"Ms. Walker. Ms. Ariel Walker."
Ariel felt a push on her shoulder. Her heavy eyelids flew open, and the busy emergency room hallway came into focus.
Her hand still had an IV line, though the fluid in the bag was nearly gone.
A nurse looked down at her. "Ms. Ariel Walker, right? The infusion is nearly done. I'll take the needle out now."
Ariel rubbed her eyes and nodded.
She had suddenly spiked a fever last night. She had plans with the Larkins to go to the city hall at 10:00 am to register their marriage, but she felt awful, so she came early for an IV drip. Since she arrived early, she was done by 9:30 am and still had time to make it.
The nurse bent down to help.
Not far away, the wail of a siren suddenly pierced the air. An ambulance was approaching, likely responding to a car accident. The nurse's expression instantly changed as the head nurse called her away.
Ariel was left alone, feeling speechless.
She tilted her head to check the IV bag. Thankfully, there was still some fluid left. Someone would probably come to help her take out the needle.
Watching the fluid level nearing empty, Ariel grew anxious.
She was about to get up to find someone when a figure suddenly appeared before her, blocking both her path and the light.
One hand gently pressed her shoulder. "Sit."
Ariel looked up and saw a familiar face.
His features were calm and composed. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye and asked, "You're sick?"
Ariel was surprised to see Jayson here, especially since they had been intimate just a few days ago, and that encounter hadn't ended entirely pleasantly.
Facing Jayson's unreadable expression, she clenched her hands before saying, "Just a cold. And you? Why are you here?"
After all, they weren't that close, so she made small talk to ease the awkwardness.
Jayson crouched beside her and glanced at her hand. His brow furrowed subtly. "Visiting a friend."
Ariel's eyes widened in realization.
It was a coincidence, and on the very day she was supposed to marry him.
"Are you afraid of pain?" he asked without looking up.
Her mind answered yes almost immediately, but her lips said, "Not really."

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Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Dead at Heart (Ariel and Jayson)
Can you give me more chapters? I was hoping for a happy ending with Ariel and Jayson. Janice with Wade, and if not, put her with Chad, Matt, or even Liam....
Nice and amazing story with gripping turns, but can you give more chapters? And please we need more romance as readers, it has been dragging on a lot, maybe romance, happy ending and end it soon....
Nice and amazing story with gripping turns, but can you give more chapters? And please we need more romance as readers, it has been dragging on a lot, maybe romance, happy ending and end it soon....