Chapter 346: Reaching Aeri
I stepped out of the brothel and let out a deep breath. *Huff.* The bright morning sun hit my face, making me squint. I looked up at the clear sky with my hands tucked deep inside my pockets. The warmth that usually felt nice now did nothing for me.
"Sun doesn’t even feel refreshing anymore," I muttered quietly to myself.
I tried my best to keep my face straight and walk like nothing was wrong — like I was perfectly fine both physically and mentally. But it wasn’t easy. Jonathan and the maids had already noticed how tired I looked. They kept asking if I was okay, and each question made me feel more drained. I let out another long sigh and my shoulders dropped a little as I continued walking down the quiet street.
Just a few minutes earlier, inside the brothel, Jonathan had called me into his office near the hall. He handed me the check without saying much at first. Then he looked at me carefully.
"Is everything okay, Ezra?" he asked in his deep, serious voice. He placed a firm hand on my shoulder and gave it a gentle pat.
"Yeah, I am fine," I answered in a dull, flat tone. My voice sounded tired even to my own ears.
"You surely don’t look fine to me, kiddo," Jonathan said, studying my face. "Did something happen with Lara? You can tell me."
"Not really," I replied, letting out a heavy sigh. "She was just my client. Nothing to complain about."
He nodded slowly, his hand still resting on my shoulder. "That’s true..."
I turned toward the exit door, ready to leave. "I’ll talk later. I have to go somewhere right now."
"Alright, take care and rest yourself properly!" Jonathan called out loudly from behind me. His voice carried real worry, like he could tell I wasn’t being completely honest.
As I walked through the long hallway toward the back exit, one of the maids was sweeping the marble floor. She stopped when she saw me and rested her chin on the top of the long broom handle.
"Woah... you look completely drained today, Ezra," she said, raising her eyebrows.
"Yeah, those slap sounds and screams were extreme this morning," the other maid added with a cheeky grin. She walked past me and gave my ass a light, playful slap as she went by.
I forced a small, tired smile and "What else can happen after fucking entire night and morning endlessly?" I muttered sighing.
"Hahaha... that’s some life to live by." The maid on the broom said laughing out loudly.
I turned away from the maids and said quickly, "I am getting late. I will talk to you all later."
Without waiting for more questions, I walked past them and pushed open the back door of the brothel. The cool morning air hit my face as soon as I stepped outside.
"Tch, he is always in a hurry," the maid holding the broom muttered behind me.
"He probably has a girlfriend he won’t tell us about," the other maid said while picking up empty glasses and a tray from a nearby table. "Or else why would he act so cold with us?" She shook her head and added, "Get back to work now. We have more VVIP clients coming today." She started walking away down the hallway.
"Yeaaaa..." the first maid replied in a long, dragged-out voice. She went back to sweeping the floor, the sound of the broom brushing against the tiles fading behind me.
Outside, the morning air felt fresh and a little chilly. I stood on the quiet street for a moment, pulled out my phone, and quickly dropped the location of the hospital where Aeri was admitted. My fingers moved fast as I booked a taxi. I kept shifting my weight from one foot to the other, feeling impatient.
A few minutes later, the taxi arrived and stopped right in front of me. I opened the back door and sat inside, closing it with a soft thud.
"Please hurry," I said to the driver, my voice full of urgency. "I must see the patient right away."
The driver looked at me through the rear-view mirror and nodded casually. "Alright sir. Hang on tight." He pressed the accelerator and the car sped up, weaving through the morning traffic.
The ride felt longer than usual even though the driver was going fast. I kept looking out the window, my leg bouncing nervously. My mind kept replaying the nurse’s call from earlier — Aeri had opened her eyes. I just wanted to get there and see her face.
Finally, the taxi slowed down and halted right in front of the hospital gate. I quickly paid the driver, thanked him, and jumped out. My heart was pounding as I ran through the main entrance.
I went straight to the reception desk, breathing hard and sweating all over. "Where is Aeri?" I asked desperately. "The woman who was admitted yesterday morning?"
The lady at the desk looked up and recognized me right away. "Ohh, Mister Ezra, right? Miss Aeri was asking about you." She gave a small smile and pointed toward the hallway on the left. "Come, follow me."
She stood up from her chair and started walking ahead, leading the way. I followed closely behind her, my shoes making quick sounds on the clean hospital floor. The smell of medicine and disinfectant filled the air. We passed a few nurses and patients waiting in the corridor, but I barely noticed them. All I could think about was reaching Aeri’s room.
The receptionist kept walking at a steady pace, turning left at the end of the hallway. She stopped in front of a door with a small nameplate on it and turned to look at me.
"Here we are," she said gently. "She’s inside. You can go in."
I stood there for a second, my chest tight with worry and relief at the same time. My hand reached for the door handle, ready to push it open and finally see Aeri after all this time.
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