The Blood Contract
Chapter 28: Collapsed from exhaustion

Chapter 28: Collapsed from exhaustion

Serena woke to a mouth as dry as sandpaper and a stomach that felt like it was devouring itself. A dull ache pressed against her ribs, a hollow gnawing that made her curl tighter beneath the sheets before the full weight of her hunger hit—deep, insistent, almost painful.

She barely remembered what happened last night, but the scene where she ordered wine and downed the first glass stuck to her memory like a silent reminder. Now, her body was paying the price, demanding reparation in the form of grease, carbs—anything edible. The thought of something cooking in the distance teased her, cruel and tantalizing, making her stomach clench with desperation.

Groaning, she flung off the covers, her limbs weak, her head pounding, but her hunger an unrelenting force driving her forward. She needed food, and she needed it now.

Realizing she was still in the same clothes she had worn yesterday, she quickly changed and completed her morning routine before heading downstairs in search of a solution to the tightness she could feel in her stomach.

"Good morning, madam," Darrell greeted the moment she arrived at the living room. He had heard her footsteps coming down the stairs and lifted his head to see her approaching with a smile.

"Morning, Darrell. How did you sleep?" Serena asked, slowing down when she got to him. He was seated on the sofa with a laptop balanced on his thighs as he worked on something she didn’t recognize.

"I slept well, ma’am. Thanks for asking," Darrell flashed her a smile before returning his attention to what he was doing on the laptop.

"Please tell me breakfast is ready. I’m starving," Serena said, turning her head toward the dining room. She didn’t need an answer to the question, as the scent of food wafting through the air already provided one.

"Breakfast is ready, ma’am. Please go ahead. I have to finish up this job before I join you," Darrell replied, still providing an answer to her question.

Serena wanted to ask what he was doing, but she refrained and just went ahead to the dining room.

When she arrived, Lucian and Adrian were already seated, discussing something in hushed tones. They ceased speaking when she walked in, and their attention shifted to her.

With the two pairs of eyes fixed on her, Serena found herself muttering a "Good morning" before moving unenthusiastically to the seat she had occupied two nights ago. She wondered why Dr. Marlowe wasn’t there yet. Didn’t she say she was living in the house with them?

"Good morning, madam," Adrian greeted her, and she flashed him a smile.

"Are we expecting a guest?" Serena asked him, seeing how they weren’t eating yet, even though the dishes had already been served.

"No, we’re not expecting anybody," Adrian answered.

"Ahh... good then," Serena let out an audible sigh of relief as she picked up her cutlery and started to dish the food onto her plate.

However, before she could take the first bite, Dr. Marlowe’s voice reached her ears.

"Ah ah ah... Don’t eat yet," the woman said, making Serena pause the journey her hand was already making toward her mouth.

"Something wrong?" Serena probed, a frown settling on her features. Was there something wrong with the food? First, it was the fact that Adrian and Lucian ignored the food even though it was already served, and now it was Dr. Marlowe stopping her from eating.

"Have you taken a bite?" Dr. Marlowe asked, coming to sit beside Serena and dropping a glass containing a liquid substance on the table.

"I was about to, but you didn’t let me. What’s going on?" Serena asked, eyeing the woman suspiciously.

"Don’t think too much. I brought something for you, and you’re supposed to take it on an empty stomach before you eat anything. That’s why I stopped you," Dr. Marlowe explained, pushing the glass she had brought toward Serena. She gestured with her head for the girl to pick it up. "Go on, drink it."

"What’s this for?" Serena asked, eyeing the contents of the glass.

"Yesterday, you said you felt a burning pain in your stomach and asked me to make medicine for you that would relieve the pain. I promised to do it this morning, so here you go," Dr. Marlowe explained.

"I did?" Serena asked, racking her brain to recall when that particular conversation had happened. But then, she couldn’t remember most of the things that had happened last night.

"You don’t remember?"

Serena shook her head.

Dr. Marlowe rubbed her temples tiredly. "It’s alright if you don’t remember, but you should still take it. Apart from your stomach troubles, it will help revitalize you. And it tastes nice too."

Serena picked up the glass and took a sip. True to the woman’s words, the drink tasted nice, so she slowly downed it until she emptied the glass.

As soon as she returned the glass to the table, her vision blurred before completely going black, and her body swayed to the side. Thankfully, Dr. Marlowe was there to support her, so she didn’t fall.

"What just happened?" Lucian asked, a slight panic evident in his voice—something that caught Adrian off guard.

"It’s normal. She’ll wake up in about a minute," Dr. Marlowe answered, bringing some ease and relief to Lucian’s heart.

Just as she said, a minute later, Serena’s eyes slowly cracked open and she let out a soft moan, straightening her body.

"What just happened?" she asked, rubbing the sides of her temple as the confusion gradually cleared from her eyes.

"I think you collapsed from exhaustion. You are lacking strength. You should eat something, okay?" Dr Marlowe spoke in a soothing voice, running her hand lightly against Serena’s back.

Serena didn’t believe it. She remembered walking into the dining room hungry, but not exhausted. How come she collapsed from exhaustion?

She eyed the empty glass in front of her and wondered if the drink was what made her collapse. However, she decided to let it be for the time being and concentrate on filling her stomach first.

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