You know," he said, "William can have the porridge. I don't really feel like eating porridge today, but the soup now that's perfect."
Genevieve hesitated. Her eyes darted from the porridge to William. She made a small hum in her throat.
Before she could say anything, William stood up abruptly.
"I'll be heading out now," he said, slipping his phone into his pocket. "I have somewhere important to be."
Edward gave him a knowing look. "Somewhere important?" he teased. "Is it Tina? She wants you, doesn't she?"
Genevieve's hands froze mid-motion as she held the soup near Edward. The name hung in the air, and her heart skipped. Tina?
She didn't dare look up. William rarely spoke about women never, in fact and now hearing Edward mention one so casually made her curious. And something else she couldn't quite name.
William's reply was calm, but his tone carried a hint of warmth.
"No, she's busy tomorrow," he said simply. "And I already saw her today."
"Ohh," Edward teased, "but who says you can't see her more than once a day?"
Genevieve's hand trembled slightly, though she kept her eyes on the soup. So it's true, she thought. He really was talking to someone earlier... that must've been her.
William smiled faintly, shaking his head. "We can't see each other that often. Anyway, I'll see you later."
Edward nodded, watching him go. Genevieve's gaze followed William's back until he disappeared through the doorway. For a long moment, she said nothing.
Then Edward turned to her with a mischievous smile. "You know," he said, "William likes your cooking. You should've offered him the porridge."
Genevieve frowned. "You know very well William doesn't like me," she muttered. "And he's picky about who makes his food. I'd rather not embarrass myself."
Edward laughed softly. "Oh, come on. You're a great cook, and William does like you he's just... William."
Genevieve crossed her arms. "Please. Let's not talk about him. I actually pity whoever's dating him right now. I'm sure he's cold, bossy, and impossible to please."
Edward burst out laughing. "Hahaha! Genny, stop. What makes you think so?"
She gave him a knowing look. "Don't you see it? He's strict, moody, and never smiles. Unless, of course, he's dating someone who can actually handle him. If that's the case, then I pray he's finally met his match."
Edward stared at her, feigning shock, then laughed again. "That's my twin brother you're talking about."
She shrugged lightly, her lips curving into a small smile. "And that's your problem, not mine. I'm just telling you what I see."
Edward shook his head, still laughing. "You'll never change, Genny."
"I hope not," she said softly, her tone gentler now. Then she glanced toward the door again, where William had just left.
For a brief moment, she wondered what Tina was like the woman who could make her cold, distant brother smile. And that created a hint of jealousy in her heart