Chapter 110 The Same Desperate Situation
Rufus ignored Cecilia's instantly raised guard and walked straight toward Mabel by the hospital bed.
"Mrs. Martinez." Rufus nodded slightly, his manner still impeccable. "I just confirmed with Dr. Heilmann that Mr. Martinez's condition is very stable today. This is a good start."
Mabel was startled when she saw Rufus, then nervously rubbed her hands together.
"Mr. Chapman, thank you so much! It's just... just the follow-up costs..."
"You don't need to worry about the money." Rufus interrupted her, handing over a document. "This is a detailed recovery plan the team has customized for Mr. Martinez. You can take a look first, and feel free to ask any questions."
Rufus's actions completely shut Cecilia out.
As if she wasn't part of this family, while he was the one who could make decisions for them.
Cecilia's blood ran cold.
Cecilia couldn't let Mabel be fooled by Rufus's money and fake kindness any longer.
"Mom, why don't you rest for a bit. I'll go talk with Mr. Chapman outside." Cecilia stepped forward, forcibly inserting herself between them, taking the heavy document from Mabel's hands.
Mabel looked at her with concern, hesitating to speak.
Cecilia gave her a reassuring look, then turned around, holding the document, and walked out of the hospital room first.
The window at the end of the corridor was open, letting in a gust of wind that carried a hint of coolness.
Cecilia didn't turn around. She just held up the recovery plan written entirely in a foreign language, and spoke to Rufus who had followed her out, word by word.
"Mr. Chapman, take back your 'kindness.'"
"My family can't afford this kindness."
Rufus walked leisurely to her side, standing shoulder to shoulder with her, looking out the window at the view together.
"Is that so?" he asked back. "Dr. Heilmann's team has a waiting list that's already three years out. Are you sure you want to give up this only chance?"
"A debt that can never be repaid is no different from poison." Cecilia gripped the plan tightly, the paper groaning under the pressure. "Rufus, I know what you're trying to do. You want to use this money that can never be repaid to tie me to your side for life. That's your real purpose!"
Rufus finally turned his head to look at her.
The shadows under the lights blurred his facial features, but made those unfathomably deep eyes even more captivating.
"You're finally being smart for once."
He admitted it.
So calmly, so matter-of-factly.
"Don't even think about it!" Cecilia trembled with anger. "I don't want to owe you, not even a cent!"
Rufus let out an ambiguous snort and took a step closer.
Cecilia instinctively stepped back, but her spine hit the cold wall. There was nowhere left to retreat.
"You talk so righteously, but you already owe me." He leaned down, bringing his face close to her ear, his warm breath brushing past her earlobe but bringing only bone-chilling coldness. "But I don't need your money. Amelia, you can repay me in other ways."
Cecilia's body completely froze.
"For example..." He pulled back slightly, looking down at her from above, his appraising gaze like someone evaluating the price of a commodity. "There's a charity gala this weekend. Many celebrities from politics and business will attend. Come with me."
"I refuse!" Cecilia blurted out without thinking. She raised her head, looking directly into Rufus's eyes that held no warmth. "Rufus, I'm not your accessory! If you want to find a dance partner, if you want someone to put on a show with you, you can find anyone, but that person will absolutely not be me!"
Her intense reaction seemed to be within Rufus's expectations.
Not only was he not angry, but he found her desperate struggling particularly interesting.
"Is that so?" Rufus adjusted his stance, his movements elegant, but his words were cruel to the extreme.
"You don't have much time to think about it."
"I'll give you one day."
"This time tomorrow, I need an answer." He reached out his hand, lightly tracing her cheek with the back of his fingers. The icy touch made Cecilia shudder.
"Think it through—let your father get the best treatment, or because of your 'pride,' let him spend the rest of his life lying in bed, becoming a useless person who needs constant care."
"Of course, you can also give me your answer right now."
Cecilia bit down hard on her teeth, a metallic taste of blood spreading in her mouth.
In those eyes, she saw her own miserable reflection, and also saw the undisguised desire for control and determination to possess in their depths.
"I refuse!"
The last trace of interest finally disappeared from Rufus's face. He straightened up, and the suffocating pressure withdrew with him.
"Very well." He returned to that aloof indifference. "You'd better stay this tough. My patience runs out very easily."
With that, Rufus didn't spare her another glance. He turned and strode away on his long legs, never looking back.
Only after his figure completely disappeared did Cecilia's whole body go limp, her entire person relaxing.
A huge sense of exhaustion and helplessness enveloped her.
Why?
Why, even though she had died once and desperately tried to escape, was she once again forced into the same desperate situation by him?
She didn't know how much time had passed. Only after her limbs had gone numb did Cecilia slowly raise her head.
The night outside the window had grown deeper.
She wiped her face, supporting herself against the wall, and shakily stood up straight.
Robert hadn't eaten yet.
She couldn't collapse.
Forcing herself with her last bit of strength, Cecilia composed her emotions and walked toward the elevator.
She needed to go to the convenience store downstairs to buy some liquid food for Robert.
The hospital at night was still bustling with people, just with an added heaviness and oppression compared to daytime.
Cecilia walked with her head down, preoccupied, completely unaware of the path ahead.
Just at the corner of the corridor.
Suddenly, she crashed headfirst into a solid chest. The impact sent her stumbling back two steps, and her phone flew out of her hand.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Cecilia didn't care about herself and quickly apologized, hurrying to pick up her phone from the floor.
A hand with distinct knuckles, slender and clean, picked up the phone faster than she could.
"It's okay."
A gentle, clear male voice sounded above her head.
"Miss, are you alright?"
Cecilia took the phone and looked up, about to thank him again, but froze slightly the moment she saw him clearly.
He was wearing a well-tailored gray casual suit with gold-rimmed glasses. Behind the lenses, those eyes were looking at her with a hint of concern.
Cecilia felt he looked somewhat familiar, but couldn't remember where she had seen him.
"I'm fine, thank you." She shook her head and thanked him briefly before trying to turn and leave.
"You look terrible." He called out to stop her again. "Are you in some kind of trouble?"