chapter 4 - Mister, I don't accept words as payment.

"Ugh..." The man groaned due to his throbbing head. Along with his deep growl, he felt pressure on his wound which added to the bearable pain his body felt.

"What? What? Where does it hurt?" Panicking, Zoey scanned him as she instinctively raised both her hands, afraid that if she touched him, her clumsy hands might touch his sensitive areas.

The man weakly let out a series of low lamentation as his palm slowly held his head. He could see that there was a person in front of him but his vision was still a blur. His eyelids fluttered at a feeble pace and slowly, Zoey's face got more well-defined with every blink of his eyes. And soon, he could clearly see her inquisitive countenance.

"Browny...?" Zoey carefully called out, staring straight to his pair of tertiary colored eyes: russet. She could see her reflection by the clear hooded orbs that have a mixture of brown tinged with a reddish-orange hue.

She had a glimpse of them last night but, upon closer look, the depth and solitude of autumn glistered across them.

"Browny?" He asked, knitting his brows. His voice was hoarse and he felt a scratch on his throat with that single word he uttered.

Just then, Cora Ma returned with a group of medical staff behind her. "Zoey," She called her friend which caught Zoey's attention, and Zoey just nodded her head as she stepped to the side and let the doctor examine him.

"Seriously, browny?!" As Cora Ma snuck beside her, she asked in dismay.

How could Zoey give a ridiculous nickname to a person she doesn't even know? Does she think that she was just naming a pet?

"What? What should I write in his form? Donnie Yen? Jackie Chan? I don't know his name. " Feigning innocence, Zoey whispered back with a shrug. "Also, life is never flawless and fair. If he has a good looks, his name must be something far from what he look, alright?" She reasoned out, which in her opinion made a little sense.

After all, Zoey was considered a beauty. However, her name doesn't sound that of a ladylike. It wasn't that she hated her name but, if she has to choose for her name, she'd unhesitatingly choose Princess Belle or Queen Elizabeth.

"*sigh* poor guy," Cora Ma could only shake her head as she pitied the man whose name they didn't know. Whatever his name was, Browny would be forever be engraved to her head.

They watched the doctor examined the man and soon, they were finally finished as the doctor turned to Zoey's direction and smiled.

"Mr. Brown's condition is doing well and if he continued to rest, he will eventually recover."

"That's a relief. So, he's not in harm anymore, right?" Zoey heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing the doctor's note. When she saw him nod, Zoey strode to the man's side who only said one word since he woke up.

"Hey, did you hear that?" As she stopped on the side of the bed, the man slowly gazed up to see the bright smile on her lips.

"Who are you...?" Yet, instead of answering her, he inquired.

"What...?" Upon hearing the question, Zoey slightly widened her eyes as she blinked many times. Without responding to him, Zoey turned to the doctor. "Doctor, he doesn't remember me, is it possible that he had amnesia?" She inquired out of worry.

Just like her expression, the doctor furrowed his brows. The man had inflicted a minor concussion but, not to the extent that he would have a memory loss.

However, before the doctor could take action and proceed with extra examination, the patient looked at Zoey's side profile again. and opened his mouth, "No, I don't have amnesia but, I really don't know you." His tone, though still hoarse, only a tingle was felt on his throat.

"Oh..." Nodding her head in understanding, Zoey awkwardly chuckled as she glanced at the confused doctor before slowly turning her gaze to the man and glared daggers at him.

"Haha, I think they were having a misunderstanding." As if on cue, Cora Ma awkwardly, and loudly laughed as she approached the doctor and his assistant nurse. "You know, they were ex-lovers and their relationship ended in a bad term." She added through a whisper.

Fortunately, these medical professionals bought her lies as they nodded in understanding. "Alright, I'll make my rounds later and check on Mr. Brown's health again." The doctor courtly informed.

Since Zoey was threatening the unfazed, deity looking guy by her gaze, Cora Ma volunteered to send the doctor and nurses off.

"Tch, how can you be so honest? You almost got me in trouble." Zoey clicked her tongue as she ground her teeth.

Luckily, Cora Ma was quick-witted and acted accordingly. Or else, she would be in trouble for giving out false information.

After all, Zoey wrote his name as "Browny Brown" and all information she wrote were what she had guessed. Well, she could have jotted down a manly name but, recalling how embarrassed she was last night because of him, Zoey was petty and did her harmless revenge.

Now, that what she called quits.

Indeed, Zoey has always been like that. Do something bad to her, she would return it equally. Do her good, she'd double the kindness.

"And my name is not Browny." As if not hearing her, the man resumed to speak his collected train of thoughts.

"Whatever Browny." Zoey snorted and then she plopped down on the edge of the bed. Both her palm rested on the bed, as he tossed her head to the side and cast him a dull look. "Any idea how you ended up here and not in Dignified Ending Funeral Home? Yeah, the woman you held hostage last night is me."

Upon hearing the name of the funeral home. the man remembered that he had a glimpsed of that funeral parlor last night. He scrutinized Zoey's 'I-really-don't-care-about-you' expression.

Since Zoey's car was dark, and he was just fighting to keep his consciousness intact, he couldn't remember the woman's face last night. However, the more he listened to her voice, the more it sounded familiar.

"I see... I'm sorry about last night," The man nodded in acknowledgment and his tone was as stiff as a bamboo.

"Sorry? Huh," Arching her brows, Zoey was quite surprised that he seemed to be the type of person that was easy to talk with. Regardless, she wasn't that easy to appease.

Slowly, Zoey leaned closer to him, her eyes fluttered and narrowed with allure. Her hand that was on the bed raised; using her forefinger, she slightly lifted his chin and coquettishly dawdled: