Chapter 197-Maybe Not In His Heart
Gigi:
I hated it whenever women flirted with those two.
They were far too innocent to realise that women like her weren’t worthy of their attention.
"Alpha King Ragnar has woken up, and he’s asking for his brothers and his girlfriend," the nurse informed us.
I let out the deep breath I’d been holding this whole time.
I hadn’t even realised I’d been holding it, but hearing that he’d woken up and asked for me proved that he wasn’t thinking about his fated mate.
Whatever that pain had been, it had simply come and gone.
Even so, I needed to find out who that woman was.
I’d make sure she never got the chance to cross paths with him again.
Now that the doctor had told us we could see him, we all headed towards Ragnar’s room.
Theodore and Jaguar each wrapped an arm around me, making sure I didn’t feel left out.
I guessed that, despite how confidently I’d been trying to act, they could still tell I’d taken everything to heart.
Then again, why wouldn’t I?
I was a sensitive person, innocent at heart.
Even when I felt jealous, I always tried not to show it.
By the time we reached Ragnar’s room, it was hard to believe he’d been rushed into the emergency only a short while earlier.
He was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking perfectly fine.
He hadn’t even bothered changing into a hospital gown.
He was still wearing the same clothes from earlier, black trousers and a white shirt, merely straightening the front of his shirt as though nothing had happened.
So he hadn’t even let the nurses change him.
"Shouldn’t you be resting?" Jaguar asked.
Ragnar looked at him and gave him a knowing glance, the kind that said, ’The doctor already told you, didn’t he?’
My heart sank.
So he knew.
The doctor had already told him about the fated mate.
"Come on," Ragnar said, getting to his feet. "Let’s go home. We’ll talk there."
Typical Ragnar. He had no intention of discussing his health here.
He simply walked past us without another word.
Something inside me quietly sank.
He didn’t even look at me.
After everything that had happened, for a few painful seconds, I wondered if the doctor had been right.
Maybe learning about his fated mate had changed something inside him.
What if he was already thinking about her?
"Gigi."
I looked up.
Ragnar was standing in the doorway, watching me with a faint crease between his brows.
"Are you not going to hold my hand?"
The moment those words left his mouth, spoken in that gentle, comforting tone, a smile spread across my face before I could stop it.
See?
I knew him better than anyone.
Whatever that fated mate nonsense was, it hadn’t changed the way he looked at me.
I walked over without a second thought and slipped my hand into his.
His fingers closed around mine as naturally as they always had.
Mine.
He was mine.
At least for now.
Ragnar and I sat together in the back seat, while Jaguar drove with Theodore beside him in the front.
"You know, you gave me a heart attack when you texted me that Ragnar was having a heart attack," Jaguar teased, lightly smacking Theodore’s chest in an attempt to ease the tension.
"Well, I was scared too," Theodore protested in the same playful tone.
Ragnar never let go of my hand.
He held it firmly as he stared out of the window.
There were several moments when I wanted to ask what he thought about the doctor’s comments, but the quiet way he held my hand felt like a silent reassurance that I shouldn’t overthink it.
So I decided to let it rest for now.
By the time we arrived home, he seemed completely fine.
He stepped out of the car and headed towards the front porch, where Mr. and Mrs. Bundy were already waiting for him.
My mood immediately soured.
The two of them were acting as though they genuinely cared.
I bet they’d only just woken up.
They’d probably slept like babies while we were panicking.
"Oh my goodness, Ragnar. How are you?" Mrs. Bundy asked as she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him.
Only then did he let go of my hand, gently patting her arm in return.
"I’m fine," he replied calmly.
"So there’s nothing to worry about, right?" Mr. Bundy asked.
"No, he’s fine. It wasn’t a heart attack," I answered before Ragnar could, because the two of them were so busy pretending I didn’t exist.
If they were going to act as though they cared about Ragnar, they should at least respect me.
After all, I was the person Ragnar treasured most.
"I’ve prepared food for all of you. I thought you’d all be very stressed."
That was when Jenna came into view.
She was standing right behind Mr. Bundy. I disliked her so much that I hadn’t even noticed she was there.
"Are you okay?" she asked Ragnar in a soft, gentle tone.
He gave her a reassuring nod.
Ragnar didn’t acknowledge Jenna beyond that brief nod.
Instead, he looked over his shoulder to make sure I was right beside him before reaching for my hand again.
Everyone saw it.
He was making a statement, loud and clear.
Then he led me inside with him.
As soon as we reached his room, I was about to leave to see if I could bring him something to eat.
Before I could take a step, he gently caught my elbow, stopping me.
"Don’t run away from me," he said softly.
"I’m not," I replied, avoiding his gaze.
"I heard what the doctor said," I admitted quietly while he continued holding my hand.
"If it doesn’t bother me, it shouldn’t bother you."
His reassuring words finally made me look at him.
Even then, he could still see the sadness lingering in my eyes.
"What about her?" I whispered.
"Who?" he asked, a slight frown creasing his forehead as he gently tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear.
He wasn’t usually one for little gestures, so I knew he was only doing it to reassure me.
"I’m talking about your fated mate."
Even saying those words felt as though someone had poured molten steel down my throat.
"I don’t know. I never gave it another thought. She must have been one of the many people I came across."
He shrugged dismissively before adding, "I really don’t fucking care."
My eyes searched every detail of his expression.
And I realised he wasn’t lying.
He genuinely had no idea who she could be.
Which meant he truly hadn’t given her another thought.