Vespera sat there, sighing and feeling frustrated. At first, when she found out Dominic had gone up against the Sowles for her, shielding and protecting her, she had felt a dizzying sense of euphoria, as though he truly cared for her. But now, that feeling had completely disappeared.

Looking back now, she realized she had been foolish. He had saved her and protected her, but that didn’t mean they were equals. He was still her boss. He could be kind and gracious to her, but he could also be cold and distant if she said something that threatened his authority. If she was upset about that, it would only show that she hadn’t placed herself in the right position. She needed to be more clear-headed from now on. Just because Dominic treated her kindly did not mean he was approachable or that they could be friends. She certainly couldn’t delude herself into thinking he had any romantic interest in her.

Vespera spent the next hour sorting her thoughts. Once done, she got up and made herself a bowl of pasta. She had only eaten a few bites when her phone rang. It was Raymond. She bit her lip, feeling a sense of pressure building up inside her. Because most of the time, Raymond was just the messenger for Dominic.

She picked up the phone. “Hello, Mr. Chandler.”

“Ms. Gildon, are you busy tonight?”

She hesitated, unsure of what was coming.

“Here’s the situation. Mr. Reid needs someone to help him with his medication and bandages, and Gerard can’t make it today. My wife asked me to return home for something, so I need to ask if you could come by and help him.”

Vespera’s heart skipped a beat the moment he mentioned that Gerard wouldn’t be coming. She had just come down from that. The awkwardness hadn’t worn off yet. Though she wasn’t about to quit because of just a couple of sentences, she wasn’t strong enough to brush it off immediately and stay indifferent.

“Mr. Chandler, is there anyone else who could help? Maybe a doctor can come over?”

Raymond paused for a moment. “Mr. Reid is proud, but he’s also soft-hearted. He thinks highly of you and likes you.” He was trying to comfort her, telling her not to take it too personally. But to Vespera, those words felt like an unwelcome truth. Dominic saw her as his secretary, and whenever he needed her, she was expected to come. If it weren’t for Dominic saving her life, if he hadn’t been the one to get injured on her behalf, she would have quit without hesitation. But right now, she couldn’t just walk away.

“Alright, I’ll come up after dinner,” Vespera agreed. She no longer had an appetite for the pasta. After hanging up the phone, she mentally prepared herself before heading to the top floor.

Standing in front of Dominic’s bedroom door, she took a deep breath. “Come in.” The usual cold tone of his voice echoed from inside.

Vespera opened the door, closed it behind her, and walked to the foot of the bed with a faint smile, trying to appear calm. “I heard you need your bandages changed and medication applied.”

Dominic glanced at her forced smile and heard the respectful tone in her voice, letting out a silent sigh. “Yeah,”

“Where’s the first-aid kit? I’ll change it for you,” Vespera said.

“Over there,” he said, pointing toward the walk-in closet.

She walked over to the closet, found the first-aid kit, and brought it to the bedside, placing it on the nightstand. She opened it, laying out the supplies she would need, getting everything ready. But then, as she looked at Dominic, her mind went blank. It was only now that she realized a very tricky problem she had overlooked. His injury was on his lower back, and he was wearing a robe. She wondered if she should ask him to take off the robe, or lift the bottom, or just remove it.

“Didn’t you come to apply the medicine? What are you waiting for?” Dominic’s indifferent voice interrupted her thoughts.

Vespera took a deep breath and decided to be bold, not wanting to overthink it anymore.