Chapter 11

Arlan suddenly leaned in closer, her breath warm against me. A wave of her fragrance hit me, shining something within my heart for a fleeting moment. Every desire, right now, she was the kind of stunning woman who could captivate anyone.

“Ahem. Day,” Tr replied almost instinctively, agreeing to her suggestion. Tom was Friday, even if our dinner can’t wait; I wouldn’t have to worry about being late for work the next day. Alana’s eyes sparkled with excitement when she saw me agree to it. Her happiness was palpable.

Once my I.V. was finished, the doctor came in to check my temperature. It was the same doctor who had diagnosed me before. He frowned as he looked at me. “I remember you. Your name is Joshua Smith, right?”

“Yes, doctor,” I nodded, feeling an unexplainable guilt wash over me. Sure enough, the doctor sternly pinned me. “You have severe anemia and need to rest properly. You can’t eat spicy or stimulating foods and shouldn’t stay up late or overexert yourself. Are you even listening?”

“I’m sorry.”

Perhaps the long-term pressure from Racquelle made my first instinct to apologize when someone reprimanded me. The doctor sighed. “This is your body, so you should apologize to yourself. Take care of yourself. If you don’t value your own health, no amount of advice from others will help.”

After the doctor left, Ariana looked at me seriously. “Joshua, quit your job and come work with me. If you keep getting tortured by Racquelle, you might end up in serious trouble.” I nodded. “Sure, but not right now.”

“Why not?” She seemed surprised by my response.

I explained softly, “The Smith family raised me for many years. I can’t just walk away without any consideration. I still have matters to resolve, and I must wait until they’re finished before…”

There was less than a month left until Racquelle’s birthday. Despite all my dissatisfaction with her, I couldn’t just forget the kindness Dad had shown me and abandon everything. After all, he had treated me well. His concern for Racquelle was why he had arranged for me to stay by her side.

“Alright, I’ll wait for you for a month.” Asiana smiled gently, a faint blush on her cheeks as she looked at me. “After a month, I’ll invest, and we can start a company together. You’ll get 40% of the tech shares.”

I stared at her in shock, incredulous. “What? Didn’t you say you wanted to be your own boss? Why hasn’t your company been set up yet?”

Blushing, she nodded. “Yeah, I only convinced my father last month to let me venture out alone. I wasn’t confident at first, but then I met you. It feels like fate. What, you’re not having second thoughts, are you?”

When Ariana asked this, I smiled and shook my head. “No way! Of course, I support you.”

“It’s settled then: I’ll wait for you.”

At that, she patted my shoulder and smiled, saying, “For now, your main task is to take care of your health, alright?”

“Okay.”

Her concern touched me. I sincerely hoped the month would pass quickly. Once Racquelle’s birthday came, I would be ready to embrace a brand-new life.