The Royal Contract

He was not expecting that his plan would work. It was better than he ever imagined would happen tonight. Truthfully, he was already anticipating the opposite, thinking he would go home empty-handed.

However, somehow, as if some miracle had happened, she changed her mind about him. She was giving him a chance. He guessed that was more than he could hope for.

"I took the liberty of ordering some of your old favorites. I don't know if you can remember them, but I hope your taste bud will somehow like them." He arranged the food on the table by the couch as soon as it arrived.

He had asked his assistant to arrange everything, listing all her favorites. Then he asked that it be sent to her room whether she accepted his invitation. Or not.

"What if I said no?" She asked, realizing he had arranged all this before asking her. "You could have wasted your time and money on all this."

She stared at the food on the table, wondering how they would eat them all. There were just too many to choose from. She recognized some of them, but there were some she was not too sure about.

"Then, you will probably eat these with your mother, Roseann, or the staff." He said as he finished taking them out of the bags.

"Besides, you still need to eat, I assume." He said, putting a little sense of humor and a little dash of his charm on his smile. "Or, they would end up in a dumpster still left unopen."

He guessed that was a gamble he would take for her. He had to do everything in his power, even using all his resources for a fighting chance to get her back. He would not give up on her that easily.

"I don't think I can throw food away just like that. Maybe if I don't eat it, I will probably give it to someone else." Rosella told him.

But still, she believed that wasting money was not a good habit even if this man had plenty to spend. Other people sacrificed a lot to earn a decent living.

But she doubted their effort had been compensated, not even a fraction of what this man must be worth. Looking at his stance, the clothes and items on his body, and the way he spoke, he was a man of wealth and power.

Therefore, she questioned how she ended up with a man like him.

"I know. You value things, big or small, too much." David agreed with her, appearing as if he could see through her. He looked at her as if he knew everything about her.

But could she trust him? Could she truly believe everything he would say about who she was? But her mother told her she could trust him, despite her mother's misgiving about him.

"You know me that much." She commented, believing her guts wanted to trust him even if her mind still advised caution.

She could hardly remember anything except bits and pieces of things she could not understand. She wanted to believe that her memory would soon return to normal, but at the moment, she just wanted to survive one day at a time.

"I know Rosella before the accident. So I will not presume to know who you are now. But I am willing to start again as your friend." He walked toward her and stopped by the bed.

He did not want to force her to remember and insisted on what they had before. That could only backfire against him. Therefore, he would take baby steps rather than do something extreme.

"It is..." Rosella paused as if trying to produce the right word to describe the experience. "I guess one of the most delicious seafood I ever tasted." She told him. "I think I still like it." She concluded.

But she still had several more to try before deciding which was her new favorite. So far, the shrimp was taking the lead.

"Great. I think you should also try this one." He pointed to another dish. "Anyway, I heard that they might send you home tomorrow."

His friend, Doc Jacob, had updated him about her situation. The doctors had decided that Rosella could finally go home. She could choose to continue her therapy at the hospital or through home care.

There was no more danger in her life. Therefore, she would be better off with her family while working on her full recovery.

"Yeah, they mentioned that earlier." She cheerfully said, but she could feel that it lacked enthusiasm.

She knew she should be happy that she was getting out of there. She was alive, healthy, with her body intact.

Except for her lost memory, she should be thankful she was still lucky to survive the traumatic experience. Yet, she could not rejoice as fear crept into her mind.

"Have you thought of what you want to do once you get out?" David asked her, both curious and worried for her.

He could tell it would not be easy for her to adjust to the real world, especially if she had to start from scratch. It would be a long struggle.

He wanted to be there for her. But he was afraid to ask. Would she welcome his help? Or would she shut him down again if he came on too strong again?

Maybe it would be better if he waited for her to ask than for him to offer. But what if she was also afraid to ask? What then?

"I don't know. Frankly, I don't have a clue." Rosella said, looking lost, afraid, and confused. "Mom said that I will be going home with her. They would take care of me."

Her eyes focused on the various dishes before her. She could not help but compare her situation to the food in front of her.

There were too many things to think about, too many things to choose from, and too many things to decide.

What if she made a mistake?

What would she do if she chose wrong? Could she spit it out if she did not like it and try again? Or would she end up stuck with no choice but to swallow it?

"As your new friend, I am here if you need me." He guessed that was all he could offer her for now.

But if he had a choice, he would have given more if she would just let him. He would not hesitate to love, serve and devote his life to her if she would give him a chance.