Chapter 142
I didn’t catch Hogan being in a rush at all. His face was still that same icy mask, his eyes still like those deep, undisturbed pools.
Even if he was good at hiding his emotions, and actually a bit worried about me, I’d bet it was only because he was afraid his plans wouldn’t come to fruition without me, his key pawn.
The competition was pretty much a done deal, but we’d still got ties with Rainbow Capital, and common sense told me not to brush off
this money man.
I pulled myself together and after exchanging a knowing glance with Timothy, I hobbled over to Hogan with my swollen ankle.
“Did you need something from me, Mr. Zade?” I asked, all formal–like, trying to keep the discomfort at bay.
The man heard that, his gaze slowly trailing down, finally resting on the hem of my pants, and he said flatly, “Ms. March, that’s quite the timely injury.”
I felt a tightness in my chest, and a surge of irritation rushed up out of nowhere. I managed to choke out, “Just a minor injury, Mr. Zade. Thanks for the concern.”
My words were official, my tone not so friendly, leaving Hogan with a stony glint in his eyes and at a loss for words.
Meanwhile, Zachary chimed in with concern, “Xa…Ms. March, have you visited the infirmary?”
I kept it short, “Yes.”
13:28
Chapter 142
“How did the doc put it, serious?”
Zachary’s probing felt like a lump of cotton was stuck in my chest, suffocating me. He was just Hogan’s little helper, and after just one meeting, he could offer a few words of concern. Not like Hogan, who was all about the sarcasm, always sarcasm.
“Just a scratch.” I pushed down the bitterness, “No big deal.”
Right after my words fell, I heard Hogan say, “Since it happened on the job, treat it as a work injury. When you get back to Rivertown, just submit your expense claim to Rainbow Capital’s finance department.”
I looked at Hogan with surprise and a bit of speechlessness. He couldn’t think that covering my medical bills was some kind of compensation, could he?
He must have seen how Shirley treated me these past few days; did he really think that my grievances were worth only that much in medical expenses?
With that thought, I slightly raised my eyes, distancing myself, “I appreciate the gesture, Mr. Zade, but I can afford these medical expenses myself, no need to trouble you.”
My refusal was firm, probably too much so, as it seemed to take Hogan by surprise, something rare on his face.
But it was fleeting. Then I heard the man say, “Fine, have it your way.”
His tone was as if telling me I didn’t know a good thing when I saw it. But I figured, no pawn would be all calm and collected after finding out they’d been used.
2/3
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Chapter 142
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave.”
After saying that, I turned and limped toward Timothy, dragging my sore ankle. But it was a strain, and the faster I wanted to move, the slower. I seemed to go. Just thinking about those two pairs of eyes still watching me from behind made me feel lousy.
I didn’t want Hogan to see me in this ridiculous state. But the more I worried about it, the more likely it seemed to happen, and sure enough, in a flash, I slipped and lost my balance.
“Watch out!”
“Xaviera!”
Two voices rang out beside me, and when I looked up, I was already being pulled into Timothy’s embrace.
We were so close I could smell his unique scent of crisp mint, fresh and direct, just like Timothy himself.
I quickly put some distance between us, and out of the corner of my eye, I could feel a cold stare boring into me. When I looked up, Hogan had already turned and was striding away. So that warning earlier, was it just my imagination?
When I got back to the suite, I ate a little something and then just crashed. When I woke up, everything around me was pitch black.
Turned out, night had fallen. Feeling a bit thirsty, I was about to get up when suddenly my phone started ringing. Blinking, annoyingly insistent.
EVE
