The man's conceited look boiled Tsubaki's anger all of a sudden. She didn't understand why the very person she had always wanted to avoid at all cost appeared in the hospital. A few doors away from her brother's room.
Tsubaki took a deep breath, loosening her nerves. Without giving the man another look, she walked past him. A rough palm grabbed forcefully at her arm, making her nearly stumbled. She reflectively rejected his touch, taking her arm back and stepping a few feet away from him.
"What do you want, Mr. Kitaoji?" Tsubaki's eyes shot cold glare. "If you don't have anything important, please step aside. I have a matter to attend to."
Without waiting for Mr. Kitaoji's answer, Tsubaki walked ahead. This time he didn't stop her but his cynical laugh sent shiver down her spine.
"I bribed the nurse to give you a call."
Her feet stopped short. She was taken aback with what he had said but she didn't turn around, she continued facing ahead without sparing a glance to him instead. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction seeing her bewildered look.
"Care to explain what do you mean by that?" Her tone was eerily calm, in contrast with the tumultuous thoughts warring inside her head.
"You and that old uncle went to meet my grandfather, right?" Mr. Kitaoji rubbed his chin, looking as pompous as ever.
Tsubaki stiffened. It seemed like Kitaoji Masaru had knowledge of their plan. Indeed. He had eyes and ears everywhere.
"So that's why you bribed the nurse?" Tsubaki snickered. "You know I'd abandon my plan if my brother is involved?"
"Everyone knows."
Tsubaki rolled her eyes. The man behind her was truly a despicable man. She had no time for an idle chat with him. Even if he would give her money just for chatting with him, she would throw the money back to his smug face.
"I'm going to get Chairman Kitaoji evaluating your decision to raise the rent." She felt like it was no use for her to hide it any longer.
"You know you just have to marry me to end this nasty situation."
Tsubaki tried to suppress her laugh once she heard the solution given by him. "What nasty is your tenacity to chase after me even after I've rejected you for so many times."
"What if our marriage would bring benefit to your brother?"
"What do you mean?" What nonsense he's going to spout next?
"You're desperate to find a donour for your brother, right?"
With the mentioned of Satsuki finding a donour, Tsubaki could roughly guessed what Kitaoji Masaru wanted to say to her. His remark about bribing the nurse to make her coming to the hospital helped in adding up the points. She sneered.
"Are you trying to say that you could get my brother a compatible donour in exchange of me marrying you?"
Her mocking tone shocked Mr. Kitaoji. He turned around, watching the back of the petite woman. Her shoulders squared, making her appearance tall and domineering.
"If you wanted to use my brother to force me into a marriage with you, you're gravely mistaken." Her voice sounded calm and collected.
"Ha! Are you bluffing?" Kitaoji Masaru laughed. His face turned uglier despite the fact he indeed had a handsome face. The saying of a beautiful face couldn't hide a black heart matching well with him. "Everyone knows that your brother is important to you? Do you want to bluff?"
Tsubaki took a long breath. It wouldn't be easy for her to deter him. He was a walking ball of stubbornness.
"Yes, my brother is important to me but so is my life. He won't be happy if he knew I exchanged my future with a man like you. Leave me alone, Mr. Kitaoji. Find a woman who could accept you."
"So, you're saying you couldn't accept me?" Mr. Kitaoji's face twitched in anger. This woman had always been killing his ego. "Don't tell me you won't submit yourself to a man who could help you when your brother is nearing death?"
Tsubaki turned slightly. Her icy gaze directly met the man's smug face. How she wished she could instill some conscience in his small brain.
"If he was worth it."
Without saying anything else, Tsubaki left a dumbfounded Kitaoji Masaru behind. Her response was simple but it was a blow to his ego.
In other words, he wasn't worth for her to acceding herself to. Even though he was far more superior than her in terms of their social status and wealth.
So she belittled me to the end?
Watching her unhurried steps from behind made him went mad in rage. He smirked. He wanted to see whether she could still be arrogant and push him away when the time came. He would make her completely submitting herself to him.
His face turned hideous the darker his heart got.