Billionaire's Second Chance At Love

Chapter Fifty-Three

[TWO WEEKS AGO]

It felt like the aftermath of a week-long hangover.

Ronin was completely out of sorts, his head heavy as if it were anchored to a rock, and his body unresponsive. Well, at least at first. But as soon as the thought of actual paralysis crossed his mind, he was quick to snap his eyes open and gave his fingers a little wiggle.

Much to his satisfaction, his fingers not only twitched but his toes also seemed to be curling, too, as if reawakening from a deep slumber.

A sense of relief washed over him as he realized his body was gradually returning to its usual state. It was as if his limbs had taken a temporary vacation and were slowly checking back in, one by one.

Blinking up at the white ceiling, he realized he wasn't in the suite anymore, and hearing the constant beeping in the room, he was quick to understand the setting he was in.

The question was: who found him in that state? Could it be the attacker or someone else?

"Well, it's good to see you finally awake, Ronin," a familiar voice gently echoed in the room. It was at that precise moment that Ronin became aware that he might not be alone.

And to understand that the familiar voice belonged to someone who might give him a long earful for what landed him into this hairy situation, he automatically winced. It was hard not to. He knew he fucked up by doing all the things he should never have. He knew it was time to face the music.

"I can explain, Grandpa," he grumbled, his voice carrying a mixture of sheepishness and readiness to clarify. He turned his head to his side, and met with the blank gaze of the old man himself.

Ronin knew what came next. He was savvy enough to understand that there was no use beating around the bush.

"Do you remember what happened?" Grandpa asked calmly, his voice devoid of strong emotion, which felt just as harsh as if he were furious. It was like he had finally managed to let the old man down enough to not even expect any sympathy. And Ronin wasn't sure how to handle that shift, feeling strangely disappointed in himself.

He gave a small nod, not able to meet the other pair of eyes in the room. "I do."

"And how long since it has been going on?" Another question came, and one more time Ronin couldn't help but feel worse about the situation. He felt a sharp pressure behind his eyes, his fingers curling into fists, frustrated with himself.

"And don't you even think about lying to my face, do you hear me? The doctor who checked up on you showed me all the bruises and scars on your body. I have been told that some of them are even months old. What the fuck have you been up to, Ronin? Answer me!"

For the first time, Ronin picked up on something in Grandpa's tone. It wasn't merely the disappointment of being kept in the dark; there was a tinge of hurt and a dash of fear woven in too. And it just made him feel worse a hundred times more. Maybe thousand.

Lying wasn't going to cut it anymore. Ronin couldn't just brush off his concerns; he had to own up to the fact that things had taken a dire turn. Despite initially believing he could handle this alone, now he wasn't so sure anymore. After the incident in the hotel suite, after he was blindsided by that man who likely wasn't even part of the hotel staff, he had to admit that the situation had spiralled far beyond his control.

Ronin's gaze wandered around the confines of the hospital room, fixated on the plain expanse of the ceiling. Absentmindedly, he nibbled on the inside of his cheek, lost in his thoughts as he contemplated the recent events.