Andrew cut her off smoothly. "No, that won't be necessary. I'm perfectly capable of weathering a minor PR storm."

She looked at him evenly. "Then what is it that you want?"

His brow furrowed slightly, feigning distress. "Could you not act like this?"

Emily was utterly lost. "Like what?"

He let out an exaggerated sigh. "I just got wheeled out of an operating room, and you're already trying to settle the tab so you can wipe your hands clean of me. It's incredibly hurtful."

She paused.

Hearing it laid out like that, she realized she had been awfully eager to balance the ledger.

She pressed her lips together. Tristan's anxiety had rubbed off on her, pushing her to resolve this debt as quickly as possible so it wouldn't hang over her head.

She lowered her eyes and softened her tone. "Alright. Take your time. Just let me know when you figure it out."

"Aside from treating this like a business transaction, is there nothing else you want to say to me?" he prompted.

Emily looked up, glancing around the sterile room. "Do you have someone looking after you? If not, I can hire the nurse we had before."

"Sure," he agreed with a nod. "What else?"

"I'll cover all your medical expenses for this stay," she offered. "And if you need anything at all, just call me. I'll make sure it's handled."

"Done," he replied, his eyes darkening a fraction. "Anything else?"

She thought for a moment before asking, "How bad is the injury? When do they think you can be discharged?"

"It's painful, but nothing life-threatening. I should be out in a few days," he said, adding smoothly, "I'm looking forward to being your neighbor for the duration."

The back-and-forth felt incredibly bizarre to her.

Having answered, he pressed again, "What else?" "Have you contacted your family?" she asked.

"It's just a scratch. There's no need to cause a panic."

"I recall they live right here in the city. They aren't far."

A genuine smile touched his lips. "You remember that?"

Her expression remained neutral. "We crossed paths once."

He nodded. "They are local, but it's really not worth stressing them out. Don't you agree?"

What do you mean, don't I agree?

Shooting him a perplexed look, she said, "It's entirely up to you. They're your family." "Any other questions?" he prodded.

Emily was

my hit with a wave

the unpleasant

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Refusing to play this weird game any

Jr, she stood up. "No, that's

it. You should get some rest, and I need to do the same content

His lips curved upward. "Alright. Thank you for dropping by."

Just as she got to her feet, a commotion erupted outside the door.

It was Tristan.

"Where's Emily? Where did she go?!"

He was panting heavily, his voice frantic, as if he'd just finished a marathon.

Hearing the panic in his voice, she quickened her pace, grabbing heriv bag from the pole and holding it high as she made her way toward th door.

FindNovel.net

Andrew's voice drifted lazily from the bed behind her. "Tristan's here, and suddenly

you can't wait to leave?"

Emily froze in her tracks.