A few days ago, Hanabi witnessed how the doctor tried to revive Alexander. His monitor showed a flat line for several terrifying seconds.

At that moment, she felt like her world crumbled, regret flickering in her eyes. She thought he was going to die, and she would never get another chance to talk to him.

She hated that feeling, and she would never want to experience it ever again.

Fortunately, God answered her prayer. In a couple of seconds, Alexander's heartbeat came back. The doctor managed to revive him.

Ever since that day, Hanabi kept visiting Alexander in the ICU. Arthur Wayne, Jack, and Spade also stayed in the Syphiruz Medical Facility. Nathan requested that Axel allocate a room for them.

"Have you eaten, Hanabi?" Arthur Wayne approached her. He also dropped by the ward to visit Alexander.

She shook her head. She had no appetite.

"I brought some snacks. You can try this. You have to eat. You lost some weight." Arthur said with concern. "Don't worry about Alex. He is very resilient. He is recovering well."

Hanabi's eyes lingered on Alexander's sleeping figure. "Don't you blame me for what happened to him?"

Arthur promptly responded. "Of course not. This is not your fault. So don't feel guilty. Don't be so hard on yourself."

"Once Alexander wakes up, I know he will never blame you," the old man added.

Arthur gently tapped her shoulder, giving her a reassuring smile. "Just stay here and wait for him to wake up. I know he will be happy once he sees you first."

Arthur Wayne had some matters to fix, so he didn't stay longer in Alexander's ward. Hanabi remained there, taking a bite of the food the old man brought for her.

After filling her stomach with food, Hanabi felt the exhaustion– both mentally and physically. She ended up drifting off to sleep. Her head rested on the edge of Alexander's sickbed.

She didn't know how long she had been sleeping. She suddenly woke up at the feeling of fingers stroking her hair.

Hanabi slowly opened her eyes, only to find Alexander staring at her. It seemed that someone had adjusted his bed to make him sit comfortably.

"Alexander!" She gasped, sitting up straight. "You are finally awake!" There was a trace of relief in her eyes as she looked at him.

Alexander's lips tugged upward in a faint smile as he nodded. "What happened to me? How long have I been here?"

Hanabi didn't answer him; instead, she reached out, hugging Alexander tightly.

Alexander was taken aback, staying still in his bed. He didn't expect Hanabi to embrace him.

"Are you this worried about me?" He said, teasing her.

This time, Hanabi didn't get annoyed. She just tightened her grip on his body.

"I'm really glad… Alexander… you finally wake up. I was so scared… I thought you would die. I thought… I would never get to talk to you again." Her voice trembled, the stored tears starting to fall from the corners of her eyes.

Alexander was at a loss for words. 'Is she crying? Because of me… Am I still dreaming?'

He blinked in confusion. Hanabi was acting so differently today. The proud and aloof woman he had ever known was now shedding tears in front of him. How could this be possible?

For some reason, his heart fluttered. He was touched because the woman he liked was worrying about him. It only meant he also mattered to her.

Thinking back, he couldn't remember how he ended up in this room. The last thing he knew, he had fainted after getting beaten up by the members of the Sawada Clan.

After a while, a knowing smile flashed across his face. It seemed that being hospitalized was a blessing in disguise. Now, he was witnessing Hanabi's concern for him.

"Shhhh. Don't cry, Hanabi. I'm just fine. I am still alive. I can't die just yet. I still have a lot of things I wanna do… with you." Alexander gently stroked her hair as he held her in place. He loved feeling her warmth. He didn't want this moment to end.

'I could hug her forever… like this,' He thought, smiling broadly.

However, Hanabi finally broke the hug, wiping her tears away as she looked him in the eyes. Her usual cold and snobbish expression was gone. She was staring at him with eyes filled with emotions he couldn't name.

Still trying to process this situation, Alexander was dumbfounded once more when Hanabi cupped his face.

"Alexander… I don't want to have any more regrets. When I saw you on the brink of death, I was terribly terrified. At that moment, I finally acknowledged that your existence mattered to me a lot."

"When you were in critical condition, I prayed… multiple times… wishing for you to stay alive and recover… because there are a lot of things… I haven't told you yet."

Alexander just remained quiet, just listening to her attentively. It was so rare for Hanabi to open up with him. This time, she was finally expressing her real feelings. He didn't want to miss a single word from her. He would like to hear everything she wanted to say.

"It's so ironic that I only realized my feelings when I almost lost you. Alexander…" Hanabi took a moment to pause, her eyes scanning his face.

Alexander swallowed hard, his heart thumping so hard against his chest. Anticipation could be seen in his eyes as he braced himself for the next couple of seconds.

"What feelings?" He murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.

Hanabi smiled faintly, a glint flickering in her eyes. "My feelings for you… Alexander… I also like you."

Alexander froze, almost forgetting how to breathe when he heard her unexpected confession. His heart almost leapt out of his chest, rejoicing.

'Did I hear it right? Hanabi also likes me. She told me she likes me…'

"Hanabi, tell me… I am not dreaming, right?" He asked her desperately, grabbing her shoulders. If this were just a dream, then he would prefer not to wake up.

Hanabi let out a soft giggle, seeing his reaction. His eyes went wide, lips hanging open as he waited for her confirmation.

Instead of answering his silly question, Hanabi just leaned in, crashing her lips against his. She kissed him fiercely, biting his lips so that he could feel the pain… a proof that he was not dreaming.

That kiss was enough for Alexander to believe that this was truly happening. Without hesitation, he grabbed the back of her head and cupped her chin. He pulled her closer, deepening the kiss further.

'Damn it! I feel so happy that I could die at any moment. I think getting beaten up like that was all worth it!' he thought, smiling between their kisses.

The long, passionate kiss lasted for almost a minute before they broke apart to catch their breath.

"I like you a lot, Hanabi," he whispered, his fingers caressing her cheeks. "Can you be my girlfriend?"

Hanabi nodded. "Yes. I want to give it a try. I will no longer deny my feelings. I will have to face them… so I am willing to be your girlfriend."

"Yesss!" He exclaimed, unable to contain his joy and excitement. He pulled her again into another rib-crashing embrace.

"You can't take it back. You are officially my girl now… My woman."

"But Alexander… don't expect too much from me. I have no experience when it comes to romantic relationships. I might bore you… so–"

Alexander quickly silenced her by capturing her lips with his own mouth. He kissed her over and over again.

"Hanabi, I don't expect you to act like a normal girl in front of me. I want you to be yourself… because I like you the way you are. I will never get bored. Instead, I will cherish you and love you with all my heart. I will do my best to make you happy… that you will not regret accepting me."

"Can you trust me, Hanabi?" Alexander asked, his gaze never leaving her face.

"Yes. I trust you."

Alexander couldn't get enough of her. Without further ado, he kissed her once again.

Then suddenly, the door of his ward was pushed open.

"Boss–"

Jack, Spade, and Arthur hurriedly entered the room only to witness the intimate moment between Hanabi and Alexander.