Chapter 85 : I Don’t Believe In Marriage
Jareth replied flatly, “The whole city will know about our engagement in two days.”
She lowered her head and bit her lip. “I’m sorry. I’ll only embarrass you.”
Jareth put his cane aside and sat lazily by her bedside. He gave a short scoff. “Anyone who dares laugh at you, I’ll rip out their tongue and see if they can still smile.”
Allison went rigid, her fingers tightening in the sheets.
Jareth had helped her so many times lately that she had almost forgotten who he really was. He was cold, ruthless, and dangerous.
Now it was all rushing back. His warning wasn't meant only for others. It was meant for her as well.
Anyone who looked down on him would pay for it.
Anyone who tried to play him would not be spared.
And if the day came when he wanted revenge, she would be next.
As if he noticed her fear, Jareth lifted his hand to her cheek, and his thumb slowly brushed along the edge of her ear.
“Don’t be scared,” he murmured softly while his eyes fixed on her face. “I wouldn’t do that to you.”
But the gentler his voice became, the more nervous Allison felt.
She said nothing, her eyes flickering as she looked at him.
Jareth withdrew his hand, picked up his cane, and stood again.
He didn't go far. He stopped a few feet from the bed, both hands resting on the cane.
“I don’t believe in marriage,” he said in a cold voice. “But now that we’re in this together, you’ll be working for me.”
Jareth continued, “If you agree, just nod.”
When he said he didn’t believe in marriage, he meant exactly what he said. He had no intention of following any traditional rules. No fidelity. No emotional commitment.
But what right did Allison have to say no? She never wanted this marriage in the first place, and she never expected Jareth to be faithful.
Working for him was still better than being trapped with the Rogers family.
After considering the outcome, she finally nodded.
Jareth continued, “I’ll have someone else handle the wedding arrangements. You don’t need to concern yourself with that. Put all your effort into completing the improved formula for the Alphasirox pills. That would be your first task.”
Allison stopped, her body stiffening. Only then did the truth sink in. Everything Jareth had done for her had been for the Alphasirox project.
She didn’t mind that at all. Dealing with business was far simpler than dealing with feelings.
Jareth didn’t stay longer. He was always busy and soon left to attend to other matters.
Allison pushed the thought aside and moved on to her next step.
She had already finished refining the Alphasirox formula. The first prototype was complete. All that was left were clinical trials before it could replace the original drug on the market.
But there was something far more urgent she needed to deal with first.
Sherrie entered the emergency stairwell.
The VIP wing was already silent. No one ever used the stairs. When she walked down the stairwell, her heels echoed through the empty space, triggering the motion sensor lights one by one.
She reached the landing and was about to step down when two arms suddenly wrapped around her waist from behind.
She let out a startled gasp and spun around to see Archer.
Her voice softened. “It’s you. Let go of me.”
Archer was tall, and it was easy for him to pull her back into his arms. The more she struggled, the tighter his hold became.
He leaned down, inhaled the scent at her neck, and let out a crude laugh. “I knew you were a slut the moment I saw you. Still going to pretend?”
Sherrie writhed in his grip. “I don’t know what you’re talking about…”
“No? Then what are you doing in the stairwell?”
“I’m just doing cardio. Don’t twist things.”
“Just finished with Ronan, huh? Or…” Archer didn’t bother pretending. He grabbed her waist, leaving no room for misunderstanding.
Then, he laughed again. “You go around looking for random men, and you still want to pretend you’re not a whore?”
Sherrie’s face flushed. She had been trying to charm him, but she hadn’t expected things to move this fast.
Worse, he was nothing like what she had imagined. She had thought he would at least be as polished and well-mannered as Ronan.
But now, faced with his crude behavior, she realized she had chosen the wrong kind of man.
Panic surged through her, and Sherrie tried to run.
But Archer caught her instantly, gripping her shoulders and pinning her against the wall. With his other hand, he pulled out the leftover powder Allison had made earlier and poured it into Sherrie’s mouth.
A bitter, acrid, spicy taste exploded across her tongue.
Archer smirked at the empty packet. “Let’s see if Allison’s little mix works. Let’s see if you melt in my arms.”
He stepped back, expecting her to feel dizzy, turn flushed, and cling to him.
Instead, Sherrie grabbed at her throat, and sharp pain contorted her face.
She had assumed the drug was an aphrodisiac, but it was far too bitter. Not only did it fail to make her weak or feverish, her body felt sharper and more alert.
The moment Archer let go, she spun on her heel and ran down the stairs.
Archer stood there in shock for several seconds before it finally sank in that his prey was gone.
“Shit. That bitch tricked me!” he roared.
Without another thought, he raced down the stairs, taking three steps at a time as he chased her.
Sherrie burst out of the stairwell and into the hospital hallway, running full speed.
She glanced back while still running and crashed straight into someone.
“Sherrie?” Nigel stared at her, stunned by how disheveled she looked. He glanced toward the stairwell door behind her. “Where did you just come from?”
Before Nigel could catch sight of him, Archer hid back behind the door.
The moment Sherrie saw Nigel, she broke down in tears. “It was Ally—”
She had meant to say that Allison had someone drug her to ruin her reputation, but she stopped herself just in time. Instead, she stood there crying without a word.
Her silence only made Nigel more anxious. “What happened? Tell me. Did someone hurt you?”
Then he remembered what she had almost said, and his expression darkened. “Was it Allison?”
Sherrie quickly shook her head. “It’s not her fault…”
But Nigel had already made up his mind. Of course, it had something to do with Allison.
He grabbed her hand. “Let’s go. I’ll ask her myself.”
Nigel had come to find Allison anyway. With the Rogers and Lopez wedding approaching, the Rogers family couldn’t afford to stay out of it.