Her Forbidden Love for Mr. Collins

Chapter 4

MARA'S POV

Multiple times, I kept calling Denver's phone number, but I just got connected to the operator. He wasn't answering.

Earlier, Bella, my sister, called from abroad. She asked me to check on her boyfriend at his place since she was worried about not being able to reach him. Apparently, they fought before she left for London.

It had been a few days since Bella went abroad, and he hadn't been seen at the university either. I heard he filed for a few days off. There was something more going on between them than just a simple argument, especially considering the tone of Bella's voice during the call. I could sense that there was a deeper issue.

I was hesitant to ask Bella about it as I had never interfered with her personal life, especially her relationship with Denver. I avoided discussing that topic because it stirred up jealousy in my heart.

After some thought, I decided to get dressed. I would go to Denver's place to check on him. I grab a small sling bag with my wallet and cell phone before leaving my room.

My parents weren't home yet, so I headed to the kitchen to let our two house helpers know that I would be going out, just like I had been used to every time I was leaving the house.

"Grandma Samuela, I'm going somewhere. I'm not sure when I'll be back. Can you let Mommy and Daddy know?" I asked the elderly house helper, who had been babysitting me since I was a baby.

"Of course, dear. Take care."

I kissed her on the cheek before heading out. We treated her like our family. Bella and I used to call her grandmother even though we weren't blood-related. She acted like a mother to us since our parents were always busy working.

Grandma Samuela chose not to marry, pouring all her love and care into us. In return, we showered her with as much affection. Even though we had hired another helper, Grandma Samuela's place in the kitchen was irreplaceable.

I caught a taxi just as it passed by our house. Denver's place was nearby, so it hadn't taken long to arrive at his house.

From outside the gate, I spotted Denver on the terrace. There were empty alcohol bottles in front of him; it seemed like he was getting drunk.

He could see me from the terrace, but he pretended not to hear and didn't get up to open the door even though I rang the doorbell. However, I was persistent, though. I wouldn't leave until I faced him, even if it meant causing a bit of a scene in the neighborhood.

I stopped when I saw him stand up, disappearing momentarily as he headed down, and reappearing when he opened the gate.

"What happened to you?" I asked right away.

"Nothing," he replied, turning away, but leaving the gate open for me to enter. I closed it and followed him.

Seeing alcohol bottles scattered around was jarring. I knew Denver as a neat and organized person, so it was surprising to see his house in such disarray. It was as if he hadn't cleaned up in days. Maybe Bella's departure hit him harder than I thought. But wasn't Bella coming back soon?

"What's going on, Professor?" I asked again.

"Just call me Denver, for goodness' sake. We're not at university."

"D-Denver, you can tell me what's going on between you and Ate."

He sighed and said, "Okay, our wedding is postponed —again!" He emphasized the last word.

"But how—"

"Her plan changed and she will be staying in London for six months. How many times has our wedding been postponed now? Our plans keep falling apart because her career is more important to her!" Frustration was evident in his handsome face.

He was right. Bella prioritized her career over him. I didn't know how to console him, so I stayed silent. I knew how much he was looking forward to the wedding. Plus, the exact month of the wedding had been announced to everyone, although the day hadn't been finalized.

Sitting two seats apart from him, I let him drink, and observed him. His eyes were bloodshot, and he seemed like he could pass out at any moment.

Perhaps driven by intense intoxication, he started venting all his frustrations. I lost count of how many times he mentioned how much Bella meant to him. Without a doubt, he truly loved my sister.

Denver's head slumped, but he continued talking, even though his speech was already slurred. Unable to bear it, I approached him, helping him to stand. I would take him into his room, so he could rest. Thankfully, he complied.

I gave all my strength to prevent us from falling. I practically carried his entire weight, while his arm clung to my neck.

I knew where his room was because last month, I came here almost every day with my classmates. He was our coach in the robotic competition and we studied the robot here at his house. We worked so hard on it that, even outside the university, we remained focused. Our efforts paid off when we won first place.

He was immediately knocked out as I placed him on the bed. I adjusted his leg to make him lie straight.

Instead of going out, I sat down on the floor, staring at his very handsome face. I was mesmerized that I didn't realize I was already stroking his cheek. Startled, I stood up when he stirred slightly.

After my heartbeat returned to normal, I decided to leave the room. But before I took a step, Denver grabbed my hand and pulled me closer. My eyes widened in shock when he buried his face in my chest, causing me to freeze.

"Bella..." he muttered, caressing and kissing the top of my head.

A bitter smile etched on my lips, knowing he mistook me for Bella. Carefully, I removed his arm wrapped around me and got up from my position.

Walking out tiptoed, I went to the storage room to get things for cleaning. I would clean up his house to spare him trouble when he woke up.

I started in the living room, tidying everything. Besides the empty alcohol bottles, I found beer cans under the sofa. Denver drowned himself in alcohol for three days.

Denver was alone in that house since his entire family had migrated to America. He was the only one left because he preferred life in Cardiz. However, his family was present during his engagement party.

I proceeded to the terrace and kitchen. After over an hour, I collapsed on the sofa, done with all the cleaning. I looked at the clock on the wall. It was already 7 o'clock in the evening.

Wondering what he would have for dinner, I went to the kitchen to see what was inside his fridge. I wanted to prepare him soup, but how could I when his fridge was only stocked with beer cans and bottled water? He was clearly relying on the restaurant to feed his stomach.

I had no choice but to buy the soup's ingredients. Luckily, there was a grocery store within the village and it was just a few blocks away. I could have ordered food online, but I wanted to fill Denver's stomach with a homemade dish.

The grocery shop wasn't crowded with customers, so I had no trouble buying everything I needed. It barely took me twenty minutes to get back to Denver's house.

The thought of cooking for Denver thrilled me. I had a smile on my lips while chopping the ingredients, but it vanished when the realization hit me that no matter what I did, it was worthless. I was just a younger sister to him. Besides, I should be ashamed of my imagination.

After I finished cooking, I wrote a note saying that he would just have to reheat the food. I couldn't wait for him because I knew it would take hours for him to wake up given how drunk he was. I didn't want to wake him up since I wanted him to rest up. But before I left, I went upstairs to see him.

Entering Denver's room, I frowned as I saw him trembling. Instinctively, I rushed toward him. I reached out and touched his forehead, and my eyes widened as I felt the intense heat, indicating he had a fever. I had noticed it earlier, but I disregarded it because I assumed it was due to alcohol.

Hurriedly, I left the room and returned with a basin of water. Searching through his closet, I found a face towel. Dampening it, I gently wiped his face. His fever needed to be brought down.

I wiped his forehead, neck, and arms. I could feel the warmth coming up from his body. Closing my eyes, I lifted his T-shirt to cool his chest and my hands trembled slightly. However, an inexplicable urge pushed me to open my eyes and take in his masculine build, revealing this moment.

If only he had feelings for me, he wouldn't be in pain or drowning himself in alcohol now. But I knew I couldn't teach his heart, so it would remain a mere dream.

Unsatisfied, I leaned my head on his chest. I closed my eyes, finding comfort at the moment as his heartbeats were like a lullaby to my ears. However, I suddenly jolted and quickly sat up as I heard him moan.

"Bella..."

Embarrassment flooded me upon hearing it. It was as though a bucket of cold water had been poured over me. I was shaking when I hurried to finish cooling him down, intentionally skipping the lower part of his body.

Earlier, I saw Denver's medicine box in the kitchen cupboard while looking for the soup ladle. I went there to get it. However, he needed to fill his stomach first before taking the medication.

I was carrying a tray with the medicine and hot steaming soup on it when I returned to Denver's room. Even though it had been a long day, I didn't feel tired as I was happy to help him.

He didn't immediately wake up when I shook him. After I repeatedly tapped his shoulder, he slowly opened his eyes.

"Mara?" he asked, puzzled.

"Yes it's me. You have a fever, Prof. I woke you up so you could eat and take your medicine." I handed him the tray.

"Thank you, Mara."

He began eating, managing to finish only half of what was on the plate. After taking the medicine, he settled back down.

"Rest now. Just take your medicine again after four or six hours. I'll place everything you need on the side table."

"Thank you, Mara," he said, his eyes still closed.

"I'll be leaving now."

I was about to head to the door when he stopped me, holding onto my hand.

"Could you stay here a bit longer, Mara?"