Chapter 257 - COLLAPSED

After breakfast, Erwin wanted to give some food to Stefan but Cayenne was in the living room, reading some magazine which made it difficult for him. In the end, he left the food on the table and went back to his room.

"When are you planning to stop kneeling there? I heard that you've been kneeling since yesterday." Luiz asked Stefan while playing his mobile phone.

"I will only stand once your sister forgives me."

"Oh. Then, prepare to stay there for a long time." Luiz responded and decided to stop talking to him anymore.

Stefan kept watching Cayenne, etching her face to his mind and remembering the smile on her face. Ever since he came to find her, he never once smiled at him. She would faintly smile to Erwin but she was emotionless when she was facing him.

"Ayen, grandfather wants to see you."

"I don't know who my grandparents are. They're probably dead already."

"No, I mean, it's my grandpa who wanted to see you."

"Since it's your grandpa, go away and find him." Cayenne retorted while flipping her magazine to the next page. "Kyle, how about we buy this one? It will be good for your research and Luiz can borrow it, too since you guys are staying in one room."

"Yen, that's very expensive." Kyle commented when he saw the laptop price. "Let's find something cheaper."

"It's fine. It's fine. I still have a little bit of savings here. I can just go to work if I ran out of money."

"There's no need. I'll just find my own work. Don't stress yourself. Just go and buy new clothes with your money. I'm already past the legal age. I can work and help you."

"How about me? What if I work as a tutor? It would be great, don't you think?"

Cayenne looked at her brothers and nodded her head. "If that's what you want then, you can do it. If you need anything, just let me know."

Stefan just listened to them and wanted to tell them about the laptop and iPad that they left in the apartment but he knew that Cayenne won't listen to him at all.

Another day had passed and Stefan still didn't earn her forgiveness. Cayenne had been chasing him out but he refused to leave. He would only get up to go the bathroom and then, he'd go back to kneel on the floor again. Kneeling inside her house was better than kneeling outside.

Cayenne woke up to the chirping of the birds. She looked outside her window and sighed. "It's his third day kneeling on that cold floor. He should just go home and face his business, not me. I'm not really worth his time. So stupid." She went to the bathroom, washed her face and brushed her teeth before changing her clothes.

But when Cayenne got out of her room, she didn't see Stefan kneeling on the floor. Instead, he was lying on the sofa with a towel on his forehead.

"Young miss, you're awake. Sorry, I moved him to the couch. He collapsed with high fever."

"Then, why didn't you bring him to the hospital?" Cayenne questioned with no trace of concern. "Go and send him to the hospital."

"No, I'm not leaving." Stefan pushed himself off the couch and kneeled on the floor again. His face was flushed and his body kept swaying. "I won't go. I'd rather die than go without you. Ayen, I'm sorry. I'm really sorry." Perhaps it was because of his fever that Stefan let himself cry in front of her. He no longer cared about his image. Ruining his image was nothing compared to losing her forever. "I will continue to kneel here until you give me another chance."

"Even if you continue to kneel, it won't change my mind." Cayenne turned around and left. "Help me take care of him. Once he's fine, send him home."

Stefan wanted to hold Cayenne and stopped her from leaving but he felt so dizzy from his fever. He reached his hand to touch her but he only touched an empty air before everything went black.

"Brother-in-law!"

"Mr. Dumrique!"

Erwin and Luiz called in unison and helped Stefan up. His lips were pale but his face was flushed due to high fever. He looked emaciated and thin. Cayenne's tears fell on her face as she walked back to his side. "Bring him to my room. I'll take care of him." No matter how tough she acted, in the end, she still cared for him. "Kyle, can you call a doctor for me."

"Hn." Kyle knew that his sister will give in to Stefan sooner or later. After all, she never changed the wallpaper of her picture up until now.

While waiting for the doctor, Cayenne undressed him and wiped his body with a wet cloth to cool down his body temperature. She also placed a folded wet face towel on his forehead. They didn't have any first aid kit so Erwin left to buy some fever medicine from the nearest pharmacy.

After quarter an hour, Dr. Rivera, Jillyanna's friend came and provided help. He gave Stefan an IV drip and checked him at the same time to make sure that everything's fine.

"Uhm, I know that it's not easy to forgive someone but please don't make him kneel on the cold floor for a long time." Dr.Rivera commented. "His blood wasn't circulating properly and some of his nerves lacked oxygen. He's also dehydrated and his stomach is empty. He's suffering from so many stressful matters and got over fatigued."

Cayenne didn't say anything or show any emotion. She was just watching Stefan who was sleeping on her bed.

"Once he's awake, give him light food and don't give him stress. He'll be fine after the drip is done." Dr. Rivera talked to them about the things they must and must not do. After making sure that they have understood everything and Stefan was out of danger, he left them and reported the information to Jillyanna.

Cayenne was still standing at the foot of her bed, watching Stefan with tears pooling in her eyes. "I'll go to the kitchen and make something for him." She left without hearing their answers. But instead of going to the kitchen, she went to the backyard and cried.

'I don't want to give him a chance to hurt me again but I am also hurting when he's suffering. What should I do?'