Chapter 373
Chapter 365
Gemma’s POV
The raised voices from Mikhail’s office are impossible to ignore. I pause just outside the open door, like an unwilling audience.
Mikhail’s voice, cool and infuriatingly casual, floats out. “How, precisely, have I ‘ruined‘ your sister? By the simple act of not reciprocating her feelings?”
He sounds genuinely baffled, as if the concept of unwanted affection is a minor mathematical error.
“Then explain it to me. Why don’t you like Vicky?”
Liam demands, his voice tight. His arms are crossed in
indignation, planted on the sofa, demanding an accounting for his sister’s bruised ego.
There’s a beat of silence.
Mikhail is a man of action and logic; dissecting romantic disinterest is not in his skill set. His gaze sweeps the room, searching for an exit, and then it lands on me, hovering in the doorway.
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“Mv preferences are quite simple.” Mikhail states. “I’m
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attracted to women with a specific intellectual complexity. Like Gemma, for instance. Your sister, unfortunately, doesn’t fit that profile. I’m simply not interested.”
Damn it!
The curse is silent on my lips but screams in my head. He’s using me as a human shield.
Thankfully, the Gods have mercy on me and Liam doesn’t see me, standing in the doorway. Or else, I would simply dissolve with embarrassment.
“You’re joking! You! You like Gemma?”
I can see the gears turning in his mind. While he might admit I’m not unattractive, and my sharpness might be appealing to some. But his sister, Vicky, is uncomplicated and sweet to her brother’s eyes.
“Mikhail, be reasonable,” Liam tries, switching tactics. “Vicky has never been married. She’s… untouched.”
He says it like it’s the trump card for her favour. On the contrary, Mikhail doesn’t even blink.
“I prefer my partner to have some experience.”
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Liam is rendered speechless. This isn’t going how he planned.
Chapter 365
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attracted to women with a specific intellectual complexity. Like Gemma, for instance. Your sister, unfortunately, doesn’t fit that profile. I’m simply not interested.”
Damn it!
The curse is silent on my lips but screams in my head. He’s using me as a human shield.
Thankfully, the Gods have mercy on me and Liam doesn’t see me, standing in the doorway. Or else, I would simply dissolve with embarrassment.
“You’re joking! You! You like Gemma?”
I can see the gears turning in his mind. While he might admit I’m not unattractive, and my sharpness might be appealing to some. But his sister, Vicky, is uncomplicated and sweet to her brother’s eyes.
“Mikhail, be reasonable,” Liam tries, switching tactics. “Vicky has never been married. She’s… untouched.”
He says it like it’s the trump card for her favour. On the contrary, Mikhail doesn’t even blink.
“I prefer my partner to have some experience.”
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Liam is rendered speechless. This isn’t going how he planned.
Chapter 365
“Vicky is my sister…”
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He finally manages, falling back on bruised loyalty. “We’re friends. Can’t you show a little respect for that fact?”
Mikhail sets his pen down with a definitive click and fixes Liam with a look of utter seriousness. “If familial connection is the primary qualification, Liam, then perhaps I should be dating you.”
The statement hangs in the air, absurd yet brilliant. Mikhail has a tall build and military bearing, utterly compelling while being completely serious–looking.
Liam’s face undergoes a spectacular transformation, showing his shock, horror, a flush of pure panic. He leaps up from the sofa as if he has been splashed with hot water. “I’m not gay!”
Mikhail leans back in his chair, a flicker of amusement in his eyes. “What a pity.”
Liam doesn’t wait for further clarification. He practically flees the office, brushing past me in the doorway and noticing me for the first time. His expression is a masterpiece of conflicted emotion… dejection, relief, utter confusion.
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He opens his mouth, seems to think better of whatever he was going to say, and just shakes his head. “He’s… a good guy Mikhail.”
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He mutters, as if trying to convince himself, before hurrying down the hall.
The moment he’s out of sight, I can’t hold it in any longer. A burst of laughter escapes me, and I walk into Mikhail’s office, still shaking my head.
“Does your side still hurt?”
He taps his ribs lightly. “I’m used to it.” For him, the pain is a constant, a familiar companion. Its absence would be more alarming.
“Mr. Smith called me,” I say, getting straight to the important
news.
The change in him is immediate and profound. All the casual arrogance evaporates. He goes utterly still.
“What did he say?” His voice is low, and I hear the faintest tremor in it. It’s the sound of hope so tightly guarded it’s afraid to breathe.
“He’s agreed to the surgery. But you have to go to Florisdale for it.”
For several long seconds, Mikhail just stares at me, processing. “He agreed?”
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The question is pure disbelief. Mr. Smith, the man who has treated his injury like a state secret, a failure not to be remedied but endured.
“What did you trade for it?”
The suspicion is instant, a reflex born of their complicated history.
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I shake my head, feeling a pang of sympathy for the wall between them. “Nothing, Mikhail. No conditions. He agreed because it’s what’s best for you. It had nothing to do with me.”
He studies my face, looking for the lie, but finds none. His eyes narrow slightly. “If I go to Florisdale, aren’t you afraid I won’t come back? I thought you’d want to keep your consultant close.”
I meet his gaze evenly. “Dream International is a big company. It’ll survive your temporary absence. And I’m following Mr. Smith’s commands, he wants you in Florisdale for your treatment. I’m worried about that, the fate of this office isn’t my primary concern.”
A familiar, teasing glint returns to his eyes, a mask sliding back into place. “Will you miss me while I’m gone?”
The shift is so abrupt it catches me off guard. I blink, then let
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