I shook her hand off. “I will not marry you.”
“Still acting high and mighty?” She sneered, her fingertips brushing my collar with disdain.
“Even if you were lying here naked, I wouldn’t touch you. The kind of man I like… is considerate.”
Her eyes shifted to Jovan, whose ears burned red in a heartbeat.
I yawned slowly. “Are you done? I need to rest. The door’s that way.”
Eliana’s teeth ground together. “Fine. I’ll see how long you can keep up this act! The day you kneel and beg me, don’t blame me for not giving you face!”
The ward door slammed shut, the sound echoing like a gunshot.
The moment the door shut, Jovan glanced back and flashed me a smug, triumphant smile.
Once they were gone, I drew out the envelope I had prepared in advance and handed it to the model.
“Thank you for your hard work. The payment is doubled.”
She accepted the money, then leaned in slightly, a faint trace of perfume drifting toward me.
“Louis, if you ever need anything in the future, you can always call me.”
As the ward door closed behind her, I exhaled slowly.
The sunlight outside spilled in just right, and I greedily breathed in the disinfectant-scented air; this was the scent of being alive.