Secondly, she had just set up a few rules with him.
That guy has never waited up for me. How can I expect him to be there to
open the door for me if I call out?
However, the pain in her belly intensified, and the dizziness worsened,
causing her to drop to her haunches in front of the door.
What am I going to do?
Right when she decided to call for the driver to help her, the door opened.
"What happened?"
Emmanuel hurriedly helped her up when he saw her drenched in a cold
sweat on the floor.
"What… What are you doing? You've never waited up for me."
Mackenzie feigned standoffish and tried to push him away.
Emmanuel sighed and didn't touch her after that.
However, she slumped to the ground in the next second. With quick
reflexes, he urgently grabbed onto hér.
"Don't touch me! We've signed an agreement! You can't touch me!"
Mackenzie shoved him away again.
Emmanuel's expression turned grim as he carried her into his arms. He
turned around, kicking the door closed.
"You! How dare you!"
Mackenzie clenched her teeth in anger. His actions cleared away the
drunken fog in her mind.
How dare he carry me like this!
Emmanuel wasn't intimidated by her threat and proceeded to throw her
on her bed. "Lie down and don't move. I'll make something to sober you up.
You shouldn't have drunk so much if you couldn't handle it. It's not good for
your stomach."
His chiding added fuel to her fire. She struggled to get up and shouted,
"Who says I'm a lightweight? Do you know how much I drank? How am I
supposed to talk business if I can't drink?"
Seeing her sluggish movements and how she couldn't keep herself up, he
had no choice but to help her into bed.
He didn't expect her to fall into his embrace and puke all over him.
"Hey, what are you doing? This is my pajamas, not a dishcloth!"
Emmanuel's temper sparked. He only had one pajama, and she had
sullied it with her vomit. What was he going to wear that night?
To his surprise, he found that her vomit actually smelled nice.
Mackenzie ignored him and continued to hurl. She finally stopped after
emptying her stomach.
Looking down at his dirty clothes, he angrily carried her back to bed.
"Is this how someone in the upper management should act? Luckily, you
know how to find your way home despite being a lightweight! Otherwise,
the street sweepers would've sent you to the morgue the next morning."
After giving her a piece of his mind, he went to the kitchen to prepare
some coffee to sober her up and rummaged through the cabinets for
gastric medication.
Shortly after, he set down a cup of coffee and pills on the nightstand.
"Take this!"
"W-What is this?"
Mackenzie was more alert than before after getting some alcohol out of
her. Mortification filled her as she recalled her earlier actions.
Good thing Emmanuel is a good, honest guy. The people of Yeringham will
be shocked if the things I've done tonight get out. They can't imagine what
a standoffish female CEO looks like when drunk.
"It's coffee and antacids. They'll help you sober up."
Guilt washed over Mackenzie at Emmanuel's words.
He's taking care of me sincerely. Yet, here I am, assuming he married me
for my wealth and looks. I drafted the agreement to warn him not to act
recklessly and get any stupid ideas in his head. Now, I'm wondering if
that's the right move.
"Whatever. It's up to you whether you want to take them or not."
Emmanuel knew her temperament well, so he didn't spend any time
coaxing her to take them. Instead, he whirled around and left her room,
shutting the door behind him.
With a slam, the couple was separated by a door.
Mackenzie huffed at him, then lay down on the bed. After contemplating
for a stretch, she sat up and took the medicine and coffee.
The dizziness was too much for her, so she fell asleep soon after.
Everything was right as rain when she woke up the next morning. She
noticed he had already left for work when she got out of bed.
My bedroom door wasn't locked last night, so he's really not interested in
me that way.
"Hmph! One night doesn't count! I'll have to continue observing him."
It's all Grandpa's stupid text! I have no reason to let my guard down
around Emmanuel.
In the morning, Emmanuel arrived at the hospital for his shift when one of
Beacon Hospital's deputy directors, Addison Barnes, came to him.
"Dr. Barnes, is there anything you need from me?" Emmanuel could barely
hide his surprise.
He was a regular hospital staff, while Addison held the position of deputy
director. Typically, if someone from higher management needed to meet
with him, they would send someone to get him. This was the first time
Addison himself had sought him out.
"Emmanuel, are you up for a home visit today?"
To his surprise, Addison even asked for his opinion.
"A home visit?" Emmanuel parted his lips in disbelief. He had never
conducted a home visit before, nor was he aware that the hospital
provided such a service.
"Yes, it appears that Ms. Claudette Lenoir is unwell and prefers not to
come to the hospital. She has requested a home visit, and she is willing to
pay a substantial amount for this service," Addison explained, getting
straight to the point. "If you don't have any urgent matters to attend to, I
will authorize you to proceed with the home visit. The payment will go to
the hospital, but you can keep any tips received."
"Oh, okay," Emmanuel agreed readily.
He knew that the hospital needed to make money. Considering the
financial pressure he was under to repay Ryder's debt and fulfill his
obligations to Mackenzie, he saw the opportunity for extra income as a
welcomed offer.
He couldn't help but recall the rules they agreed upon yesterday.
That was precisely why he abandoned the notion of them being together
and accepted the reality that their paths would eventually diverge. He
resolved not to accumulate any further debts or obligations to Mackenzie,
wanting to ensure a clean break when the time came for their separation.
Emmanuel walked out of the hospital with his medical kit to see a
Rolls-Royce waiting for him outside.
A strange expression crossed Darren's face when he noticed the
expensive car.
How could Emmanuel afford to buy a Rolls-Royce?
Emmanuel didn't think much about his ride as he was focused on treating
his client's condition and earning his deserved pay. He soon arrived at a
private mansion where Claudette was waiting for him alone.
"Ms. Lenoir, you look unwell. What happened?" Emmanuel asked.
"Dr. Lowe, I-I dare not head out today. When I walk, I feel unusually itchy
and painful," Claudette explained awkwardly as she pointed at her body.
"Please allow me to conduct a physical examination," Emmanuel
requested, gesturing for her to cooperate so he could assess her
condition.
It wasn't the first time, but Claudette still felt a bit shy.
Emmanuel checked her body thoroughly and discovered many rashes
throughout her body.
Those rashes were smooth to the touch but felt a little warm.
It was a strange condition.
"Bear with me while I continue my examination."
"Okay," Claudette nodded, her cheeks turning pink.
She had to endure his touches to get better.
When Emmanuel examined her, she dared not lower her head to look at
him.
She had been under immense stress due to her condition, and as a result,
she was hesitant to undergo examinations by other doctors, even if they
were female like herself.
However, she was concerned that allowing Emmanuel to examine her
body might be misinterpreted as lacking modesty. That made her feel
internally conflicted.
"Ms, Lenoir, your condition is a result of an imbalance of positive and
negative energy within your body. As I've mentioned before, due to your
specific body composition, it is important for you to avoid certain types of
food. I suspect that you might have consumed heat-inducing foods or
those that promote blood circulation, leading to your current situation."
Upon hearing that, Claudette heaved a sigh of relief.
She felt relieved to know that Emmanuel would never misunderstand her,
even if others might.
The understanding he showed brought her a sense of comfort, and she
immediately felt more at ease.
"Well, I had a craving last night. I ended up eating some king crabs and
drinking liquor. That's all."
"You must cut down on eating seafood, and you should avoid consuming
any more liquor. I will write you a prescription. Take the medication for a
few days, and the rashes will fade away. Make sure to get plenty of rest
during this time," Emmanuel instructed firmly as he wrote down the
prescription.
Claudette stared at his side profile, utterly transfixed.
She never considered herself a stunning beauty, but she had never lacked
male admirers since her youth. Many men saw her as a goddess and
showered her with attention.