CHAPTER 8

Verania's Point of View

Two months ago, the death threats against Ares started, yet he still goes out alone? This person is really persistent! I'll have a serious talk with him later.

"Anyway, you and Alder are cousins, right?" I asked, and she immediately nodded while drawing a card.

"Yes Old sister, he's my cousin. He is handsome, isn't he? How did you meet him?" she replied with a cocky tone after the initial statement.

"Oh, he's a friend," I answered briefly, placing my card down, which she quickly grabbed and almost choked on when she tried to place it lower than I had.

"Friend? So he's handsome, then?" Sandra asked.

"Well, what if he is?" I responded sharply, and she chuckled.

"Do you have a crush on Old Brother Alder?" she asked, making me sweat a bit as she suddenly inquired.

"Huh, no way! I just had a question," I said, but her eyes narrowed as if suspicious.

"Okay, Old Sister," she said, not entirely convinced, so I just shrugged.

"Have you been to their house?" I asked, arranging my cards in order.

"Yes, Old Sister! I go there often because I play with his youngest sibling, Natasha! And Sis, you know, Brother Alder always leaves early for work," she announced, leaving me raising my eyebrow.

"What time?" I asked.

"Sometimes I go there around seven, and he's already gone. He leaves early because he says he has a lot of work. And you know, Sis, whenever he's home, he's always in front of his laptop or with his books. I asked him before what he's doing, and he said he's just studying a disease. I don't really want to be a doctor, so I didn't listen to him. I didn't get it either," Sandra explained, and I fell silent.

If that's what he does at home all the time, it seems unlikely that he's involved with the suspects planning to bring down Uncle Stanley, who's the mayor now...

I felt somewhat relieved, but I shouldn't let my guard down even with this knowledge.

As I discarded a card to Sandra, I was surprised when she stood up and started jumping.

"Yehey, I have a winning hand in poker! You lost, Sister Verania!" she exclaimed loudly, causing me to look away to avoid Sandra's triumphant gaze.

She continued to jump around while munching on a chocolate she took from her bag.

I was about to stand up to invite Sandra for another dip in the pool when I heard Ares shout.

Without thinking, it was as if I transformed into The Flash, running towards Ares' location.

"What's happening to you?" I asked with concern, ignoring the people around us.

He leaned back in his wheelchair, his eyes tightly shut.

He pointed to his leg, which was injured in the accident.

"Right there, it hurts..." he whispered weakly, grimacing in pain. I quickly turned my attention to his leg, which Clara was currently holding.

"I'll take over, Clara!" I exclaimed when I saw that Ares was still in pain.

What if what he's doing is making it worse?!

"Clara," I called, but Clara remained focused, seemingly nervous, and continued her actions without even acknowledging me.

"I've got this, Clara!" I said firmly, making her lift her head, her eyes meeting mine.

"What's your problem, Verania?" Clara snapped at me with irritation, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes as if regretting her earlier outburst.

"I'll take care of it, you might make things worse," I said coldly, and I heard her sarcastic laughter.

"Excuse me? Have you forgotten? I'm a doctor, I have more knowledge in this area than you do!" Clara retorted somewhat annoyed, but I paid her no mind.

So what, why should I care?!

"So? What's your point? I'm a nurse!" I countered arrogantly, but shame slowly engulfed me as I realized how foolish I sounded in that moment.

Why did I forget something so important? She's a doctor, after all! What am I even arguing about? I'm just a nurse, and she definitely knows more!

I stepped back slightly to give Clara space to continue what she was doing.

"Sorry, go ahead and check him," I muttered softly, but Clara heard it clearly.

I also noticed that Ares fell silent and he was looking at me with innocent eyes.

All I could do was avoid his gaze. I felt embarrassed about what I had done, especially since it was just the three of us present.

After a few minutes, Ares started to feel a bit better. So I distanced myself from them slightly, not wanting to stand right next to them and seem like a third wheel.

I also noticed that Sandra was nowhere to be found. She must have gone to shower with the help of the house staff. It's safer for her if the household staff assists with her cleaning.

I kept glancing over to where Ares was, whenever I heard him give instructions. I was initially planning to assist, but Clara took over. Sometimes, Ares even called other people to give them tasks.

I kept stealing glances around, sometimes shifting my gaze back to them. I hadn't changed clothes yet, and my swimsuit had already dried off after I had dipped in the pool earlier.

Finally, the time came for Sandra and her sister to leave. Sandra hugged me before they departed, saying, "See you next time."

I was about to offer to accompany them, since there are many guards at the house and they could watch over Ares. However, I realized that Ares had already instructed the driver to take Clara home.

After they left, Ares immediately sent himself over to where I was, of course by using his wheelchair.

"I'm fine now," he announced, so I raised an eyebrow at him.

"I know," I responded briefly, making him swallow hard.

"I was surprised by your acting earlier," Ares said, causing me to furrow my brow.

"Acting? You think my concern for you was an act? How about I poke you in the eye and see if that's acting?" I replied irritably and rolled my eyes.

"Are you jealous?" his face seemed to regret what he said almost immediately.

I blinked and processed his words carefully. I burst out laughing as I realized I heard him right.

"Jealous? Seriously?" I chuckled.

"If you're not jealous, do you have feelings for me?" he asked, making my brow furrow again.

"Are you really serious?" I asked, my brow furrowing even more.

Look at this, he's the one asking such questions and then he gets annoyed at my responses.

"Ares, let's go inside so you can rest," I said, changing the topic far from his question.

"Anyway, if you need medical attention, come to me instead of that doctor, because first and foremost, I'm here. And remember, I'm still the one assigned to take care of you, so don't you dare disobey that," I said.

"As if, I care," Ares retorted with irritation, and I gave him an exasperated look as he started wheeling his chair away.

"Ares!" I called out loudly, making him turn to face me.

"Verania, if you were making her your rival for my medical needs, I don't care. I will ask for Clara's help even if you don't want to," he said, causing my annoyance to intensify.

"Try it, Ares. I'm telling you... you won't be able to escape from me if you do that," I warned, raising an eyebrow at him.

"What do you mean?" he asked with a furrowed brow and seemed irritated by my statement.

"Well, what do I mean?" I teased and playfully tapped his shoulder.

"There are lots of things I mean with that," I added, whispering my words and maintaining eye contact with him as I moved closer to speak softly about what I had just said.

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