[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":10},["ShallowReactive",2],{"viewer-data-260322F482CA-409":3},{"id":4,"number":5,"name":6,"content":7,"isLocked":8,"price":9,"hasRead":8},409,61,"Chapter 61: The Plastic Bag on the Doorstep","\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The elevator plunged into a suffocating silence.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna’s heart skipped a beat. She fumbled for her phone, her hands shaking so violently from nerves that she accidentally hit the end-call button before she could speak.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell: \"...\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The elevator doors slid open at the ground floor.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The office building was in a bustling business district, flanked by a massive shopping complex where a row of taxis sat waiting for fares. Ivy Mitchell flagged down a sleek, electric-powered cab. \"Take this one. It’s a smoother ride—it should be easier on you.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Thanks,\" Arianna said, climbing into the back seat. \"Don't worry about me. I’m fine, you should head back inside.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Just text me when you get home,\" Ivy insisted.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Inside the cab, Arianna sat in the back, her stomach churning, and dialed Maxwell back. Before the first ring could even finish, he picked up. His voice was laced with an underlying, focused intensity. \"Arianna.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna bit her lip, forcing herself to offer an explanation. \"I wasn't feeling great today, so my supervisor let me head out early. I’m in a cab now, heading back to my hotel.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell didn’t buy her act for a second.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">*Not feeling great?*\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Only minutes ago, he’d heard her coworkers gasping about how pale she looked, insisting on escorting her all the way downstairs. Was she really just \"not feeling great\"? He kept his frustration to himself, however, refusing to push her further.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Text me the cab’s license plate number once you get in.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Okay.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">After hanging up, Arianna followed his instructions, dutifully sending him the license plate details.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell: [Which hotel?]\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna assumed he was just looking out for her safety. Without a second thought, she sent him the address and her room number.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">***\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">After she stepped out of the cab, Arianna stopped at a pharmacy to pick up painkillers and sanitary pads before heading up to her room.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The moment the door clicked shut, her legs gave out. She slumped to the floor, sliding down until she was sitting on the carpet, clutching her abdomen. A fine sheen of sweat broke out across her forehead.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">All the composure she had been clinging to shattered instantly. Her breathing turned jagged, echoing loudly in the quiet room. She leaned her back against the shoe rack, her knuckles white as she dug her fingers into her stomach, trying to stifle the agony. It felt as if her internal organs were being twisted and pulled, a relentless, searing cramp that pulsed with every heartbeat. Her shirt was soaked through with cold sweat, but she didn’t have the strength to move, let alone change.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She sat there for half an hour, shivering uncontrollably. Finally, she managed to haul herself up and boil some water to swallow a dose of pain medication.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">It was mid-summer, yet the room felt like a freezer to her. She was trapped in a cycle of feverish heat and bone-deep chills. Her consciousness began to blur. She crawled toward the bed and dragged the duvet over herself, desperate to slip into a deep, dreamless sleep, praying that when she woke up, the torture in her gut would finally subside.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Large droplets of sweat rolled down her temples, staining the white sheets. She curled into a small, tight ball, her long lashes trembling against her flushed cheeks.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Time slipped away.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">When Arianna finally drifted back to consciousness, the room was swallowed in darkness. She groped for her phone: 8:30 PM. The pain hadn't relented. Starving but unable to stomach a real meal, she opened a food delivery app and ordered a bowl of hot porridge, then cranked the volume on her phone to the max and pulled the blankets over her head.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">A few minutes later, the doorbell rang.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna blinked, dazed. She marveled at the delivery driver's speed, stumbling toward the door. As she passed the entryway, she grabbed a cardigan and threw it over her shoulders—her T-shirt was drenched with sweat, clinging to her skin.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She swung the door open, her hand already extended to grab the bag, but she froze. Her arm hung uselessly in the air, her brain stalling.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Standing in the hallway, looking impossibly sharp in a tailored shirt and slacks, was Maxwell King. He stood tall and steady, his dark eyes fixed on her. There was a faint, lingering fatigue around his eyes, as if he had traveled a long distance to be here.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna blinked. She was certain she was hallucinating. She didn't speak, just stared at him in stunned silence.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell frowned, his eyes scanning her.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She was thinner. She’d only been gone for a few days, but the little bit of weight she’d managed to put on was gone, leaving her chin sharp. Her arms looked like fragile twigs, as if they might snap under the slightest pressure. She was leaning against the doorframe, her hair damp with sweat and clinging to her temples, her usually bright, starry eyes dimmed by exhaustion.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">His heart ached. Trying not to startle her, he whispered, \"Arianna.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She snapped back to reality, realizing this wasn't a dream. \"What are you doing here?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell lied with practiced ease. \"I was in town for business. Just thought I’d stop by to check on you.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna was far too delirious from the pain to analyze the truth of his statement. She simply nodded, dazed. \"Oh.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell lowered his gaze, his voice softening. \"Are you not going to invite me in?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"...\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna stepped back, clearing a path. \"Sorry... I’m a bit out of it. Come in.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The room was sweltering, the air thick and stagnant. Arianna, still wrapped tightly in her cardigan, retreated to the sofa and curled into a ball. She looked drained, her face flushed with fever.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">On the flight over, Maxwell had spent the entire journey researching the symptoms of her condition: abdominal cramping, back pain, sensitivity to cold, cold sweats, nausea, dizziness.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Seeing the sheer misery etched onto her face, he felt a sharp stab of self-loathing. He had arrived far too late.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna shifted on the sofa, finally noticing the oppressive heat of the room. She stood up, heading toward the wall unit to crank up the air conditioning, but Maxwell intercepted her, catching her arm. \"What are you doing?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Turning on the AC,\" Arianna said, looking at him as if he were crazy. \"Are you not roasting in here?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Don't. Keep the AC off.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna: \"?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He came up with a lie in a heartbeat. \"I’ve been dealing with a bit of a cold lately. My doctor told me to stay away from the air conditioning.\" He paused, looking down at her, worried she would be annoyed. \"It’s only a mild cold, don't worry. I’m not contagious.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna was still focused on the heat. \"If we keep it off, won't you be too hot?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I'm fine,\" Maxwell said with complete composure. \"I'm used to it.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Alright.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">It was only then that she noticed what he was holding. A clear plastic bag, identical to the ones from the convenience store downstairs. He hadn't brought any luggage, just that bag.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She watched, stunned, as he pulled the contents out one by one: sanitary pads, a canister of organic ginger-brown sugar tea, a box of painkillers, and several packs of self-heating menstrual patches.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna stared. \"You brought all this?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell didn't hesitate. \"I heard you talking to your coworker earlier. I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I heard your voice and knew something was wrong. I’m sorry.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna felt the world spinning. \"No... it's okay.\"\u003C/p>",false,0,1774272907721]