A lot of things went on in Aiden's mind as he weighed the benefits against the risks in his head again and again.
Sitting behind his desk casually, Ryan Caldwell did not rush the young man at all. He merely pinned Aiden with a stare and observed how the color on the young man's face changed rapidly. It was somehow amusing. His lips curled up in a wicked delight, he let out a soft chuckle that Aiden was unable to hear from the distance.
Once the gears inside Aiden's head slowed down, he looked up at Ryan with eyes full of disappointing determination.
"If... I agree with this arrangement, how is it supposed to be done?" Aiden asked slowly.
"Do I have to come to Dominion every month?"
Ryan did not answer immediately. It was almost as if he wanted to retract the offer as soon as he gave it.
But then, he opened his drawer and took out a big white envelope instead.
The envelope was slid across the desk surface in Aiden's direction. It landed at the edge with utmost precision.
"If you agree, do read through this contract. I will give you time until next Friday to get familiar with the content. Should you agree with the contract, sign it and contact Angela. We will determine the when and where afterward."
Aiden picked up the white envelope from the desk and discovered that it was quite thick and heavy. He suspected that there was at least 200 pages inside.
The young man was tempted to rip it open right away to see what it was about, but his grandmother and Dr. Charles came back at that moment.
He thus discreetly slipped the white envelope into his bag with a lot of efforts before anyone caught a sight of it.
"Aiden," Grandma Thompson called.
Right after he shut his bag with a click, Aiden turned around and beamed at his grandmother.
"Grandma, is the examination over?"
"Yes," Grandma Thompson said. She eyed Ryan Caldwell nervously.
The vampire doctor handed the re-examination results to Ryan. Ryan's face betrayed nothing as he scanned through the papers. When he opened his mouth again, he acted as if Aiden had already signed the contract.
"Mrs. Thompson, it is quite late. Do you wish to be admitted right now, or would you like to come back in the morning?"
Grandma Thompson was in a daze. She did not know what to answer. They were rejected in the morning, so why did the director speak as if the rejection never happened?
Aiden pulled at his grandmother's elbow and whispered, "Grandma, Mr. Ryan Caldwell offered to help. You can enter the hospital now, or we can come back in the morning. Which one do you want?"
Grandma Thompson threw her grandson a dejected look.
"Aiden, can we spend one more night together?"
Aiden put his arm around Grandma Thompson's shoulder and smiled.
"Of course we can."
Grandma Thompson stayed with Aiden until Sunday noon.
During their last few hours together, the elderly kept giving her grandson a list of instructions to abide by while she was away.
The garden had to be tended to meticulously.
Aiden must still go to the university and never skip a day.
Above all, as the elderly woman stuttered in sadness, Aiden must take good care of himself.
He must not fall sick.
He must pay attention to his meals.
He had to eat three times a day and drink a lot of water.
And he must stay away from junk food and cook as often as he could.
After one last fulfilling lunch with a lot of promises, Aiden took his grandmother back to the White Chapel hospital.
Although Aiden did not specifically ask for it, a VIP suite was made available for Grandma Thompson. Aiden paled slightly when he got to see what the suite looked like.
It would do the hospital justice to call the suite an apartment instead. It had one master bedroom, one guest bedroom, a large bathroom, a dining room, and even a living room with a big television set.
Only the kitchen was missing because patients would get meals and snacks delivered to their beds every day without fail. The furniture were sturdy but comfortable. They were not gaudy but elegant.
The cost of the VIP suite was not included in the package. If not for Grandma Thompson's excited squeal as she pranced around the suite, Aiden would have marched back to the reception table and demanded a normal patient bedroom.