That afternoon, the scorching sunlight pierced through the hospital corridor's large windows, casting long, desolate shadows. Lifa walked alone, making her way across the cold white tile floor, its sharp antiseptic smell stinging her nose. Her steps felt heavy. Her parents were still busy with their business affairs, leaving Lifa alone without any certainty about when they would return to visit her.
But Lifa wasn't focused on being alone. Her attention was on Rehan, the young doctor who was also her cousin. Since morning, Rehan had vanished from his room. His carelessness or a delay could have fatal consequences. Lifa had to make sure of one important thing: that Rehan really went to that hill today and got the rainbow mushroom before Putri beat him to it.
"Ugh, where the heck is Rehan? I've searched everywhere from the ground floor to the top floor, and my legs feel like they're about to fall off, but I still can't find him!" she grumbled irritably. Her voice echoed faintly through the deserted corridor.
She roughly rubbed her face. Only then did she think to ask one of the hospital staff instead of wearing herself out wandering around alone. Lifa cursed her own stupidity. "Damn it, I should've just asked a nurse or doctor here from the start instead of walking around until I got tired. You're such an idiot, Lifa!"
Not far ahead of her, a nurse passed by carrying a medical record. Lifa stopped, steeled herself, and approached the nurse.
"Excuse me, Nurse. I wanted to ask, where is Doctor Rehan? I really need to see him. I've been looking for him, but he isn't anywhere. Do you know where he went?" Lifa asked, unable to hide the worry on her face.
The nurse stopped and looked at Lifa with a professional smile. "Oh, I'm sorry, sweetheart. If you don't mind me asking, what is your relationship to Doctor Rehan? Hospital regulations don't allow us to disclose a doctor's whereabouts to just anyone."
"My name is Lifana, Nurse. I'm Doctor Rehan's younger cousin. My parents left me in his care while I'm here," Lifa answered honestly, hoping her identity would be valid enough.
The nurse looked as though she suddenly remembered something. "Oh, you're Lifana, the patient in Mawar Room No. 3, right?"
"Yes, that's right, Nurse!" Lifa quickly replied.
"Well, Doctor Rehan left very early this morning because he had something extremely urgent to take care of. He said you didn't need to worry because he would be back soon. Oh, and Doctor Rehan also asked someone to look after you while he was gone. They should be here any minute now."
Lifa's eyes widened. "Huh? Look after me? Who?" Of course she was confused. She wasn't a little kid who needed a twenty-four-hour babysitter.
"I'm not sure about their identity, sweetheart. If you'll excuse me, I have other duties to finish," the nurse said politely before walking away.
"Okay, Nurse. Thanks for the information, and sorry to bother you," Lifa whispered.
Lifa then trudged away from the area. Her thoughts drifted far off, ignoring the question of who had been sent to look after her. Whoever it was didn't matter. Only one speculation kept circling through her mind: had Rehan really gone to that hill to look for the rainbow mushroom? But why hadn't he told her first so she could give him the exact location of the mushroom?
"Huh, whatever. Hopefully Rehan really did go to that hill. If not, my whole plan will fail..." she muttered flatly, her expression blank.
So absorbed in wrestling with her own thoughts, Lifa wandered down an isolated, deserted hallway. She arrived at a secluded corner containing only one door to a private room. The building was isolated from the bustle of the general wards. Driven by curiosity, Lifa approached and peeked through the frosted glass window in the door.
Inside, a little girl sat on a bed. Her tiny arms hugged a white, furry rabbit doll tightly. The child simply stared blankly at the wall in total silence, without the slightest movement or sound.
*Who is she?* Lifa wondered.
As if moved by an invisible force, Lifa stepped forward and pushed open the unlocked door. Its creak shattered the silence. The little girl flinched, her blank stare turning into a flash of fear when she saw a stranger enter. The child slowly backed away until her back pressed against the headboard.
Lifa lowered her gaze and softened her voice. "Hey, little one, don't be scared. I'm not a bad person. I was just passing by and happened to see you."
"Who... you?" the child asked haltingly. Her lisp suggested she was probably still under five years old.
"Hi, sweetie. My name is Lifa. I'm a patient here too. Here, look. I'm wearing the same kind of clothes as you, right?" Lifa showed the hospital patient uniform clinging to her body to prove that they were in the same situation.
The little girl examined Lifa's clothes, and her fear slowly faded. "Hi, Tatak... my name Ica."
"Ica?" Lifa furrowed her brow. The name triggered a flash of memory in her mind. Her eyes widened instantly. "You're... Rehan's little sister, Ica?"
The child nodded innocently. "Yes, Tatak! How Tatak know? Tatak know Big Brother?"
"Of course I know him. We're cousins, little one," Lifa said affectionately. Warmth spread through her chest as she reached out and gently stroked the child's fine hair.
"Wow, now I have a pretty Tatak! Ica always wanted a Tatak because Big Brother isn't fun!" Ica exclaimed, her eyes shining with delight.
"You're so cute..."
Lifa forgot her troubles for a while and spent quite some time chatting with and calming Ica. However, as the sky outside the window turned red, signaling that late afternoon was approaching, fatigue began gnawing at her body. She had to return before her physical condition deteriorated.
"Ugh, I'm so tired today. I bet sleeping will feel amazing," she murmured wearily after saying goodbye to Ica.
Lifa walked down the hallway toward her room in Mawar No. 3. She paused to greet several nurses on duty. However, when her hand pushed down on the handle of her hospital-room door, the atmosphere inside felt different.
*Click.*
The door opened. An unfamiliar man was sitting casually in the chair beside her bed, his legs crossed, his intimidating presence radiating a dominant aura.
"So you came back. I thought you'd run away after being bold enough to waste my precious time," the man said. His voice was incredibly sharp, cold, and cutting, matching his utterly expressionless face.
Lifa was startled, but her exhaustion made her temper flare quickly. "Who the hell are you?! What are you doing in my room, acting like you own the place, and talking to me like that?!"
The man let out a cold chuckle devoid of humor, enough to raise the hairs on the back of her neck. "So you really do have amnesia. I thought you were just pretending to get attention."
"Hey, I'm asking you a question! Answer me!" Lifa challenged boldly, staring straight at him.
Instead of answering, the man rose to his feet. His towering frame cast a shadow over Lifa's body. He slowly stepped forward.
The pressure of his presence made Lifa instinctively retreat several steps until her back slammed against the cold wall behind her. The man braced one hand against the wall, closing the distance until she could feel his breath against her skin.
"You must have forgotten. Allow me to introduce myself... My name is Kairo Revalno Xavier," he whispered flatly, right in front of Lifa's face.
*Thump.*
Lifa's heart seemed to stop beating. All the strength drained from her joints. That name... *Kairo Revalno Xavier?! Wasn't he the most dangerous and cruel male lead in this novel?!*
*I'm screwed!* Lifa screamed inwardly. She squeezed her eyes shut, clenched her own fingers, and frantically prayed that this terrible fate was nothing more than a dream.