Chapter 37: Chapter 37: Now This is Awkward
Claire Sinclair felt a pang of guilt and looked away, embarrassed. "How did you get hurt too?" she mumbled.
"It wasn’t from a careless fall."
"I already said I didn’t do it on purpose!"
’Claire wanted to punch him. Did this guy really have to keep harping on about her not watching where she was going?!’
"It’s a work-related injury," Adrian Quincy explained offhandedly.
To Claire, it definitely sounded like more than that. She didn’t dare press the issue, feeling that she shouldn’t ask too many questions in this situation, lest she overstep her bounds.
"No wonder your annual salary is so high. Working at Quincy Manor really is dangerous."
"From now on, you need to learn to be like me. No matter how badly you’re hurt, you can’t show it. All you can do is conceal it and endure. Otherwise, the moment you show weakness to an opponent, they’ll likely use it to kill you in the very next second. That’s common on the battlefield."
He spoke with such gravity, his tone brooking no argument, that Claire found herself unable to object.
A strange sense of responsibility and purpose welled up inside her. She vaguely realized that she and he were now in the same boat.
’She wanted to back out, but she didn’t dare.’
In that moment, she felt he was on a pedestal, completely untouchable. Yet at the same time, her heart filled with a fighting spirit. She wanted to keep up with him, to become his capable assistant.
’She kind of wanted to strive alongside him... For this marriage, with its unknown consequences, her heart was beginning to stir.’
Since they were supposed to weather the storm together, she had a question for him. "If one day, I get kidnapped by bad guys and they use me to threaten you, what would you do?"
"You shouldn’t be thinking about what choice I would make. Instead, you should learn to assess the overall situation for yourself. Only the fearless and undaunted have a chance of turning the tide."
’Fearless and undaunted, turning the tide...’
’That sounds so difficult. I don’t think I can do it.’
"I don’t understand what you mean. I need to use the restroom." As she spoke, she tried to bolt for the bathroom, but her body wouldn’t move.
Resigned, she ended up listening to him deliver a lecture full of harsh truths.
After he finished applying the ointment, Claire had assumed he would leave immediately. But unexpectedly, after putting away the first-aid kit, he didn’t go. He sat back down on the sofa, looking like he still had something to say to her.
Claire couldn’t be bothered with him and tried to move her legs.
Adrian’s voice was low as he asked, "What’s wrong with your legs?"