Chapter 7: Brown Envelope

AFTER the intense earlier scene in the room, Bruce, reluctantly but driven by necessity, hoisted August onto his back and hurriedly made his way to the hospital. 

The Remington Medical Hospital wasn’t the nearest hospital to the Sandoval Corporation, but Bruce saw it as an opportunity to leave a positive impression on Charles by assisting one of his employees.

Due to the Remington family’s standing, everyone who wanted to propose a partnership between them found it challenging to cross paths with them. The Sandoval family wasn’t an exemption.

However, Bruce refused to give up. The Remington family’s heir died long ago, and Sapphire Remington, Charles’ second child, would ascend as the heir. Once he seduced Sapphire, everything would be easy for him. 

He was willing to dispose of Samantha, driven by his insatiable greed.

‘With this, I can secure the support of the highest-ranking family!’ Bruce exclaimed inwardly.

Little did he know, Charles was already aware of dirty tactics just like his.

"Are you absolutely sure you're alright now?" Bruce asked, feigning concern and trying to maintain his facade as the benevolent boss everyone thought about him.

August sat in the hospital, with Nurse Maxine attending to his knee. She also injected him with the medicine he had the last time he stayed here, but they never told Bruce that they had met each other before.

“I-I’m fine,” August replied, wincing slightly.

Helplessness enveloped him as he silently cursed in his mind. August believed he possessed enough self-control, but just thinking about Bruce was enough to ignite rage within him.

Everything that included Samantha was enough to lose his sanity. He still loves her despite what she did

And that was what pained him the most.

"Could you excuse us for a moment? I need to discuss something with the patient," Maxine asserted authoritatively, causing Bruce to raise a brow.

However, as Maxine glanced at him, Bruce quickly reverted to his facade of feigned concern, concealing his true emotions behind a mask.

‘Is this how the nurses in this hospital communicate, even with wealthy individuals like me? They're so arrogant, just like their owner,’ Bruce lamented silently in his mind.

All he could do was force a smile. 

"Of course," he replied, stealing a glance at August. "I'll be keeping an eye on you," he added before exiting the room.

His words seemed gentle on the surface, but August understood the underlying message. Bruce was warning him not to disclose the truth of what had occurred in that room.

To ensure that Bruce couldn't eavesdrop on their conversation, Maxine locked the door.

"When I discharged you, I was confident that you were already healed," she stated, crouching down to examine August's swollen knee.

Maxine couldn't fathom the immense pain he must have endured if it weren't for the medication she had given him. 

She took a deep breath, struggling to comprehend how someone could dare to harm the young master in such a despicable manner.

“Someone pressed onto your knee on purpose, isn’t it?” she inquired, her voice trembling.

"It wasn't intentional," August decided to lie. Deep down, he knew no one would believe the truth. "I'll head back now. Could you call him for me?"

Maxine stared at him for a moment, waiting to see if he would change his statement and confide in her. However, August remained resolute in his decision. 

He didn't utter another word and just met her gaze.

With a sigh, she opened the door, allowing Bruce to carry her young master on his back as they departed from the room.

As soon as they went out of her sight, she got her phone and contacted Charles. She smiled as she tapped the sent button on the screen. 

Maxine knows that his master would never let this cruelty go unpunished. She placed her trust in whatever plan he had devised.

BRUCE was irritated as they went onto the Sandoval Corporation’s Strategy Department. His plan failed—He wasn’t able to see Charles, and a nurse humiliated him in front of August.

Yet, Bruce's fake smile adeptly concealed his true emotions.

"Please take good care of him, everyone," Bruce instructed the employees, pointing towards August's injured knee. "It was my fault. I accidentally struck his knee. I’m sorry," he added, casting a fleeting glance at August before exiting the room.

August overheard the employees' conversation as they returned to their respective seats to resume their work.

"Sir Bruce is truly an incredible person! It's no wonder he receives so many blessings!"

"And it's no surprise that Samantha fell head over heels for him! I mean, who wouldn't?"

"I hope Samantha invites us to their wedding!" Kaylee glanced at August before rolling her eyes. "Gosh, I just hope our foolish colleague here doesn't become the reason Sir Bruce loses trust in us."

Although his heart ached from the judgmental assumptions others held about him, August focused on completing the proposal he had prepared for the company. 

Prior to this unfortunate turn of events, the management had informed him that successfully executing his business proposal would result in a promotion and a salary increase.

"It's all because of those rumors," August whispered to himself as he typed away on his computer.

August pondered how he could tell everyone that Bruce and Samantha’s claims were false, given that he lacked any evidence to support his case. 

He never had any good romantic conversation between him and Samantha—They didn’t have any pictures, either.

Lost in his thoughts, August was pulled back to reality by someone calling his name.

“August.” Carla, one of his colleagues, gently tapped his shoulder. “Manager Henry is calling for you.”

He simply nodded. With the assistance of his crutches, he painstakingly made his way step by step into the manager's office.

"Good day, Sir Henry," August greeted with a forced smile. Henry was the one who had hired him, impressed by his articulate responses during the interview.

 "You may take a seat," Henry replied without returning the greeting. He pointed silently to the chair opposite him, and August complied, settling down immediately.

"To be honest, I had high expectations for you," Henry began, resting his elbows on the table. “Do you remember when I interviewed you?”

"Yes, sir," August responded promptly.

How could he forget? It was a moment when someone recognized his skills, talents, and values, irrespective of his social standing. 

Most of the managers had been against hiring him, but Henry had fought for him. It was a memory he cherished, a debt of gratitude he would carry throughout his life.

"You mentioned that the people you despised the most were the wrongdoers..." Henry continued. 

August nodded, recalling his response during the interview. 

"I resonated with that, believing you to be a person of integrity due to your principles,” Henry added, the disappointment becoming evident in his tone.

‘Where was this conversation heading?’ August wondered, his brows furrowing with uncertainty.

“But it seems like you’ve changed, August,” Henry declared angrily, pushing a small brown envelope toward August.

Perplexed, August opened the envelope, his eyes widening and his lips parting in shock when he saw what was inside it.