"Eric, honey, shouldn't you slow down with the amount of work you take?" Raphael asked, a frown on his face as he stood beside me.

We were currently at the location for my fifth job. It was a photo shoot for a brand of shoes and I was the main model so, of course, I wore the best pair. And right now, I was taking my 15-minute break, eating an energy bar as it was the only food I wasn't lazy enough to shove into my mouth.

I glanced at Raphael, raising an elegant brow at him as he averted his gaze from me. It was understandable why he'd back away from my gaze. If he knew any better, he wouldn't have said those words in the beginning. When I started doing this job, we had an agreement that the amount of work I took was up to me to decide. I was the one getting paid with the big fat check anyway, so what the hell, right.

"Uhm. 'Cause overworking yourself like this could lead to you getting sick or worse, get bags under your eyes and make you less beautiful than you already are." He said quietly, his gaze remaining downcast as he spoke with true sincerity. "And you did say earlier that your head was aching, so maybe you should take the next week off. I could reschedule everything and you can just come back when you look and feel all better."

He fidgeted at my side, biting his bottom lip in a poor attempt at looking cute. His hands were at his back as he rocked back and forth on his feet. I could tell that he tried to alleviate my anger by standing up like that. And in all that he did, I found it disgusting.

Don't get me wrong. I liked the guy and all that, but I was just feeling a tad bit irritated and a bit out of it today. His sincerity did touch me and I was truly glad for his concern. But I was in no mood to accept any kindness. Especially after hearing the press conference of a certain asshole on the radio.

Yep, it was official. Riley finally tied the knot with Michael, making him, due to the legality of his ceremony, Riley Nelms. Riley-fucking-Nelms.

You don't know how much it stung when I found out he had married him today. I mean, I was just getting ready to leave and go to the next venue when, all of a sudden, someone left a goddamned radio on and the conference happened. Of course I had to know what they were talking about and I immediately regretted listening.

Michael was talking smugly, bragging to everyone how he had caught the man of his dreams and was able to reconnect with his son. Truthfully, he made it sound like a sob story. Like fate was trying to rip them apart and they fought together, braved through all the hardships and ended up in front of the altar in their very own version of a happy ending.

Well, fuck him! Not everyone will fall for his sweet words and charming smile.

Because I knew everything.

I knew the real story behind this sham of a marriage. I knew he wasn't the man he claimed to be in front of his adoring fans. Because if he were a real man, he wouldn't have left Riley in the first place. Or for that matter, never even attempted to mooch off of him. Now, he says this was done for a reason. Well, fuck him. The day he entered Riley's life was the same day my life went straight to hell.

How come a bastard like him got his happily ever after and I didn't? Hell, I was a lesser demon compared to him!

"Eric?" I heard Raphael call out, waking me from my crazed daze. My head was spinning so much just from the sound of his voice, my stomach suddenly felt like I was getting stabbed until blood gushed out. I could hear myself wheezing from the pain that struck me and I knew I wasn't going to get past this without a visit to the hospital.

"Let's do this, people! Eric, back to your position." ordered the photograher that was the devil's incarnate, pointing his megaphone to the general direction of the background I was supposed to stand in. "Come on, sleeping beauty. You ain't getting paid to sit there and look like a doll."

Well, duh. I was being paid to literally look like a doll. Why else would I be standing while I got my pictures taken, you asshole.

I bit back a growl. This photographer and I had some bad blood between us, although it was obvious to even the blind and the deaf. That was because he was one of those types of people that didn't receive rejection often. And look who just gave him the third degree, that's me, baby.

 "Eric? Are you alright?" Raphael asked, scooting a bit too close for comfort as he watched me with concern. 

The pain in my head doubled as I grabbed a few strands of hair to try and stop the migraine. Where I go the notion that pulling my hair was going to help my headache, I don't know. Anyway, it wasn't just my head that was aching so bad. My stomach was starting to bubble and I was getting hurt, seriously hurt.

"Maybe we should tell that guy to postpone this thing. I know something's wrong so let's just go to the hospital." Raphael said worriedly, cupping my face in his hands as he looked me over. I tore my head away from his touch, the feel of it making my skin crawl. 

"No. I'm fine, Raphael. And what did I tell you about touching my face?" I growled, standing up unsteadily as I graced him with a scowl. "Do not touch me. I'm fine and I appreciate your concern. But I am a professional and I know where my responsibilities lie."

I could see the hurt etched on his face, his fists clenching at his sides as he withdrew. The regret I felt when I told him those harsh words was hurting me even more. As if the migraine and the pain in my stomach weren't enough torture, now I had to deal with a heavy conscience.

"I'm sorry." I started, turning my head and making my way to the layout. "You're right. I'm not feeling well, so I'll go to the hospital with you after this job."

He gave me a tiny smile and watched me as I made my way to the photographer. If he saw the flinch I just did, he gave no sign that he did. I thought I was going to faint from the pain that was coursing through my body. My eyes were getting heavier with every step I took, my muscles aching so much that I was really tempted to curl into a ball and sleep. And the sneer I received from the grouch wasn't helping either. If anything, it made me want to grab his head and wipe the toilet seat with his face.

"Hey. Hurry your ass up. You're not the only one who was other engagements." He spat venomously, eyeing my body as I readjusted the clothes I was wearing.

I rolled my eyes in disgust. With all the hate and cruel words he spewed, he still eyed me like I was always welcome in his bed. I think the bastard thought that if he played hard-to-get, then I'd crawl with him in his bed willingly. Hah! Fat chance, you stupid fuck.

"Oi, hurry up and stop giving a strip tease, you motherfucker." He leered, smirking at me with those disgustingly fat lips and weird eyes. "I ain't got cash on me now, but if you'd like, I can take you to my car and you can work up a storm there."

He laughed with his condescending tone, coaxing his assistant to join him in his laughter. And the little bugger didn't disappoint. Alongside the fat bastard was the skinny male assistant, clutching his stomach as if the asshole said the most incredible and outlandish joke on this entire planet.

I felt my patience thinning, the desire to attack and subdue my enemy was becoming a need. Both these fuckers wanted to look for a fight so who was I not to deliver. And just like that, I heard something in me snap. I lunged towards them, punching the fat asshole right on his nose and broke it. Then I grabbed the assistant that tried to back off, but I was too quick and grabbed him by the shirt before slamming him on the ground. 

Their howls of pain invigorated me, showed them who the alpha dog was here. Just because I was drop-dead gorgeous, didn't mean I couldn't put up a fight. 

They tried fighting back but since I already hit them with all my might on the first shot, they were a bit nauseated. I missed punch after punch, giving each of their own medicine. Sometimes words weren't enough to get these idiots to know that they were passing their limits, hence the beating they were getting. I wasn't one for violence since I could very well injure my money-maker, but even I knew when they were asking for it.

"Eric!" Raphael yelled, running to my side and prying me off the both of them. "Stop, Eric! That's enough. Eric!"

I pulled back, watching the unconscious bodies of the photographer and his assistant. They were a bit bloody, nothing first aid couldn't fix, but at least they got the message. No one fucking messes with Eric Giordanio. Fucking no one.

"Ugh!" I doubled over, panting loudly from both the pain from my stomach and the weariness of my body. "Shit."

"Eric, honey." Raphael cried, holding me in his arms as I fell to my knees. He turned to the onlookers with a wild glare, scaring those who were unfamiliar with it. "Call an ambulance. Now!" 

I was losing my consciousness slowly, the sounds becoming muffled as people scurried around to keep me awake. Although, personally, I wanted to sleep since the pain I was feeling was out of this world. I couldn't take it anymore and I just had to let go, to drown myself in a deep black hole of slumber.

"Eric!"

After that, I couldn't remember a thing. It was like all the strength from my body had been sapped away and breathing was becoming a difficult task. My muscles felt stiff, unable to move from their current position as I quietly listened to my surroundings.

For sure, I was in the hospital. The sound of the IV drip woke me up, although my eyes were still shut from the exhaustion. I could hear hushed voices talking, my name being amongst the many words they were whispering. I could only guess what they were talking about.

"Doctor, will he be okay?" I heard Raphael ask, his tone filled with concern as he shuffled near my bed. I could feel the weight of his stare as I relaxed myself, awaiting any dreaded news. 

I wanted to hear why I fainted as well. Did I have develop any health problems or was it just  from complete exhaustion? 

"Are you a family member?" The doctor asked, the sound of a pen writing on a clipboard reached my ears. 

"I am. I'm his sister. And that's his manager. I need him to be here so he can at least take care of my brother's schedule at work." A female voice answered, her tone hurried and impatient. If I could've rolled my eyes, I would have since my sister had a tendency to overreact from visits to the hospital.

It's understandable, of course. There was always a reason behind everyone's reaction. But that's a story that can be told another time.

"Oh, okay." The doctor cleared his throat before he continued. "'Well, Eric, here, has peptic ulcer. Nothing too life-threatening if treated properly. He'll just have to stay here for a day or two for the other results to be brought in. We need to make sure that that's all he got from all the stress he gets daily. Also, I understand he hasn't been eating and sleeping well for the past few months?"

Silence greeted him and I knew one of them nodded in answer. I heard a tired sigh and knew immediately that it was from the doctor.

"Well, that's bad. No wonder he fainted from exhaustion. I've seen cases like these a lot of times and they need to be dealt with immediately." He said in a disapproving tone. "With the proper amount of rest, medical treatment, and food, Eric will be good as new. But, if he should disagree with the treatment, then that's another problem."

"Why?" Raphael asked.

"Because, no matter how great the treatment a patient receives, if he is not mentally ready to accept help then there will be no change and his condition may worsen. I'd suggest he take a break from work until he gets things sorted out." He clicked his tongue like he wasn't happy with what I had done to my body. "I'm thinking this started from a state of depression, that's why he collapsed. From a broken heart or work, it doesn't matter. What matters is that he be cared for until he's moved on past that point. We wouldn't want to deal with an even greater problem due to his mental state."

"Depression? He's going through depression?" My sister asked. I could sense the worry in her tone and I cringed inwardly at that.

"Possibly. That's what I gathered from his medical history and his results. Hopefully, that's not the problem." he answered before he cleared his throat again. "Depression might be the sole cause for this but that's for his therapist to decide. Fortunately, he isn't suicidal, judging from the damage done to his body. We'll just have to pull him up from there."

"Oh. Okay. He'll be fine, right?" my sister asked, a small hand touching my shoulder gently. She trembled, her nervousness obvious from her touch.

"That's entirely up to him." he answered, the soles of his shoes clacking on the floor. "Don't worry. I'll put my best attendant on the duty. We wouldn't want such a pretty man to waste away, now do we."

They were silent, the sound of the airconditioner filling the room. Well, until the temperature suddenly plummeted below zero with no help from that appliance. If there was one thing my sister hated, it was people who spoke of my beauty with a disgusting leer. Usually the dangerous ones were those that took advantage of their positions just to get to me. And trust me, my sister could sniff out one of these fuckers from a mile away. You could actually call her the pervert hunter, Eric edition.

"Uh. Well, I better get going. Just ring me up when he wakes up. O - or, or you can just alert me so I can send my assistant." he stuttered, sounding humiliated. He probably couldn't take my sister's infamous frowns.

"Yeah. You can just send in your attendant." Raphael answered hurriedly, his feet shuffling on the ground. The tension in the room lessening with every click of someone's shoe. Raphael must've been leading the doctor out the door, which was a good idea since my sister was demonic when angered.

"Fucker. He's unwell, for fuck's sake. Eyeing him like a piece of meat. Disgusting." she touched my cheek, pinching it hard. "Wake-y, wake-y. Get up. Eat something then take your medicine. I know you're up."

I groaned, peeking one tired eye at her. Her strawberry blonde hair combed neatly as she smiled, caressing my cheek where I was sure a tinge of red colored it from her pinch. Blinking softly, I pulled her hand off me before stretching my tired muscles.

"Elaine, you idiot. What did I tell you about your anger issues?" I softly asked, watching as she took the device that adjusted to bed to help me sit up. My body was still being a bitch and everyday stuff like sitting up was hurting me. I couldn't wait until I needed to use the bathroom. I wonder if my limbs fall off.

And yep, Elaine was my sister alright. She worked as Riley's secretary an how she got that job was because of me. I suggested she do intern work at Riley's place and Riley admired her work ethics, so up to this day, she still works under Riley. We pretty much didn't interfere with each other's lives but we still did the customary Sunday sibling brunch. 

"The doctor shouldn't have looked at you like that in the first place. Where's his sense of professionalism?" She reached a glass of water to my lips, directing the straw to my lips. "Anyway, what's with this depression thing, Eric? Is this about Riley?"

"Elaine, back off." I spat out, my teeth clenching just from the sound of his name. "Riley and I are done, so I'm trying to move on."

"By exhausting yourself like this? I don't think so." Elaine answered with a huge frown on her pretty face. "Can't you just forget him and find another lover? With your looks, you could get anyone in your bed with a flick of your finger. So, enough with this depression shit."

"As if that was as easy as breathing." I muttered, rolling my eyes at her. "Moving on from a broken heart is harder than looking in the eyes of God in church and admitting you had sex in one of his confession rooms, Elaine."

She shook here head like she had given up, the frown dampening her pretty face. I knew she was worried but this was something I had to do this myself. I wasn't ready to give Riley up. If I did, I wouldn't have enough strength to live through this planet. 

Stop. No more depressing thoughts. 

"Eric, you're finally up!" Raphael squealed, running to my side of the bed and smiling at me. Man, I was so glad this bastard couldn't read the atmosphere between Elaine and I. I didn't need him sniffing around my love life, wondering why someone would leave someone as perfect as me.

"Yeah. Thanks for bringing me here and calling Elaine." I said tiredly, taking small bites of the apple my sister was peeling. "You're a lifesaver."

"Of course. Anything for you, darling." He answered, rubbing his hands together. "I'll go ahead and alert the doctor so he can call the attendant in. Okay?"

I saw Elaine nod and gave my approval to him. He scurried out of the room, leaving me eating apples in a relatively slow pace while my sister quietly peeled the skin off. There was a lot to talk about but I wasn't in the mood to open up to anyone. I didn't need any pity from anyone just from a broken heart. 

"I'll come through, Elaine. I won't be like dad. Just give me a little more time and Riley will be a thing of the past." I uttered softly, looking at her with a small smile. She returned with a smile of her own as well and we continued with our silence.

Various thoughts raced in my head when I heard the door click shut and pairs of feet made their way to me. Raphael was in front of my 'nanny', leading him to where I was. I knew it was a 'he' since Raphael wouldn't be talking to them if they were of a different gender; although, my sister was an exception. As they walked to me, they were talking in low voices, Raphael smiling lightly as he made small talk.

"And there he is." Raphael gestured with his hand, a smug smile on his face. He must've been proud just from introducing me.

I raised my eyes to the man behind him, quirking a brow curiously. Catching hold of him, I couldn't believe that he was an attendant. The disbelief must've been plastered all over my face because he quirked an uncaring brow at me, which somehow pierced my chest. The way he looked at me was infuriating. It wasn't perverted. It wasn't curious. It wasn't even disgust.

His eyes were just his eyes. I couldn't read anything and this was a first. 

"Hey, you. I'm Jordan and I'll be taking care of you during your entire stay here in the hospital." He started, the tone of his voice bored. It felt like I was a bother to him when he should've been ecstatic to be with me even for a second. "Fortunately, you weren't stupid enough to externally harm yourself. Let's hope there's no repeat of this. I'll be bringing in the medicine you need to intake and it shouldn't be too long until you can leave the hospital."

"Excuse me?" My voice irritated, despite its scratchy and breathy sound.

"What? Did I say anything that you didn't get?" He answered, his eyes checking the clipboard that hung from my bed. "It's pretty much basic stuff. Check up. Medicine. Leave. You must still be pretty exhausted, that's why your understanding is a little slower than usual."

I fumed at him, literally feeling steam come out of my nose and ears. How dare he?! I was and am not stupid. Who the hell does he think he is to verbally attack a patient? I would've reported this asshole, or kicked him out of my room, if it wasn't for the fact that he had a straight face on. He wasn't teasing, insulting or degrading me. 

He was just stating a fact.

"You can't be serious." I muttered, eyeing him quietly. It was like the exhaustion and heaviness I was feeling had dissipated, and I was left with the irritation I got from looking at the man who didn't even give me a second glance.

"Huh?" He looked up from the clipboard, returning it to where it was before walking to the side of my bed. "Well, I am. I don't know you that well to joke around, you know."

There was no compliments. No sweet names referred to me. It was like he didn't actually see me. At first, I thought he was just playing the not interested just to get your attention card. But, he didn't even give any indication that he was into me, that he wanted me in bed. Usually perverts like that would crack under my gaze but he didn't. And what's worse was that during the enitre conversation, all he called me was 'you'. Did I fucking look like a 'you'?  

"Okay, this'll be a little cold. So could you turn to your side so I can check your heart rate?" He asked, preparing to use his stethoscope. 

I smirked in answer and turned, showing my flawless backside through the hospital gown I was wearing and lowered the blanket a bit to show my naked ass. He didn't see the beauty that was underneath these blankets so he reacted that way. Understandable. And I understood that. No one could resist the beauty that was me if I showed a bit of skin.

The cold feeling  I got from the metal tip raised the hairs of my skin when it made contact almost immediately. I tried turning around to check on that blank face of his. It wouldn't surprise me if he started stuttering just from looking at my bare skin and I was waiting for that reaction. Come on. I'm Eric. No one can resist me.

"Okay. Nothing unusual. I'll just write it down on your chart then get your medicine. After that, you can just rest for the entire day." He explained firmly. I quickly turned to look at him, half-expecting a blush on his pale skin.

But there wasn't anything. Nothing at all. It was like he was looking at a normal person's back instead of Eric Giordanio's back. The normality of his actions angered me even further. I hated not being noticed even more than being the target of perverts. And this guy just blatantly ignored my half-hearted attempt at seduction.

Who the fuck is this guy?!