WHAT A TWIST!

Chapter 128

Despite the nurse's meticulous directions, I still found myself adrift in the hospital's vast, chaotic corridors. The sheer magnitude of the place seemed to consume me, and my anxiety intensified with every passing moment. My sole focus was on reaching Hyun-min, ensuring his well-being, and nothing else mattered.

After an interminable search, I finally stumbled upon the VIP room. I pushed open the door without hesitation, and my gaze landed on a woman standing beside Hyun-min's bed. She turned to face me, her expression a blend of curiosity and scrutiny.

"Who are you?" she asked, her voice firm yet courteous.

I glanced at Hyun-min, my heart sinking as I saw that he remained unconscious. "I'm... a friend," I stammered, feeling somewhat out of my element.

The woman's eyes narrowed slightly, her tone tinged with skepticism. "Just friends?" she repeated, her gaze piercing.

I hesitated, unsure how to respond. "Well, we were kind of... navigating some challenges together," I said, attempting to gauge her reaction.

Before I could elaborate, the woman interjected, her demeanor efficient. "Okay, what's your name?"

"I'm Sarah," I replied, striving to convey confidence.

The woman nodded, seeming to accept my presence. "Okay, Sarah. Thankfully, you're here. I was about to step out, but you can assist me in keeping an eye on him for a while. I'll return later on. You're welcome to stay with him until evening. Hopefully, he'll regain consciousness by then."

With that, she departed, leaving me alone with Hyun-min. I took a seat beside his bed, my gaze fixed on his pale face, willing him to awaken and smile at me. The silence in the room felt oppressive, and I couldn't shake the feeling that I was navigating uncharted territory.

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As Madam Ji Hyeon stormed into the mansion, her anger was palpable. The soft glow of the chandeliers above seemed to dim in comparison to the fiery intensity that radiated from her very presence. Her husband, Chairman Kang, happened to be descending the stairs, grateful for a break from the pressures of work, thanks to his team of diligent workers.

"You're seething," Chairman Kang observed, his voice calm and measured as he reached the bottom of the stairs. "What's wrong? How's Hyun Min?"

Madam Ji Hyeon's gaze narrowed, her eyes flashing with indignation. "He's stable," she spat, her voice low and venomous. "But that woman, Soo Young, she's back. She thinks she can just waltz in here and claim him? The audacity!"

As she settled onto the plush sofa, the chairman signaled to a servant hovering discreetly in the background. The servant nodded and vanished, only to return moments later with a glass of chilled orange juice. Madam Ji Hyeon seized the glass, her fingers wrapping around it like a lifeline, and downed the contents in one swift motion.

"I think it's time we let him go," Chairman Kang suggested, his voice a gentle breeze amidst the tempest.

Madam Ji Hyeon's response was immediate and ferocious. "Never!" she bellowed, her voice echoing through the mansion's halls. "I raised him! He's mine!" The words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken emotions.

The chairman's expression remained impassive, but his eyes betrayed a hint of weariness. He relaxed further into his chair, a deep sigh escaping his lips.

Madam Ji Hyeon's anger seemed to simmer, then boil over once more. "I'll get my lawyer," she declared, her voice dripping with determination.

As the silence between them grew, Madam Ji Hyeon's thoughts turned to other matters. "Grandma called, asking about Hyun Min," she said, her voice still laced with anger. "And Nella is coming back for the holidays. The semester is over."

The chairman's response was laconic. "I see."

Madam Ji Hyeon's eyes widened in incredulity. "Your second daughter is coming home from Grandma's, and all you can say is that'?"

The chairman stood up, his movements economical. As he turned to Madam Ji Hyeon, a sudden glint appeared in his eye. "That reminds me," he said, his voice dripping with malice. "When is Na Yeon's funeral?"

Madam Ji Hyeon's eyes rolled heavenward. "Tonight," she replied, her voice heavy with exasperation.

The tension between them was palpable, a living, breathing entity that pulsed with unspoken emotions. As the silence stretched out, it seemed to swallow them whole, leaving only the faintest glimmer of what's to come.

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**sarah pov**

The hospital's sterile scent clung to my skin as I jerked awake, my head jolting upright from its resting place on the bed's railing. The gentle touch on my face had been a whisper-soft caress, but it was enough to stir me from my fitful slumber. As my gaze met Hyun Min's, the chair creaked beneath me as I stood, my legs unfolding like a puppet on strings.

In a heartbeat, I was beside him, my arms wrapping around him like a lifeline. His groan was a whispered warning, and I released him instantly, my hands flying apart like guilty birds. "Are you okay?" I breathed, my voice a tender thing.

His nod was a slow, measured movement, his eyes never leaving mine. I hovered, unsure, before moving to the end of the bed. "Do you need a massage?" I asked, my hands hovering over the sheets that shrouded his legs.

The ghost of a smile flirted with his lips. "If you insist," he murmured, his voice low and husky. My fingers began to dance across his skin, coaxing out the tension that had knotted his muscles. As I worked, his eyelids drooped, his breathing slowing to a peaceful cadence.

"It's enough," he whispered, his voice a gentle rebuke. I stilled, my hands cradling his legs as if they were fragile things. Moving to his side, I stood like a sentinel, awaiting his next command. His hand shot out, a band of steel wrapping around my wrist, pulling me down to his face.

Our eyes locked, the air thickening between us like a promise. In that moment, the hospital's antiseptic tang receded, and all that remained was the thrum of our connection, a heartbeat that pulsed between us like a living thing.