Chapter 80: I can’t continue to loose you.
"Charles!"
Augustine’s voice rang out, sharp and commanding which instantly draw the attention of everyone in the room.
Conversations died down, and the murmurs of speculation came to a halt as all eyes turned toward him.
His sudden appearance left the cleaners stunned—none of them had expected him to be here.
Yet, Augustine paid no mind to their stares.
His gaze was fixed solely on Charles, his usual composed expression replaced with something far more intense—concern, urgency, and a flicker of something deeper.
Augustine’s chest tightened at the sight before him—Charles, barely standing, his face pale, beads of sweat clinging to his skin, and blood still trickling from his nose.
"Charles," Augustine breathed, his voice laced with panick as his left hand gripped Charles’s shoulder, steadying him.
With his right hand, he gently lifted Charles’s chin, tilting his face up to meet his gaze.
"Look at me," he urged, his brows furrowing in concern but Charles’s eyes struggled to focus, his breath coming in shallow, uneven gasps.
’What the hell is happening to Charles,’ Augustine thought.
He didn’t care about the people watching, the whispers around them, or even his parents’ presence.
Right now, the only thing that mattered was the man in front of him.
"Look at me." Augustine purred with a warm voice as he tried to control his heavy breath. "Wh...what is happening to you?" Augustine stuttered as his words trailed one after the other but it was laced with care.
Charles, who had always kept his emotions hidden, was now the center of everyone’s sympathy.
He shrugged his shoulder, trying to push Augustine’s hand off from him. "They are going to..."
His words trailed off because his lips felt so weak. "I can’t... I’m going to collapse," he whispered, his words hoarse with exhaustion.
As he took just a step away, his knees gave in and he collapsed onto the ground.
’Gasp!’
Everyone present gasped in surprise as their hearts ached for Charles.
Mr. Wales, still holding his phone, turned toward his son. "I’ve called for an ambulance. They’ll be here soon." His voice was firm, but the guilt in his eyes was unmistakable.
Mrs. Wales stood frozen, her lips slightly parted as she struggled to process the sight before her.
For the first time, the fire in her gaze was replaced by something else—uncertainty.
Charles let out a weak, humorless chuckle, though it came out as more of a breath. "Didn’t I... say I don’t need anyone’s pity?" His voice was barely above a whisper, yet the words carried enough weight to send another wave of silence through the room.
Augustine exhaled sharply, his jaw clenching. "It’s not pity, Charles. It’s care. And you don’t get to refuse it this time."
Scoffed.
Charles who had collapsed onto the floor bit his lower lips and with grunted teeth, he pushed himself to rise up from the floor.
Everyone present was giving him some distance because they could tell he needed space to breathe properly.
Augustine stood frozen, his chest tightening as he watched Charles struggle to keep himself upright.
The sight sent a sharp sting through his heart.
Without hesitation, Augustine rushed forward, effortlessly scooping Charles off the ground. Gasps filled the air as everyone stared in shock, but Augustine paid no mind to their reactions as he rushed towards the elevator which was down the hallways.
The other workers, overwhelmed by surprise, quickly hurried after Augustine, eager to ensure Charles’s safety.
"You all should step back and let CEO Augustine take care of his cleaner," Mr. Wales stated firmly, his authoritative tone leaving no room for argument.
He knew that if the other cleaners continued to follow Augustine, they would most likely start suspecting the true nature of his relationship with Charles.
"But..."
Mrs. Wales stepped forward, her gaze hard and calculating. "The inspection will go on, with or without Charles," she spat, her voice with cold depth.
She has always been known for her fierce personality so her words didn’t come as a surprise to the other cleaners.
They nodded their head and did as they were instructed, walking back to the utility room.
’I hope others don’t find out about my son’s love relationship with his cleaner.’ Mr. Wales prayed within himself. ’The scandal would be disastrous for our family.’
He uses his hands to wipe some imaginary dirt off his chin before proceeding to make his way back to his wife.
Meanwhile...
Augustine’s heartbeat thundered in his chest as he glanced down at Charles, whose white hoodie was now stained with blood.
Charles looked eerily lifeless, his eyes rolled back so far that only the whites were visible.
He looks dead and that alone scares the life out of Augustine.
’Besides, what am I going to do if I lose him?’ Augustine thought to himself. ’How can I survive knowing that... knowing that the man who I have feelings for is...’
Augustine shook his head sideways as he tried to remove the weird thought from his mind. ’Charles won’t die!’ He declared within himself as he urged his mind to think about something positive.
Augustine drew in a deep breath, staring at the elevator button as he patiently watched the arrow go down.
"Char... Charles, please stop making me feel like shit," Augustine mumbled, his eyes twitching at the side as he trembled in fright. "I am... I don’t know what to do Charles. What is happening? Why are you bleeding?" Augustine asked, tears gathering in his eyes but he urged himself to remain strong.
He has to remain strong for the sake of Charles.
"Augustine... stop acting stupid. I’m not dead, okay," Charles forced out, his voice barely above a whisper as he struggled to keep his eyes open. "I don’t want to go to the hospital... so can you please take me home?" he added, his breath shallow but determined.
Augustine held his breath as he allowed the words of Charles to dilute in his head.
After a minute, he let out an heavy breath. "Yo... you have blood streaming out of your nose, Charles," Augustine stuttered with his lips trembling when all of a sudden, the door of the elevator opened with a beep.
He stepped out of the elevator and began to make his way down the company lobby.
Other workers were staring at him in complete surprise.
"They... they are staring," Charles stammered, squeezing his eyes shut as he covered them with his palms.
Augustine found his reaction amusing, but instead of commenting, he simply adjusted his grip on Charles and kept walking.
He kept walking down the lobby until eventually he stepped outside the company building. "I need to take you over to my private hospital—"
*Beep Beep Beep!*
The sharp beeping of the ambulance echoed through the street, cutting Augustine’s words short.
His breath hitched as he tightened his grip on Charles, instinctively bracing himself.
Within seconds, the vehicle screeched to a halt beside them, and the doors at the back swung open.
A team of medical personnel hurried out, their movements swift and precise.
The gleam of the emergency cart bed caught Augustine’s eye as they wheeled it toward him, their voices a mix of urgency and professionalism.
"Lay him here."
Augustine nodded before carefully laying Charles onto the stretcher, allowing the paramedics to push it into the back of the ambulance.
"Sir, are you his guardian?" one of the paramedics asked.
Without hesitation, Augustine gave a firm nod. "Yes, I am."
"Then come inside."
Augustine stepped inside the van and a lady shut the door from outside.
The paramedics inside the ambulance quickly got to work.
One checked Charles’s heartbeat with a stethoscope, while another used a small flashlight to examine his pupils.
A female paramedic handed him a napkin. "Hold this against your nose to help stop the bleeding," she instructed gently.
Charles nod.
"Sir, what’s your name?" A male paramedic inquired of Charles as he held a pen and book in his hands.
Augustine grabbed the hands of Charles, entwining it with his as he gave it a gentle squeeze.
Charles, feeling the warmth of Augustine’s touch, took a slow breath before mumbling, "Charles... Charles Donald."
The paramedic nodded, quickly jotting it down. "Alright, Charles. Do you have any known medical conditions or allergies?"
Augustine’s grip on Charles’s hand tightened slightly, his concern evident as he waited for Charles’s response.
Charles exhaled heavily, his shoulders rising and falling. "I don’t."
The male paramedic nodded. "Has this situation ever happened to you before?" he inquired.
Charles pondered for a while, contemplating if he should tell the truth or not.
After some seconds, he nods his head slightly. "It has." Charles whispered.
"And have you ever gone to the doctor’s for a checkup?"
Charles sigh. "I have."
Once more, the male paramedics jolt down the words of Charles.
He leaned in, meeting the eyes of Charles with concern. "Can you tell me what your doctor has said about your health?" He asked, his voices gentle yet authoritative.
Exhaling!
Charles exhaled loudly, shifting his gaze to Augustine, who gave a slight nod and forced a smile, silently reassuring him that he was there.
"I was told by the doctor that I overwork my body, and that’s why I bleed unusually," Charles explained, weaving a well-crafted lie for the paramedics.
Deep down, Charles wanted to tell them the truth but he does want to worry Augustine.