A/N: HEY CHINGUS! DROPPING A SHORT UPDATE FOR ALL OF YOU. HAPPY WEEKEND!

PEACE YOW!

CHAPTER 43

KRYSTAL’S POV

Grateful and happy.

Overjoyed.

Like all the worries inside my heart dissipated in an instant. Nothing else matters.

That is what I have been feeling since last night after Amber miraculously woke up from her coma. Like she decided to open her eyes and wake up from a very deep sleep, my silly and speechless self for a minute just staring back at her. I don’t even know what happened to me, its like I was too stunned to move.

Maybe because I was too shocked that my silliness paid off or I was really just plain shocked. Especially when her eyes moved from staring at the ceiling to my direction and finally meeting my too stunned gaze. When it happened, the spell was broken. I started crying the instant she moved her slightly trembling hand slowly, I took it as a sign and held it tightly never wanting to let go.

She can’t speak because of the feeding tube still stuck inside her nasal passage but her eyes expressed what she wants to say. I even asked her if she still knows me and told her to blink her eyes thrice if she knows who I am (believe me when I say I didn’t know what I was doing nor am I doing the right thing), which she did. That find finally snapped me out of my shock and yelled bloody hell for Kwangsoo to come inside the suite. He did came in panic together with the three guards all holding a gun. When they saw that I was crying and holding Amber’s hand all of them started scrambling out of the suite to call the Doctors and Nurses outside.

Doctor Hwang immediately arrived coming straight from a family New Year’s Eve celebration party and did the full check-up on Amber. She and her team of Doctors were amazed at how Amber responds on their questions through actions (blinking and tapping of her finger). Everything was a whirlwind, Doctor Hwang saying by afternoon she will schedule some more test for Amber (CT Scan, blood works, etc.) what’s important is for me to have a rest and Amber too.

I’m very grateful too that Victoria and Luna came because I really needed friends with me that time. Friends who will always be there for me when I needed them. Kwangsoo informed Luna said they thought something bad happened but they were glad Amber was already awake because it means her recovery will be fast.

We celebrated the night with the food my sister Yoona sent earlier that day paired with Champagne plus the cheese and crackers that they brought saying their intention of coming was to accompany me. Victoria said she didn’t thought we will also celebrate Amber waking up from her coma. My fragile heart last night not knowing a commotion was already happening in our mansion at Gangwon.

I fell asleep on Amber’s bedside holding her hand that I kept on . My heart happy and mind at peace knowing that Amber will get through this ordeal with flying colors. She will. We will.

First day of the year

10:00 am

I was awaken on my not so comfortable slumber when I felt a tap on my cheek. When I opened my very sleepy eyes, I slowly yawned stretching my limbs and caught a pair of beautiful brown eyes staring back at me watching my movements. My lips curved into a smile seeing Amber was also awake blinking her eyes at me. “Hey Soldier…”

Does she need something? Her urine bag is already full? I stood up from my seat alertness overcoming my grogginess from sleep and leaned forward to Amber. My hand touching her forehead checking her temperature as my eyes scan her whole face for any trace of pain or discomfort. Even though the tube was already taken out, Doctor Hwang said Amber will still have difficulty in talking for a few days because will be sore. 

“Are you okay baby? In pain?” I asked her. She tapped her finger twice at the back of my hand meaning its a No.

“You want to eat?”

*tap* *tap*

“You want to poop?”

*tap* *tap*

Hmmm….

Hehehe… let’s see…

“Want a kiss?”

*tap* *tap *tap*

“You love me?~”

I saw how her eyes sparkled then tapped my hand earning a laugh from me.

*tap* *tap* *tap*

Awww~…

“I love you too…” I gave her a smile reaching for a kiss on her forehead. Closing my eyes and lingering my lips there for a while. Uttering a short prayer thanking the Heavens Amber is already conscious and beside me… and most importantly recognizes me.

Remembering something precious that she needs to see, I smiled at her and opened the bedside drawer. I took out a small ziplock containing Amber’s valuable Dogtag and the necklace I gave her 7 months ago. I placed the necklace with the locket on the palm of her hand and closed it, controlling my emotions by smiling at her. “I think this is yours Lt. Liu...”

Her eyes showed various kinds of emotions that she wants to express. Leaning forward, I rested my elbow on the bed and took her hand bringing it to my cheeks where tears were already rolling. Tears of joy and relief. I’m just so happy she’s finally awake and staring back at me now with love in her eyes. Her thumb slowly made a gesture wiping the tears on my cheek, gently tracing my face. Her eyes showed worry and I think I know why.

“Thank you for coming back Amber. You don’t know how worried I was when I learned about your situation. Everything was like a dream… a very bad dream….”

“I know, I look awful. Really don’t have any appetite the past few weeks and I can’t sleep most of the time… you were asleep for 2 months, do you know that? The Doctors were amazed because you are holding well.”

Her eyes turned misty while looking at me. I don’t want her to worry! “Amber… I’m okay. Now that you are awake I’ll be more than okay. I’ll eat alot!” I exclaimed enthusiastically bringing a smile on her face. I admit I always skip meals and rarely had long sleeps because of watching over Amber. Even Vic and Luna noticed it same as Hwa Young who as always tells me to eat and rest because it will be bad for my health. One time I was in the office working, Luna was the one scheduled to accompany Amber that time. Hwa Young was bugging me to put down the documents I am reviewing and just eat because it was already past 3:00 o’clock in the afternoon. Of course, the stubborn me… hehehe… I told her I will only eat once I finish all my work before going back straight to the hospital. She probably asked for back-up because minutes later, Victoria came barging in bringing a box of pizza and ordered me like a Mother to get up from my seat and eat. That she won’t stop nagging me and she doesn’t care if I fire her because all she wants me to do is I eat atleast 2 slices of the sinful treat she brought. Just smelling that greasy cheesy pizza made my stomach grumble giving me a realization that I am indeed hungry. Who wouldn’t? A cup of coffee isn’t an ideal breakfast afterall. Instead of 2 slices, I finished 4! She also forced me to take a nap after eating saying I cannot leave my office without taking a nap. I don’t know why but instead of getting angry at Victoria for crossing the line… I found myself following her orders like a kid being ordered by my Mother. When I woke up, I was already inside Amber’s hospital suite lying down on my bed there. Turns out Vic ordered Kwangsoo to carry me back to the car at the Basement then she and Hwa Young accompanied me back to the hospital sleeping like a log at the backseat. It was the longest sleep I had so far, 10 hours.  

A sudden remembrance of Hwa Young brought that slight pain in my heart. Whenever she will show worry on my well being I can’t help but feel those doubts about her loyalty. Sure she does her work efficiently as usual but… my views of her already changed ever since that revelation a couple of months ago.

Trust.

-firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something.

The whole definition of TRUST perfectly embodies the Lim Hwa Young I knew since I was young.

But after the revelation about her secret affair with Siwon (I refuse to call him oppa now)… that very high level of trust I have for her suddenly plummeted. Especially when Luna’s findings came…

It was Hwa Young who placed the bugs inside my unit. The day Amber flew back to the United States after her vacation… the night I went out of my unit and decided to meet Victoria and Luna who was spying on me then… Hwa Young remained in my unit that night saying she will take care of Jackjack until I arrive back. Little did I know she was already doing something behind my back.

How did we found out it was her?

My ever brilliant Soldier upgraded the security features of my unit. Putting security cameras on strategic parts of the room and even built me my own Panic Room inside our bedroom. Brilliant, right? The only persons who knows about that Panic Room is me, Amber, and Kwangsoo. The problem is… Kwangsoo and I trusted Hwa Young so much that we didn’t suspect anything suspicious from her that day. We overlooked everything. If Kwangsoo did not gave Luna the permission to review the past footages then its useless.

Now my question is… did she do it for Siwon or did she do it for Lee Byunghun? Is Siwon working under Lee Byunghun’s umbrella and just using Hwa Young to infiltrate my territory? Because if its the latter, I cannot forgive him.

Amber told me back then that she knows the security of the whole residential compound is already tight and 100% secured but there is nothing wrong in upgrading mine. Adding, “Enemies will pretend to be a friend just to infiltrate your fortress. That is a tried and tested strategy that royals, Romans, Greeks, powerful people around the world does from thousands of years ago and until now just to win a war. You may be friends with a certain person for all your life but it doesn’t mean that person will never betray you. Be careful even in your own company Krys, you’ll never know if a Trojan Horse entered your fortress bringing inside it those people who only has one mission…” our eyes met and instantly I knew what she meant. “To capture me on my weakest and use it for their gain.” I murmured.

She nodded and continued. “I’m not telling you to doubt everyone around you but…” she raised her index finger in front of our faces, her eyes still locked with mine. “Always be careful. I will be away for almost a year--”

“Seven months and 2 weeks…” I corrected her with a raised eyebrow. She titled her head to the side pretending to be thinking while patting her chin with her index finger. I snickered at her antics pinching her cheeks hard earning a guffaw from the most adorable person I ever met.

And it turns out… Amber was right.

Betrayal happened; trust broken.

Betrayal.

-the action of betraying one's country, a group, or a person; treachery.

A treasonous person.

Betraying not just me but also everyone around us… most importantly that one person whom she shares a close bond.

My sister.

Until now I haven’t talk to her about it… about her betrayal.

I don’t know how to confront her. I don’t even know how to tell my sister about it.

And it pains me so much for being a coward. For keeping a very disgusting secret because I care. I care for my sister who is carrying the child of that disgusting swine of a man and I care for that woman whom that swine is tricking.

Maybe if Hwa Young is just a random on the street that my good for nothing brother-in-law picked up then I will have the guts to tell my sister about their clandestine affair.

But its Hwa Young.

The person I treat like one of my older sisters. The person I trust so much with my everyday life be it personal or in the company. The one who’s always been so understanding about my problems in life and always ready to give me advices… always ready with everything.

Amber’s tapping on my cheek brought me out of my revelry. My lips curved into a happy smile seeing how her worried expression a while ago changed into an eyesmile. Awww…