Chapter 99: Stress Level High

Leaning against the warm hood of the car, I let out a low chuckle and shook my head. Pushing too hard right now would only send her sprinting further into her shell. When someone has been treated like a gear in a machine for years, a sudden, massive door opening up out of nowhere feels more like a trapdoor than an escape route.

Giving her a night to process everything was the smarter move. Tomorrow morning, when the adrenaline of hiding from me wore off, she’d realize that I hadn’t pushed, I hadn’t made a scene, and I genuinely meant what I said.

I opened the car door and slid back into the driver’s seat, firing up the engine.

"Let her sleep on it," I muttered to myself, turning the wheel and pulling out into the quiet island night. "If she thinks a little back-alley dodge is going to erase a great potential, she’s severely underestimating how persistent i get."

The next morning, I didn’t say a word to anyone. I just drove straight back to the restaurant, keeping things low-key. I ordered a hot cup of coffee and settled into a table with a clear view of the floor, letting the quiet routine of the morning settle around me.

While waiting, I pulled out my phone and called Chloe. We communicated every single day without fail, and hearing her voice was always a grounding reset.

"I heard about the tournament," Chloe said, her voice laced with that familiar, warm confidence. "Congratulations, Ethan. Though honestly? I wasn’t surprised by your victory for a second. I knew Zenith would sweep them."

"You always have way too much faith in me," I said with a smile, leaning back as we shared a quiet laugh over the call.

Just then, I caught movement out of the corner of my eye. Patricia was walking across the dining room carrying a tray with my coffee. The moment her eyes met mine, her whole body went stiff. She instinctively tried to turn back toward the kitchen to dodge me again, but I called out to her softly before she could make a run for it.

"Patricia. Hold on."

She paused, her shoulders tense as she slowly walked over and set my cup down on the table.

"Why did you run out the back exit last night?" I asked, keeping my voice calm and completely non-threatening. "Look, I get it. I know it’s weird for a total stranger to step out of nowhere and offer to completely change your life. It sounds suspicious. But I promiseHere is the polished and immersive continuation/edit of your scene, enhancing the flow and emotional beats while keeping your story’s voice:

The next morning, I slipped out without saying a word, heading straight to the quiet atmosphere of the local restaurant.

I ordered a coffee and pulled out my phone to text Chloe. We talked every single day, her messages a steady anchor amidst everything else. She brought up the victory, saying she’d heard the news and wasn’t surprised in the slightest—she always had that unshakeable faith in me. I couldn’t help but smile down at the screen as we typed back and forth.

A moment later, the waitress approached with my order.

It was Patricia. The second her eyes met mine, she froze and instinctively tried to turn back, dodging me.

"Patricia," I called out, stopping her in her tracks.

When she hesitated, I spoke up gently, confronting the elephant in the room. "Why are you avoiding me? Look, I know it feels strange for a total stranger to step in and try to help you out of nowhere. But I promise you, I’m not harmful. How about we just talk for a moment?"

She looked at me, torn, before giving a quiet, reluctant nod. "Okay... fine."

She took a step toward my table, but the second her foot met the floor, she staggered violently. My instincts kicked in—I bolted out of my chair and lunged forward just in time to catch her as her body went completely limp, collapsing into my arms as everything went black for her.

The entire floor erupted into immediate chaos. Plates rattled, gasps echoed across the dining room, and two of her colleagues came rushing out of the kitchen with wide, panicked eyes.

"Patricia! Oh god, is she breathing?!" one of them yelled, wringing her hands in horror.

"I’ve got her," I barked, my tone shifting into instant command mode that silenced the rising panic. "Clear a path!"

Scooping her frail, shockingly light body into my arms, I didn’t wait for anyone to ask questions. Her skin was clammy, her face ghostly pale—she was completely burned out, her body finally giving out after those grueling 15-hour shifts.

I rushed her through the glass doors straight to my sports car, laying her carefully across the passenger seat and buckling her in. Slipping into the driver’s side, I snatched my phone off the dashboard with one hand, rapidly pulling up the GPS to lock onto the route for the nearest top-tier hospital.

The engine roared to life with a fierce growl. I threw the car into gear, tore out of the parking lot, and hit the main road, navigating through traffic to get her to emergency care before her exhaustion turned into something far worse.

The entire floor erupted into immediate chaos. Plates rattled, gasps echoed across the dining room, and two of her colleagues came rushing out of the kitchen with wide, panicked eyes.

"Patricia! Oh god, is she breathing?!" one of them yelled, wringing her hands in horror.

"I’ve got her," I barked, my tone shifting into instant command mode that silenced the rising panic. "Clear a path!"

Scooping her frail, shockingly light body into my arms, I didn’t wait for anyone to ask questions. Her skin was clammy, her face ghostly pale—she was completely burned out, her body finally giving out after those grueling 15-hour shifts.

I rushed her through the glass doors straight to my sports car, laying her carefully across the passenger seat and buckling her in. Slipping into the driver’s side, I snatched my phone off the dashboard with one hand, rapidly pulling up the GPS to lock onto the route for the nearest top-tier hospital.

The engine roared to life with a fierce growl. I threw the car into gear, tore out of the parking lot, and hit the main road, navigating through traffic to get her to emergency care before her exhaustion turned into something far worse.