Chapter 82: Chapter 82 Draven is awake..
"Draven, can you hear me?! Dear Lord, you’re awake!!" Daniel cooed in excitement. The sleepiness he felt earlier had completely vanished.
The figure on the bed shifted, turning his head painfully toward where Daniel stood. Daniel covered his mouth with his palm to stifle a gasp.
Gosh, why was his heart suddenly beating so fast?
"Dan... Danny, is that you?" Draven asked, his throat parched and dry. He tried to stand but couldn’t. He then moved to yank the tube out, momentarily pulling it away.
Daniel froze. No, he shouldn’t do that!
"Draven, don’t—!" But it was too late. The tube was gone, followed by another pipe. They had seemingly vanished.
"I know you’re worried, Daniel, but the only way you can help me recover is by us leaving here. I can’t stand hospitals," Draven explained, causing Daniel to blink in surprise.
Really? So he hated hospitals. But where could he stay? Bringing him to the Golden Palace—was that a good idea? With the amount of hostility Daniel faced there, he couldn’t trust that Draven wouldn’t be poisoned.
Fuck them all, he decided. He didn’t care. He was bringing Draven with him. It wasn’t as if he was doing anything evil; the worst that could happen was a lot of shouting, especially from that annoying old hag.
"As you wish, Draven. You’re coming with me," Daniel finally relented.
Draven’s face lit up, beaming with a stunning smile and cute dimples. His cuteness was disarming, possessing an adorable quality often associated with children. It was hard to believe this young man was 19, though being in college made it somewhat more plausible.
Draven sat on the bed, staring at Daniel, enamored by his appearance. Though Daniel’s eyes were puffy for some reason, the rest of him was as regal as ever: his always-neatly brushed hair, his tinted pink lips, his emerald eyes that shone like precious stones, and his doll-like face that made his beauty stupendous. And that white jacket... was that scent coming from him?
Why do I perceive someone different from Dan? Draven wondered. As Daniel moved closer, a fragrance from the jacket tormented his nose—the sweetness of vanilla. Did this wonderful scent really belong to someone? Draven was curious to know who. He had accepted Daniel’s marriage, and though he was initially disappointed and heartbroken, seeing Daniel now made that feeling vanish, pushed down into the bay.
"Why that look, Draven? Do you want to ask something before I tell the doctor to discharge you?" Daniel inquired, his emerald eyes fixed questioningly on Draven.
Daniel was standing, bent over almost as if he wanted to kiss Draven, while the alpha remained seated on the bed, his gaze locked on Daniel throughout their conversation.
Ask? Did he really notice something was bothering me?
"It’s just... the fragrance coming from you is different from your normal scent," Draven began, deciding to test the waters. "It got me thinking if you’ve gotten yourself a man."
The unexpected happened.
"Yeah, that’s true," Daniel admitted. "I encountered a man outside when I was feeling down. He offered me comfort and his jacket before leaving in a hurry. I guess when we meet again, I’ll return it to him."
With that discussed, Draven noticed a change in Daniel. He was no longer harsh, and his demeanor seemed to have softened. He didn’t know what caused it, but it felt good to see this side of him.
"So, that means you don’t have a partner yet?" Draven joked, patting the space beside him, surprised that Daniel was still willing to indulge him.
Daniel laughed at the failed attempt at humor. Gosh, that was horrible.
"If you put it that way, I do have one. Things got so hot that I had to enter a marriage to save my ass. But rest assured, it’s nothing more." He paused, then laughed at his own bizarre behavior. "Wait, why am I even telling you this? What am I expecting?"
Draven’s lips curved into a sweet smile. "It’s your life, Daniel. I don’t have to question you. And sorry for not asking sooner, but how is that monster who took you that day?" He finally broached the subject. That should have been the first topic; he’d been shaken when Daniel disappeared, only to search every corner and find them clean, as if Daniel had been erased. It was so fucking suspicious.
Daniel’s expression darkened. He hated being reminded of his terrible experience with Adrian Valez, the despicable man who could harm even his relatives without batting an eye.
"Adrian Valez is currently in a dark cell without food or water, thanks to my husband. Other than that, I don’t care. If he perishes, graves are there to be dug for him," Daniel stated flatly.
Adrian Valez. That name rang a bell. Where had he heard it from? Draven’s eyes snapped open in realization.
"What is it?" Daniel asked, noticing his sudden change in posture.
"Adrian Valez is the one who orchestrated my attack. He paid those men to kill me," Draven announced.
Daniel twisted in rage. This man was still causing trouble even after being locked up. Just because his fate hadn’t been decided, he thought he was safe.
"Wow, that’s unexpected. Well, as we return to my place, I’ll make sure I become his next horror movie," Daniel vowed, his voice dripping with pure hatred. His loathing for the man leveled up day by day. How could someone even birth such a psychopath?
"All is well. You have my attention now, isn’t that what you’ve been craving? So let’s go. Consider this a vacation from all your life problems," Daniel proclaimed.
Draven thanked his God that school activities were on hold, meaning he had a holiday until next month. His villa wouldn’t see him until further notice. Forgetting about his final makeup test, he took Daniel’s hand and stood up with all his might, even though it was painful. Limping and using Daniel as his guide, they made their way out of the ward.
It was then that the vibration of Draven’s phone caught Daniel’s attention. Before Draven could pick it up, Daniel took it and answered, placing it to his ear.
"Oh, guy, is that you? What happened? I called forty times! I was scared you’d encountered something dreadful on the way. Please, talk to me. I’m worried sick as we speak," came Charles’s voice from the other end. "You jerk, answer me now! Do you know the heart attack you gave me?" Charles’s voice cracked as a sniffle followed. Was he crying? Really, wow, such a caring fellow.
Should I continue or give the phone to Draven? Daniel decided Draven should probably handle it. He handed the phone back. He had initially wanted to shield Draven from anything stressful, and this seemed stressful, but he realized that was unreasonable. A caring friend was panicking, on the verge of collapse; he at least deserved to know his best friend was okay.
"Draven!! Draven, please talk to me," Charles kept pressing.
"I’m here, Charles. I’m fine," Draven finally spoke, and Charles’s racing thoughts began to calm.
"Tell me what the problem was. Are you really fine..?" Charles continued, but Draven assured him he was.
"I was just kidnapped and attacked, but my friend is with me now, and I won’t be around until the end of the week," Draven broke the news.
Charles did not take this lightly. Instead, he went berserk. "Which friend is that, Draven? You’re supposed to be home! Are you even okay?? And have you forgotten your test? This is important! Tell me where you are; let me come get you!" Charles probed, demanding an answer immediately, but Draven had already cut the call and powered off the phone.
His attention was now fully on Daniel. "Don’t mind him. Can we go?" He held Daniel’s hand.
As they moved, Daniel encountered both Alexander and Xylander. Xylander rushed to the ward where Daniel was supposed to be lying.
"Dan! Oh, sweet hubby..." Xylander squatted and immediately scooped Daniel into his arms, not realizing Draven was holding on to him. Draven lost his balance from the unexpected display and fell hard onto the floor, letting out a pained yelp.