Chapter 3

That night.

Emerald kept herself in the hospital, promising to take care of Liona during her treatment.

Yes, Liona agreed to take the treatment so that her illness would be cured.

On the other hand, at Alaric's residence the man had just returned from his company.

"Where's Eme? Is she not home yet?" Alaric asked Leon the man's personal assistant.

"Mrs. Eme said that she will be in the hospital for the next few weeks." Leon said.

Alaric frowned as he wondered why the woman never contacted him at all, it was obvious that Eme was avoiding him.

"Try calling her, I want to talk to her." Alaric instructed Leon.

"Yes sir" Leon replied.

When Leon called it seemed that the call was not answered by Emerald.

"Why?" Alaric asked.

"Madam is not answering the call." Leon said.

Alaric let out a rough breath.

"We go to the hospital now!" Alaric ordered.

Leon nodded, he quickly prepared the car after waiting for Alaric to change his clothes.

Arriving at the hospital, Alaric went straight to his mother's ward.

Alaric's hand opened the door to the room, he saw Emerald sleeping while sitting on a sofa, making Alaric's chuckle audible.

He was not a man who could be romantic, his feet stepped closer to Emerald then he lowered his head slightly so he could look at his wife.

His eyes searched, until the next second he smiled slightly.

"You're a little pretty." Alaric whispered.

Suddenly Emerald's eyes opened, the two of them looked at each other.

"What are you doing?" Asked Emerald with a flat look.

Alaric sighed.

"I was just looking at you, whether you were sleeping or not it seems that you were. Why are you in the hospital? Ask the maid to take care of Mom." Alaric said.

Emerald pushed the book away from her lap, she stood up but accidentally her body almost fell, fortunately Alaric held Emerald's waist so she wouldn't fall.

"Are you sick?" Alaric probed.

Emerald distanced herself from Alaric.

"No." Emerald replied.

Alaric pulled Emerald roughly to his side, his hand touching Emerald's forehead.

"You have a fever, go home!" Alaric said.

Emerald shook her head, she pushed Alaric's hand away from her side.

"I promised to stay by Mom's side during her treatment." Emerald said.

Alaric looked at Emerald's steps towards her mother.

"Mom wants to undergo treatment? Did you persuade her?" Alaric asked.

Emerald shook her head.

"It was my mother's will." Emerald said.

Alaric clearly didn't believe Emerald's words, he had long asked his mother to undergo treatment but Liona always refused, saying that she was unable to live anymore.

Alaric's hand pulled Emerald's arm that had just wrapped around Liona's body.

"You haven't eaten yet, have you? Let's eat first and then you can go back to taking care of Mom." Alaric pressed as if giving an order.

****

At a restaurant that sold steak, Alaric and Emerald sat in a VIP room.

There was no sound from Emerald, the woman chose to be silent while eating quietly.

Alaric looked at the way Emerald ate, even though she was an ordinary girl, the woman showed that she was very classy. Judging from the way Emerald ate, talked and didn't like to take care of other people's lives.

"You haven't eaten? Since when?" Alaric asked, opening the conversation.

Emerald looked briefly at Alaric, then continued eating again.

"I ate, Mom asked her assistant to buy me something to eat." Emerald said.

After that Emerald returned to silence.

Alaric looked at Emerald again until Alaric's words made Emerald stop eating that night.

"I won't give up this marriage!" Alaric said suddenly.

Emerald gave Alaric a flat look.

"Suddenly? What's wrong? Do you like that I can be profitable for you?" Emerald asked.

"Yes, that's one of them. Also because I don't want to marry another girl." Alaric said.

Emerald chose to remain silent, she also didn't care about Alaric's words that sounded nonsense in her ears.

"One moment." Alaric said when the two were in the car park.

Emerald turned to Alaric, the man handed her a black card.

Emerald clearly recognized the card with no limit.

"You pay for my hard work? Do you see me as a servant?" Emerald asked.

"Maybe." Alaric replied.

Emerald took the card from Alaric's hand.

"That's good, I'd rather you think of me as a servant instead of you paying me to satisfy your bed. Don't ever treat me like that!" Emerald pressed.

Alaric could not help but smile after hearing Emerald's words, suddenly Alaric pulled Emerald to his side.

"Why are you attracting me a little bit now? Your cold nature makes me want more from you, can we take a step forward? I think I'm starting to get interested in you." Alaric said.

Emerald looked at Alaric, she pushed Alaric's body.

"Really? Even though I just talked to you, it seems like you're not a person who can keep promises huh? I'm returning your card, my needs have been met, that makes me not need money from you!" Emerald said, putting the card into Alaric's hand.

Alaric's sigh was heard as Emerald was actually able to amaze him a little.

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Alaric walked together with Emerald into Liona's hospital room. A doctor was conducting an examination.

"How is Madam? Is your body receiving the drug stimulation well?" The doctor asked.

Liona nodded.

"Yes, I feel better." Liona said.

The doctor smiled.

"This is a good start Madam, I hope Madam Liona will get better soon." The doctor said.

"Thank you." Liona said.

The doctor nodded and left.

Liona looked at Alaric and Emerald who entered together.

"Where have you been?" Liona asked.

Emerald came over and sat near Liona.

"We had dinner together, ma'am." Emerald said.

Emerald smoothed Liona's pillow.

"That's good, I was worried because you hadn't eaten yet." Liona said.

Alaric approached, he stood next to Emerald.

"Should I stay here? Did you ask Emerald to stay here?" Alaric asked.

Liona looked at her son.

"Why, do you miss her? Can't you sleep without Eme?" Liona asked.

Alaric's chuckle could be heard.

"Right, get well soon. I don't like sleeping alone." Alaric said.

Emerald chuckled softly, she looked at Alaric for a while.

"Mom already knows we're not in the same bed so please stop talking nonsense." Emerald said.

Alaric chuckled softly, his hand flew to Emerald's head and caressed it.

"Yes, I know that you know, so why? I'm saying that because in the future I want to sleep in the same bed with you." Alaric said.

Emerald looked at Alaric again, she moved Alaric's hand away from her head.

"I wish you were just talking nonsense!" Emerald said.

Alaric just smiled.

***

Time went on, one week had passed.

Emerald helped Liona out of bed.

"Thanks to you, Mom is feeling better." Liona said.

Emerald just smiled.

A nurse came in, she handed Emerald a document.

"In the future, Mrs. Liona will be outpatient, if she is unable to go to the hospital then you can make an appointment for the doctor to come directly to her residence." The nurse said.

"Yes." Emerald replied.

Liona looked at the nurse and said.

"She's my daughter-in-law not my servant, you can tell me directly!" Liona said to the nurse who looked at Emerald with a mocking gaze.

Instantly the nurse was embarrassed and apologized.

"I'm sorry ma'am, I didn't know about that. I really apologize." The nurse said.

Emerald was indifferent, she didn't care at all. Her hand immediately grabbed Liona's arm and helped her up.

Leon was seen entering the room.

"Excuse me Mrs. Liona, Mrs. Emerald. I am here today to escort you home by order of Lord Alaric." Leon said.

Liona nodded and asked Leon to bring her and Emerald's luggage.

In about an hour, Emerald and Liona arrived at Liona's residence.

Alaric was already there.

"How did it go ma'am, did it go well?" Alaric asked.

Liona and Emerald looked at the servants who were grimacing in pain.

"Did you hurt them again?" Liona asked without answering Alaric's question.

Alaric gave a small smile.

"It's nothing." Alaric said.

Liona's sigh was heard, she grabbed Emerald's pengan.

"Mom is better Eme, you can go home with Alaric." Liona said.

Liona then looked at Alaric's face.

"If you only came to punish Mom's servant then there's no need to come here! One more thing, don't hurt Eme!" Liona emphasized.

Alaric remained silent, as Liona went to her room, Alaric looked at Emerald and then pulled her hand to the car.

"Leon drive the car!" Alaric said.

***

At Alaric's residence, Emerald was preparing to leave but her hand was held by Alaric.

"What's wrong?" Asked Emerald in surprise.

"Let's fix everything!" Alaric said.

Emerald frowned, she was confused by Alaric's words.

"What are you talking about?" Emerald asked.

"I want us to sleep in the same room, one year is enough to make me want you!" Alaric said.

Emerald looked at Alaric with a flat stare.

"I told you, don't ever lick your spit, it's disgusting!" Emerald said.

Alaric chuckled.

"I always get what I want, including you! I'm attracted to you and you have no right to reject me." Alaric said.

A mocking smile appeared on Emerald's face.

"You know, I'm looking down on you. Who do you think you are? Even if you were my husband, I would only honor our original agreement. I agreed to marry a demon man like you only because of your mother's request." Emerald said.

Alaric's jaw hardened, he had never felt this insulted.

"You can't refuse me!" Alaric said.

"You're a coward if you lick your own spit!" Emerald said again.

The two seemed to be arguing, until Alaric's cell phone sounded. Emerald's smile was small, she walked away leaving Alaric alone.

Emerald went to her room, she wanted nothing to do with Alaric, the man was cruel and ruthless. Emerald hated him, even though he wasn't abusive to Emerald, in Emerald's eyes Alaric was a horrible man.

Sometimes Alaric tortured his servants very cruelly, the man tied them in a vicious circle.

Shortly afterward, Alaric's shouting was heard very loudly along with the sound of a gun blast, it was certain that the man was angry and raging again and his aim would be on the servants.

Whoever made him angry then the servants in his residence would always be his victims.

Emerald held the handle of her door and opened it, she stepped down the stairs.

There was a servant on the ground, covered in blood.

"Alaric stop it!" Emerald snapped.

The man did not hesitate to stomp on the waiter's head to satisfy himself.

"You interfered? Since when are you interested in meddling, hm? Do you want to end up like them too?" Alaric asked with a smirk.

Emerald approached Alaric, she strongly pulled Alaric's body away from the servant.

"Don't be crazy! You always take someone's life for granted, do you think you can live always? Stop!" Emerald snapped.

Alaric's smile was etched, he had never been rejected or lectured by someone even Liona had never been like that to him.

Alaric's hand firmly gripped Emerald's arm until it was reddish but Emerald only showed a flat face.

Alaric was sick of looking at that flat face, Alaric roughly pushed Emerald's body so roughly that the girl fell down.

Emerald's sigh could be heard, this was the first time she had interfered in Alaric's business and today was also the first time she had received such harsh treatment from Alaric.

"You let her go and hit me instead!" Emerald said, making the servants surprised.

Emerald gave a defiant look, as if she was not afraid at all.

Alaric's smile was engraved.

"Really? You're asking to be tortured instead of having me? You just want to defend a lowly servant? Ah you look just like them!" Alaric said contemptuously.

Emerald chuckled at Alaric's remark.

"Don't you know that my old job was a servant? I don't hear you mocking me, your words sound reminiscent of my original status!" Emerald said.

Emerald stood up as she saw Alaric fall silent at Emerald's words.

Emerald stepped up and picked up a kitchen knife and threw it at Alaric.

"Here, take it, do the same as you did to your servant. Hurt me until you're satisfied." Emerald said.

Alaric was silent, he had never found someone as brave as Emerald was to him.

Emerald's laughter returned.

"Just so you know, only a coward could treat a woman so harshly and that is you!" Emerald said.

Alaric's hands clenched into fists.

"Shut up! Don't provoke my temper!" Alaric snapped.

Emerald threw the kitchen knife roughly to the floor.

"I wish you could be a little sane, Mr. Alaric!" Emerald said.

Emerald left Alaric, she was about to help the downed maid but suddenly Alaric picked her up carrying Emerald towards the man's room.

"Put me down!" Emerald snapped.

Alaric chuckled.

"Shut up, didn't you just challenge me?" Alaric said.

Emerald no longer made a sound.

To be continued...