Chapter 9: Negotiating with Mr. Raven, Asking for a Guarantee
Just now, without the lights on, she hadn’t noticed, but now, under the light, Gemma saw that the man’s face was covered in red bumps.
And his eyes were bloodshot, like a beast on the verge of losing control.
She jumped back in shock, her face instantly paling.
Before she could speak, the family doctor suddenly came out from the adjacent room, handing the man a pile of medication all at once.
The sick Cassius looked a little fragile.
He didn’t seem like the ruthless, cold–blooded demon who would kill without a second thought.
“What’s wrong with him?”
Gemma wasn’t sure why she asked, knowing full well how dangerous this man was.
The family doctor checked Cassius’s temperature and visibly relaxed, it seemed like he was out of danger.
Then, he answered Gemma’s question
“He’s allergic. He drank some milk.”
Gemma was already standing in front of them, and hearing this made her expression turn strange.
“If I remember correctly, I offered him the milk earlier.” thought Gemma
She felt a little guilty.
She quickly stepped forward a couple of steps. “Mr. Raven, I… well…”
“Don’t come any closer.”
Cassius spoke through gritted teeth.
But Gemma, as clueless as ever, leaned down to check his condition.
His eyes swept over her, catching the deep neckline of her loose nightgown.
A mysterious and tantalizing line of her figure came into view.
He quickly turned his face away.
Gemma frowned, watching his condition. Under the light, his pale skin looked even more delicate. Even though she wore no makeup and was in her nightgown, she was still too beautiful to ignore. Once she confirmed that Cassius was improving, she finally spoke.
“I didn’t know about your allergy.”
She coughed lightly.
Her explanation felt weak.
After all, she was working under Cassius, trying to keep her job.
“But!”
She gathered some courage and continued, “You should have said something earlier. I wouldn’t have forced you to drink
“So, you’re entirely at fault.”
Her words lacked confidence.
She had leaned back against the cabinet, perhaps fearing he might suddenly rise and punch her.
Cassius coughed heavily a couple of times.
The family doctor silently cursed in his mind.
Someone dared to talk to Cassius like that? That was a first for him.
Chapter 9: Negotiating with h
| Mr. Raven, Asking for a Guarantee
But for now, he needed to lay low, or he may might lose the chance of witnessing the full story.
“Mr. Raven, you’re not really going to make me pay some price, are you?”
Gemma didn’t get an answer, and her heart skipped a beat.
She felt an immediate wave of panic.
She was just trying to be kind, but who knew Mr. Raven would act like this.
Just as she considered lowering her expectations and apologizing, Cassius coughed again.
“Entirely at fault? Ha, you’re quite the smooth talker.”
His voice was cold.
But it was hard to tell if he was really angry.
He was hard to read.
Gemma instinctively lowered her gaze
Maybe it was fear, but she deliberately avoided looking at his face.
Instead, her eyes landed on his shirt–unbuttoned.
And accidentally, she glimpsed his abs as his shirt shifted.
He had been coughing, and his abdominal muscles were tightening with each cough.
They looked strong.
Gemma quickly forced her eyes away.
Then, with a more determined look, she turned her gaze back to Cassius.
“Mr. Raven, if you have something on your mind, you can talk about it. We’ll figure it out together.
“But you shouldn’t drag me into it just because you’re upset.”
“If this keeps going. I’ll either die from your mess, or you’ll be the one to go first.”
She stared at him, puffing her cheeks out like a little….
Pufferfish.
“Noah’s a
good kid, but if he stays around you all the time, I’m worried. If something happens to you, the kid might be in danger too.”
“Gemma Kelestine, you’ve crossed the line!” Cassius’s cold gaze shot at her, his voice dangerously low.
Gemma was scared, but since she had already said it, she refused to back down.
So, she kept going-
“You’re angry because I hit the nail on the head, right? Because I said exactly what you’re afraid of.”
She knew she was pushing her luck.
So, she quickly threw out her trump card.
“But I’ve studied nutrition. I can make medicinal meals. I can help you recover.”
Before she could explain more, Cassius suddenly reached out and grabbed her slender wrist,
His eyes were filled with coldness.
Whut do you want froin me?”
She hadn’t accepted his previous offer.
Now it seemed like she was aiming for something bigger.
Gemma was disgusted by his attitude.
Why did he always question her when she tried to do something?
She was just a doctor trying to save her own skin.
Chapter 9: Negotiating with Mr. Raven, Asking for a Guarantee
“Fine, if you think that a trade for benefits is more credible, then I want one thing.”
Cassius narrowed his eyes.
A flash of disappointment crossed his face.
Even he didn’t understand why he felt this way about someone relatively unfamiliar to him.
After all, he had always been indifferent to people who weren’t important.
“Speak,” he said, his voice colder now, his gaze drifting away from Gemma as if already planning what kind of punishment
to deal out
Gemma sat down, no longer afraid. She was ready to take the leap.
“I want trust and equality.”
“When we came together, it was because of Noah.”
u or to be your subordinate.”
“But I stayed because I like Noah too. I want to help him. So, I’m not here to submit to you
grew stronger.
Her voice trembled at first, but slowly, her tone g
“We’re like partners, working together as equals, and that’s the basic principle.”
*As for trust….
if you want me to help you with your health, you need to trust me. Otherwise, there’s no point in this relationship.” Cassius clearly hadn’t expected her to say something like that.
It showed how unfairly she had been treated before, and how much she longed for equality.
But..
As he looked at her, he didn’t get angry at her audacity. Instead, a strange, complicated feeling stirred inside him.
“Do you know what kind of status you need to have to talk to me about equality and trust?”
Gemma didn’t respond.
At Wilsons, she’d learned one simple truth.
If you keep asking questions before you understand the truth, you’ll just get on people’s nerves.
So, she waited for Cassius’s next words.
But a long time passed.
Suddenly, Cassius’s mood soured
He waved his hand.
“Leave.”
Gemma was speechless.
She was still waiting for an answer.
This man clearly had no concept of respect.
She wasn’t going to stick around for it.
The family doctor, watching her leave, had a complicated look in his
He had to admit, this woman was ambitious.
eyes.
The only people who could talk to Cassius about trust and equality were either his closest buddies or… his wife.
