[11]

"Here's your phone, Miss Miya," Desi said, holding out Miya's cell phone, which she recognized immediately.

Since then, Miya has been sitting around, waiting with a lot of anxiety. In a room with a tense atmosphere, Miya felt like a bait ready to be swallowed by this predator. With no way out, there was little she could do. From time to time, Damian—the owner of the room—asked about several things. After that, it was quiet again, except for the sound of Damian typing on his keyboard, the phone ringing, and him engaged in a long conversation.

It was pretty dull, but there was nothing Miya could do.

At lunchtime, Desi brought in a trolley full of food, and several waiters served it quickly at one of the tables in the corner of the room. The room had a large window, and the lighting made Miya feel warm.

Lunch also went by quickly. Damian and Miya didn't say much, but one thing made the blonde girl happy. She was happy to wait a little longer, if she had her cell phone back in her hand.

"Thanks so much!" Miya's eyes lit up with excitement. "Goodness, I've missed you!" Miya held her phone so tightly that she probably didn't care if she was over the top—she kissed it repeatedly.

Desi just smiled at Miya's childish behavior. "Well, I'm going to excuse myself for now," she said. She also took a quick look at Damian, who was sitting not far from Miya. Damian gave a soft, dismissive wave, as if he didn't want to be bothered by anything.

"It's just a regular cell phone, Miya. "Why are you so excited?" Damian asked, holding his face with both hands. He was a little tired because he had a lot on his plate this afternoon. Damn it. Victor and Marcus had given him endless reports. On top of that, he had to deal with some important emails from other companies where he was directing.

"This phone is a part of my life, Mr. Sawyer." Miya was still amazed that her cell phone could be returned to her.

"Just so you know that phone is bugged. Any suspicious activity will automatically block everything you do there. I know exactly what's on your phone, including everything you've put in it."

Miya looked at Damian, her eyes meeting his intently. But then she nodded slowly in response. "That was a key point I agreed to when I signed the contract, right? Yes, I accepted it. I don't want to drag this out, Mr. Sawyer. I just need to know that my colleagues are doing well. Either today or one year later."

Miya then started looking at the one thing she really wanted to know: the news about Miya and the video and the demands from the Lodge family.

Meanwhile, Damian kept his gaze fixed on the girl, who had shifted her attention to her cell phone. He could also see what Miya was doing with her phone on his work screen. The programmer who accessed Miya's phone had added a bunch of keywords and indicators to flag any violations. As an extra precaution, a warning also popped up on Damian's work screen.

"The indicator is still green," Damian said, sounding reluctant. He was pretty taken aback by what Miya said earlier. What did she say? Is this something that'll last for a year? Oh, did their contract only last a year? Pregnancy does take nine months. But was it really that quick to get Miya pregnant? So she had a child right away?

"Shit!" Damian felt a sharp, stabbing pain in his stomach. Maybe it was the medicine, or something else, that was making his nerves act up all over the place? Seriously! The wound he received was serious. Fortunately, the stab wound didn't hit any vital organs.

The man's cursing made Miya pause for a moment. "You... why?" Damian was in a lot of pain and trying to sit up normally in front of her. The man's cold expression was softened by the many wrinkles on his forehead. There was a mole just above the right eyebrow. His face also looked pale. "Are you hurt? Where?"

Miya put her phone down and went over to Damian straight away. "Oh my!" Miya's eyes got big with disbelief at what she saw.

Damian's white shirt was stained red on the right side of his abdomen. "There's blood." It was seeping out of the bandaged wound. Miya quickly figured out the connection between the series of events—what had caused the wound to reopen while Damian was supporting her on the sofa? But how severe could the injury be if it was bleeding this much?

"You're hurt, Mr. Sawyer," she said, her voice frantic. "I'll have the servant call your personal physician." Miya's hands were shaking. Damian's face was getting paler, and the bloodstains were spreading.

"Don't," Damian said through gritted teeth. "This isn't as bad as the other wounds."

"But, Mr. Saw-"

"Take that medicine box over there, please. I'm pretty sure Fred put it there. " Damian indicated a spot in a corner not too far from where they were. "I'm pretty sure it'll be there."

Without a second thought, Miya quickly made her way to the first aid kit that Damian had indicated. Who knew there was something that could be used to stop the bleeding in Damian's stomach?

"Just what happened to him, anyway?" Miya asked with interest. But she didn't think to ask. Not only was it none of her business, but Miya also felt that the question could make Damian seem even creepier and scare her.

"Take care of This wound, Miya."

Miya was so surprised that she stared at him in disbelief. She was already near Damian. She had opened the medicine box she had brought with her and was looking for some needed items, including alcohol and cotton. Miya wasn't sure how the wound was, but she knew she needed to clean the area with alcohol.

"I... I don't think I can take care of a wounded person like this, Mr. Sawyer." Miya hesitated.

Did Damian care? Not at all. Instead, he started unbuttoning his shirt, even as he let out an occasional whimper. She took off the bloodstained shirt, and Damian realized the bandages on the wound must have been much worse than the shirt.

"You should go to the hospital for some intensive care." Miya visibly shuddered in horror. "This must have hurt like hell, right?"

Damian couldn't help but grin. "Change the bandage quickly."

Miya was really tempted to faint. But seeing Damian trying to stay calm and looking at her as if he was giving her his full trust. Taking over from the two people who had been looking after the man gave Miya a bit of courage.

"I'll be careful." Miya was unsure how to calm her shaking hands, but she tried to work faster. Just think of it as a way of showing your gratitude for being kind enough to let Miya have her cell phone again. So, other than the contract that connected them, there was no debt of gratitude.

"But after this, please give your family doctor a call." Miya carefully removed the bandage. She'd also got some warm water and disinfectant ready nearby. Miya swallowed nervously and started to unwrap the bandage.

Damian sat back, giving her the space to work quickly.

"If it hurts too much, you can scream."

As he spoke, Damian felt a slight pain run through his body. The man felt Miya begin to unwrap the bandage covering his wound. Damian chose not to respond to the girl's words, but his eyes were fixed on Miya's face, which he found quite amusing. To be more precise, Miya's nervous expression mixed with horror also occasionally pursed her lips. I don't know what the girl was saying, but it was quite an interesting scene for Damian.

"Wow! What kind of trouble did you get into to get a wound this big?" Miya winced in horror as she took in the size of the wound. "You'll need to get this wound stitched up. Why didn't you follow the instructions from the two guys?

And why are you moving around so much? I've noticed you've been on the move more than sitting quietly while we wait for the doctor."

"That includes keeping you under my control, right?" Damian replied with a small laugh.

Miya shot Damian a disapproving look in response. "You took the initiative, I didn't ask."

Damian's grin was a bit forced. "If I wasn't hurt, I'd make sure you couldn't move right now, Baby Girl."

That remark annoyed Miya, so she applied a little more pressure with her hand, which was cleaning the wound.

"Are you really asking to be punished, Miya?" Damian asked, looking sharp.

"Can't think of anything to say first?" Miya gave a look of displeasure. "It'll be a bit uncomfortable, but it should stop the bleeding." She applied pressure to the wound. Miya hears another stifled cry from Damian, but she keeps going with her treatment until the wound is covered with a bandage again. "Just hold on a second, Mr. Sawyer."

Miya got the job done quickly. She tidied up a few minor things, cleaning up the remaining blood that had soaked around the man's abdomen. Miya was pretty impressed by Damian's resilience. If someone else had suffered that injury, they might well have been lying unconscious in the hospital.

"Are you enjoying my body, Baby Girl?"

Miya looked up at the question and made a displeased sound. "Why admire a beautiful but injured body? Mr. Sawyer, I think you should think about your injury first. Then you can show off your body to me."

Damian looked at Miya, his expression showing disbelief.

"I've done my best to take care of you. Please give your family doctor a call.

If we don't treat that wound properly, it could get infected with nasty bacteria."

"I don't need a doctor, Miya. "As long as you're on my side, that's your responsibility."

Miya gave the shirtless man a look that said she was getting pretty tired of this. "No, I don't. I'm not a medical professional. I'll go get you some clothes to change into. Oh, and he's a real doctor.

Damian just stared at Miya, who moved away. Miya, who was stubborn, unruly, and never took no for an answer, was standing in front of him. Although she still looks scared, it seems like the girl is getting used to it. Victor was right about this girl's attitude.

But Damian's mood is slightly disrupted because his cell phone rings loudly. The screen displays a name he's been avoiding Rebecca, his wife.

“What's wrong?” he asked as he swiped the green icon on the screen.