Part 49

Claire was still frozen in place, staring at Antony in confusion. "Come on," he said again.

"No need, Sir. I'll order a ride," she declined politely.

She couldn't be rude, especially since they were still on office grounds, and the security guard was watching.

"This is an order, Claire." It was clear Antony didn't want to be challenged. Claire glanced at the guard, who was openly watching her and Antony with a puzzled expression.

Not wanting to be the center of attention any longer, Claire finally followed Antony. He opened the front passenger door for her. At first, Claire thought they would be driven by Antony's personal driver, but she was wrong, as the driver's seat was empty, even though the engine was still running.

Antony walked around the front of the car and got behind the wheel. Without another word, he drove out of the gate.

"What do you want to eat?" he asked, his tone softer than before. Claire frowned. "I know you didn't touch the dinner that was prepared earlier," he said again. Claire furrowed her brow, looking at him in confusion. "There's CCTV, so I know," he added.

"Are you purposely monitoring my every move, Sir?" Claire asked, clearly displeased. Antony just shrugged indifferently. "You know I don't like that, right?" Claire continued.

"I have the right to oversee my employees, Claire," Antony replied coldly.

"Does that mean you're keeping a close eye on the other employees as well?" Claire challenged. "If you noticed that I didn't touch my dinner, you should also know that one of the other employees did the same."

Antony's brow furrowed. He glanced briefly at Claire.

"Nareta never eats dinner, so she skipped the meal you prepared too. So, why didn't you offer her a ride home and take her out for dinner like you're doing with me?" Claire asked sharply.

Frustrated, Antony suddenly pulled the car over. He glared at Claire, and she returned the look with equal intensity.

"Can't you, just once, accept the kindness I'm trying to show?" he asked, his voice full of emotion that he could no longer contain. "I just want to show you that I care, Claire. Can't you appreciate that?"

Claire shook her head firmly, and immediately winced as her headache worsened. Her hand gripped her temple, massaging it with pressure.

"Are you okay?" Antony reached out, touching the hand she had pressed against her head. "You're burning up," he said softly. "Are you sick?" he asked again.

"No, Sir. I'm fine," Claire tried to push his hand away. "Can you just take me home quickly? I'm really exhausted," she pleaded, leaning her back against the seat.

Antony turned on the headlights, casting a soft light inside the car. He glanced over at Claire, who had closed her eyes, the sudden brightness hurting them. He reached out again, this time placing the back of his hand gently on her forehead.

"Are you sick?" he repeated.

Claire opened her eyes and looked at him. His hand moved from her forehead to her cheek, then down to the curve of her neck.

"You're burning up."

"Your hand is just cold," Claire replied, brushing him off again. But she couldn't hide the way her body was trembling from the cold. Seeing this, Antony immediately took off his jacket and draped it over her. The warmth of his body and the scent of his cologne still clung to the fabric, soothing her shivering body.

Antony then reached toward her side, startling Claire.

"What are you doing?" she cried. But Antony didn't answer. He pulled the lever on the side of her seat, reclining it back.

"Lie down. I'm taking you to a doctor," he said as he returned to his own seat.

"The doctor's office isn't open at this hour, Sir," Claire reminded him. "Besides, I'm fine. I just need some rest," she insisted again.

"If no doctor's office is open, the emergency room is available 24/7," Antony replied casually. He restarted the car and pulled back onto the road.

"I'm refusing to go to the hospital," Claire protested again.

"But you're not well, Claire," Antony insisted.

"In case you forgot, I have a twin brother who's a doctor," Claire countered. Antony nodded.

"Alright, where's he working now? Let's go there."

"He..." Claire had no idea where Gladwin was. Didn't he mention a social event earlier this morning? "Just take me home, Sir," Claire pleaded, using what little energy she had left.

She felt utterly drained. Every bone in her body ached, as if invisible threads were crawling over her skin. Her head continued to throb, even though she had taken painkillers half an hour ago.

Claire was about to argue again when Antony turned the car toward the street that led to her house at a junction. Luckily, she didn't need to press the issue, as he followed the right path.

In less than two minutes, they arrived at Claire's house, and Antony parked the car in front of her gate. He moved so quickly that before she could react, he was already at her passenger door, opening it for her.

"Where's the gate key?" he asked, extending his hand. Claire ignored him and got out of the car, staggering slightly. Her knees felt so weak and sore that she couldn't stand up straight. For a moment, she leaned against Antony's car for support.

"Why are you so difficult to cooperate with?" Antony muttered in frustration. He extended his hand again, silently requesting the gate key.

Claire relented, opening her bag and handing over the keys, which included both her gate and house keys.

Antony unlocked the gate and rushed to the front door, opening it quickly. Claire watched, feeling her legs steadier now, and began walking toward the house. She had only taken two steps when Antony returned, and without warning, he placed one hand behind her knees and the other on her back, lifting her effortlessly.

"What are you doing?" Claire cried out in panic, her hands reflexively wrapping around Antony's neck. He smiled at her reaction.

"I'm playing the role of a gentleman," he replied. Without hesitation, Antony carried her into the house and all the way to her bedroom. "This is what you get for refusing to go to the hospital," he said, placing her gently on the bed.

"You're being over the top," Claire objected.

"I'm not. You're clearly not okay, and you're making everything more complicated," Antony countered.

He carefully slid Claire's bag off her shoulder and placed it on the nightstand. Without asking, he opened it, searched for her phone, and handed it to her.

"Call Gladwin and have him come here to check on you. If you don't, I'll call my family doctor to come over," he ordered.

Claire could only glare at Antony, frustrated. Her head was still pounding as she dialed Gladwin. Meanwhile, she was startled again when she noticed Antony kneeling in front of her, removing her shoes.

"What are you doing?" she asked, feeling uncomfortable.