"One week at the earliest?"
The doctor’s forehead was covered in a fine sheen of cold sweat. "Yes, yes, Young Master."
Thomas Shannon leaned forward slightly, his pitch-black eyes as sharp and piercing as a blade. "I pay you all a fortune, and this is the efficiency I get?"
The doctor dropped straight to his knees. "Young Master, the toxin in the maniac’s body is truly unheard of, so it requires a longer time to deal with. Please forgive me!"
Thomas flicked the ash from his cigarette, his expression dark. "Get out!"
Trembling all over, the doctor got up and left the study room.
Charlie River was secretly trying to fathom his young master’s thoughts. Could it be... that he’s genuinely interested in the maniac?
"Charlie River, investigate City T’s asylum. See if there’s anything fishy about it."
Charlie River’s face was solemn. "Yes, Young Master!"
Sophie Sullivan, disoriented, had woken up not long ago, only to quickly fall back into a deep sleep.
In her slumber, nightmares plagued her relentlessly.
One after another, they came...
Bloody, terrifying. After each bizarre nightmare, she felt utterly exhausted and weak.
"I’m going to kill you... kill you... HAHAHA..."
Just as the sky began to show the first hint of dawn, the "fish belly whiteness," the woman beside him started to laugh sinisterly.
Thomas Shannon’s eyes snapped open, and he sat up with agile speed. However, just as he tensed, on full alert, he realized the maniac was merely talking in her sleep.
Her arms were outstretched in mid-air, grasping at something unseen, while her laughter sounded sinister and strangely eerie.
Thomas grabbed her arms and patted her face. "Maniac, wake up!"
Sophie felt a stinging pain on her face and slowly opened her eyes.
She blinked in confusion, her vacant eyes gradually focusing. "Young Master, what’s wrong?"
"Did you have a nightmare?"
Sophie nodded. "How did you know?"
Her gaze fell to his hands gripping her arms, and Sophie couldn’t help but speculate, "Young Master, you haven’t been here with me all this time, have you?"
Thomas Shannon smirked. Sophie, true to her nature of making shocking statements, then asked, "You wouldn’t happen to be in love with me, would you?"
"Are you always this presumptuous?"
Sophie smiled. "Am I wrong?"
She sat up and, with a touch of malice, wrapped her arms around his neck, tilting her head to look up at his finely chiseled profile. "Young Master, a real man owns up to his actions and feelings. If you love me, just admit it. No one will laugh at you."
Sophie admitted to herself that she was doing it on purpose.
As for why? She didn’t quite know herself... Perhaps it was a sudden whim to tease him, to see him get flustered.
Thomas Shannon raised a hand and effortlessly pushed away the woman clinging to his neck. "Daydreaming before the sun is even up."
Sophie, refusing to concede, pointed to the faint light filtering through the window. "The sky is already bright! Look if you don’t believe me!"
"Apologies, I realize I was mistaken."
"Mistaken about what?"
"You’re not a madman. You’re mentally handicapped."
She should have known all along; expecting any gentlemanly conduct from him was pointless.
Sophie touched her stomach, mumbling, "I’m so hungry..."
She hadn’t eaten anything since last night, and her stomach was completely empty. Her stomach was growling loudly, a clear complaint of its emptiness.
"Go downstairs and have breakfast." Thomas Shannon shot her a cold glance, then lay down casually and closed his eyes.
"Young Master, aren’t you eating?"
"Young Master, aren’t you hungry?"
"Young Master, should I have someone bring your breakfast up?"