The car returned to Dominik's house.
Caesar saw her lying on the ground. That was something he expected after the call he received. But this was much worse than he thought.
Seeing it like a doll without its strings, motionless and alone on the ground, a deep frown appeared between his eyebrows.
He looked at Senda, who was standing beside her.
"Why didn't you take her to the hospital?" He questioned in a grave tone.
Senda lowered his gaze and answered, "She was fine a few moments ago. Suddenly collapsing like that, I was suspicious she was acting."
That was also what Caesar thought when he heard the report.
Individuals seeking to avoid debt repayment had previously used similar ruses to gain their freedom.
Senda must have thought that Aurora was using her frail appearance so that he would let her get back inside the house. But how could he do that? He was ordered to watch over her, not do what she requested.
"Should we send her to the hospital, sir?"
Romano stepped forward and suggested sending her to the hospital.
But Caesar shook his head.
He walked toward Aurora, who was on the ground, crouched down, and reached his hand out.
He removed the stray hair covering her face and revealed her pale face. Her eyes were closed, and her lips were pale, paler than when he first saw her in the room. Her face felt warm against his fingers.
He observed her carefully. Her breath was faint and slow.
Finally, he admitted that she hadn't been acting. No one could pull off this trick and not be seen through by him. A fever that was so high he felt burned when he touched her couldn't be faked.
After a thought, Caesar took off his long coat and covered her with it. Under the gaze of his men, he scooped her from the ground and walked back towards the car.
Romano dutifully opened the door for him in silence, watching his boss observantly, even though he felt there was something strange in this situation.
Caesar placed her on the spot where the wooden box of 'treasures' was earlier and sat on his original spot.
As the car started, Caesar said, "Drive back home."
It was different from his previous order to go to the company. What was even more strange was that he didn't head to the hospital, but to his house.
Romano kept silent, but Senda felt troubled by what was happening.
If people found out that it was because of him that their boss had to take a woman into his home… Wouldn't they beat him to death?
Senda knew he wasn't at fault, and his line of thought earlier was correct, but he didn't do anything when she collapsed and just waited for them to come back.
The car windows were tightly shut as they drove down the road. But the weather had been decreasing unexpectedly, so that even without the wind blasting through, it was still very cold inside.
"Crank up the heater," Caesar ordered.
Soon, the car became warm and comfortable to them. But the woman lying curled beside him was still shaking. The coat covered her petite figure, with only her face poking out.
There was something warm covering her… Even through her fevered delirium, Aurora felt the warmth wrapped around her body.
But soon, it wasn't enough.
"Cold…" she shivered and dazedly mumbled.
A twinge of complaint in the tone she used, as if someone had deliberately poured a bucket of cold water with ice over her body.
Her fingers grasped the thing that once felt warm around her, clinging to it as if asking to warm her again. But it didn't listen to her.
Still feeling cold, Aurora stretched an arm out of the thing covering her. Her hand patted around, looking for an extra source of warmth. When she got nothing, she straightened her elbow and finally touched something.
Her hand moved blindly, trembling as it reached toward that warm thing.
Her fingers brushed against something firm.
It didn't feel like a blanket.
Or a pillow.
It was more solid, steady… and warm.
Though slightly soft.
Her fingers curled slightly, instinctively trying to grab it toward herself, but it yielded nothing to her and remained where it was.
She didn't know what she was touching. Only that it radiated enough heat for her to feel the coldness in her hand retreating before completely being enveloped by that warmth.
And in her fevered haze, Aurora knew that it wasn't enough.
She wanted more.
Her body felt so cold that it seeped into her bones and made her shiver.
With something so close to her, just an arm away from her, how could she not reach for it?
Her cocooned body moved, wriggling toward that source of heat and making it her goal to get it. Preferably, she wanted to hug it until she was fully warm.
As she moved, she heard a rustle and some muffled noises in the background. But her mind was clouded, and she couldn't register what was being said.
Fortunately, she wasn't conscious of her action, nor could she see herself. If she knew what she was doing, Aurora would have long scolded herself.
Right now, nothing could stop her. Her hand curled around the warm thing; it was like a thick trunk of a tree. Robust and firm. She desperately wanted to hug it, but her position didn't allow her to do it, so she pressed her head against it. Finally, she released a sound that expressed how comfortable she was.
But what she didn't know. Every action and sound she made was being watched. Not by one pair of eyes… but three pairs of eyes.
One pair belonged to the silver-eyed one, whom she thought was like a wolf.
"Taking advantage of me?" the voice sounded above her, deep and resounding. "I might start charging you for this."