Everyone wants money

"I mean...do you not know him?" Noah pointed at his boss.

At least, if she didn't know him, she'd know his boss. Everybody knew his boss. Everyone.

"Anyo." Emily shook her head negatively.

(A/N: anyo is another shortened form of no)

"Y-yo-you truly don't?" Jude stuttered.

"Ani." Emily shrugged her shoulders.

'Oh my, which planet is she from?' Noah blinked his eyes rapidly.

"But...." Emily pursed her lips.

"But?..." Noah stared at her with rapt attention.

'Maybe she finally recollects.' he thought.

"I think I've seen him somewhere before..." Emily narrowed her eyes and placed her right hand on her chin as if thinking deeply.

"Hmmmmm....." She hummed thoughtfully.

"Think deep..." Noah cheered her on.

"Ahhh!...Now I remember!" Emily grinned and snapped her fingers.

"So?.." Noah grinned at her expectantly.

"Hmn...I think I've seen him at Quick Wash before." Emily clicked her tongue.

"Quick Wash?...what is Quick Wash?" Noah stared at her bewilderedly.

Joel arched up his brows.

"It's a laundry." Emily grinned.

"You work there, right?" She turned to face Joel.

"Hurgh hurgh hurgh." Noah coughed in astonishment as his heart got shattered into pieces.

He stole a glance at his boss as he felt the room go cold from his boss's static body.

"Why is there so much cold?.." Emily asked rhetorically, looking around.

"The fan is not on..." she twitched up her lips and wrapped her right arm around her body.

Noah bit his lower lip, staring awkwardly at his boss as his aura grew even colder.

"Does boss look like someone who works in a laundry?" Noah quickly asked.

"...." Emily pouted and stared at the god...

'He looks so handsome. His tuxedo, well-ironed,... broad shoulders. Hmmmmm, he doesn't work in a laundry.' Emily shook her head.

"Hmmn, so if he doesn't work there, who is he then?" She looked up at Noah.

"Boss is the C..." Noah's voice trailed off as he noticed his boss's body go stiffer.

'Does he not want me to tell her?...' He rubbed his sweaty palms.

"Errr..., I'll go ask the doctor when you can be discharged." Noah quickly walked towards the door, excusing himself from the very tense atmosphere.

He wasn't ready to get beheaded by his boss.

Emily returned her gaze to the handsome mute god and continued to stare at him.

'Is he deaf and dumb?' She thought as he also watched her with keen intent.

"You are free to go home," Noah announced, grinning as he walked back into the ward.

"Really?" Emily raised her shaggy brows at him.

"Yeah. The doctor says you can come back after a few weeks to get rid of the bandage and the crutch." Noah replied, smiling sweetly at the pretty lady.

"So, umm... how do I get home?" Emily stared blankly at him.

"Your family members," Joel spoke up for the first time, his face expressionless.

"Uwa!" Emily wowed, turning her head to him.

"Di-di-did he j-j-jus-just talk?!" She looked up at Noah.

"Uhn." Noah nodded his head.

"Uwa!" Emily smiled.

"But my family...they don't live around here." She pouted, her smile suddenly vanishing.

"He'll take you home as compensation then," Joel spoke up calmly but coldly.

"But... that's not enough compensation..." Emily scratched her head, feeling uncertain.

Joel snapped his fingers at Noah, indicating that he should take care of it. Understanding his boss's intent, Noah swiftly left the ward and returned shortly with a checkbook and a pen in hand. He filled in some details, tore out a check, and handed it to Emily along with the pen.

"You can fill in any amount you want," Noah said with a smile.

"What?!... any amount?" Emily blinked rapidly, staring at the blank check.

"Yes," Noah confirmed, clasping his hands together. "Boss here is a very generous man."

"Ah... so, if I fill in thirty billion won, he won't be affected?" Emily asked, pointing at Joel.

"No, that's not possible," Noah grinned.

"Huh?" Emily's mouth fell open.

"Well, how about... one trillion won?" Emily asked, her eyes fixed on the check.

"Can I write that?" she inquired, licking her lips as she eyed the check.

"Um... yes," Noah replied hesitantly.

"Ah..." Emily nodded slowly.

"What about one thousand trillion won?" Emily dipped the pen in her mouth and chewed on the lid.

"Pardon?" Noah grimaced, astonished at Emily's audacity.

Joel stared blankly at Emily while she stared intently at Noah.

"Yes," he replied in a low, nasal voice.

"No?" Noah quickly turned to his boss, disbelief evident in his eyes.

"He can give you that amount if you want," Joel said, his gaze unwaveringly fixed on Emily, paying no attention to his assistant's astonishment.

"What?!!!" Noah turned to his boss in disbelief, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets.

"He must be very, very, very rich!" Emily thought, assessing Joel with her eyes.

Deciding to test him further, she blurted out, "So... what if I want all the money in your bank account?" She stared intently at the handsome man before her.

"Huh?... ah, you can't," Noah stuttered, wondering if Emily was a gold digger.

"It's bank accounts, and you can have all the money," Joel replied, his gaze still fixed on Emily.

"Huh?... but with an 's'?" Emily almost choked.

"He must be incredibly wealthy!" she bit her lip.

Emily stared at Joel for a moment, sighed, and said, "I was joking."

"You didn't disappoint me," one side of Joel's mouth curled up in a smirk.

He knew she was joking all along, merely playing along with her.

"Aigoo," Noah breathed a sigh of relief.

"I don't want any money," Emily tossed the check aside.

"Huh?" Noah stared at her in astonishment.

"Not interested," Emily shook her head.

"Why?" Noah pouted, wondering why anyone would refuse money.

"Why do you rich people think money is everything... Tsk, tsk, tsk," Emily clicked her tongue.

"What do you want then?" Noah asked, genuinely curious.

"I live alone, and like this..." She paused, gesturing to her bandaged arm and leg. "...I can't manage on my own, it won't be convenient," she sniffed.

"So... you're saying that..." Noah began.

"Go live with your family," Joel interjected, cutting Noah off.

"I can't," Emily vigorously shook her head.

"Then?" Joel arched his eyebrows, his gaze coldly fixed on Emily.

"Let me live with you until I'm fully healed," Emily licked her lips feverishly as she stared at the statue-like man with the piercing gaze.

"As compensation..." she added slowly.

"Who?" Joel fur

rowed his brows.

"Um, me," Emily stammered, pointing to herself.

"You can't," Joel dismissed her.

He looked up at Noah and said, "Take her home and give her money if she changes her mind."

Joel took a glance at his dazzling wristwatch, stood up, and made his way to the door with confident strides.

Emily stared earnestly at his back and pleaded, "Please."

Without looking back or pausing for a second, Joel reached for the doorknob, turned it, and walked out of the ward.

Noah bit his lip as he watched the pitiful woman on the hospital bed. He helped her get down from the bed and handed her the crutch by the bedside.

"Thank you," Emily let out a faint smile.

She twitched her lips as they walked out of the ward. "Um, but I don't know your name..."

Noah smiled. "Ah, I'm Noah."

Emily returned his smile with a broad one. "Emily. I'm Emily."

🚗🚗🚗

Noah broke the silence as he drove away from the hospital. "Please don't be mad at Boss."

Emily shook her head. "No, I'm not mad at him."

"He's always like that. It's his personality," Noah sighed.

"I see..." Emily nodded thoughtfully.

Noah spent the rest of the drive taking directions from Emily while she provided guidance.

Emily pointed at a junction just ahead. "You can drop me off here. I'll find my way home."

"Why? Let me drop you off at home," Noah protested.

"No, it's fine here," Emily smiled hesitantly as Noah parked the car by the roadside.

Noah opened the door for her and watched as she struggled to get out of the car.

"Be careful," he smiled, concerned.

"Yes," Emily smiled and closed the door with her right hand.

"You don't want the money?" he asked.

"No," she replied, still smiling.

Noah pondered for a moment before nodding. "Okay."

"Thank you," she bowed repeatedly as Noah drove off, waving at her.

She waited until the car was out of sight and sighed, "Whew..."

She turned around and headed to one of the places she worked, Hot'n'Chilly.