Chapter2 What Do You Want
1804 Words
Lila stared at him, stunned. Her breath hitched as if the shock had punched a hole through her chest.
“What…?” she whispered.
Adrian stood with his hands tucked neatly into the pockets of his tailored suit, looking down at her from his height. The faint curl at the corner of his mouth might have been disdain—or perhaps she was simply too sensitive, too raw from everything.
“I believe I made myself clear, Miss Harris.”
“You think I saved Manny for money?” Lila’s voice rose, wounded and indignant. “You really think so little of people? Sir, you are absolutely unreasonable.”
“Oh? And here I thought you’d jump at the chance.” His tone carried a trace of mockery, razor-thin and cold.
Of course he believed it. To Adrian, people only moved for profit.
Selfless?
He didn’t buy that—never had.
He was a businessman: anything money could fix was trivial. Only the things money couldn’t touch were real problems. Like…
“I don’t care what you think of me,” she snapped. “I’m just glad I helped that child. I accept your thanks. Now I’m leaving.”
She shot him a furious glare and pushed herself up—only to feel the world sway. Her knees went weak.
Strong hands caught her again.
“I told you,” he said sharply, “I’m not letting you pass out in front of me.”
“Oh, so that’s it—you’re afraid I’ll pretend to faint and sue you?”
“I can simply pay you off before you even try.”
“I don’t want your money!”
She jerked her arm free, breath shaking. “I did what any compassionate person would have done. Honestly? I doubt you would’ve helped someone if this happened to you.”
For a moment, she thought she’d struck a nerve. She saw something flicker in those cold green eyes—something like disbelief.
But then he laughed softly. A humorless, cutting sound.
“Money is easy, Miss Harris. And I can’t give you anything else.”
“I don’t want anything from you.” She glared up at him, fire in her eyes. “You arrogant, self-obsessed man—don’t flatter yourself. You think I’m interested in you? You know what? If you really want to repay me, then disappear from my sight. That would be the greatest favor you could offer.”
She shoved his hand away and collapsed onto the bench, exhausted.
Adrian didn’t speak. She could hear his steady, heavy breaths. Minutes passed. He still didn’t leave.
“I see,” he finally said. “I misjudged the situation.” He exhaled sharply. “I’ll send someone to drive you home.”
“No need,” she replied flatly. “Even if something happens, it won’t be your responsibility.”
“Miss Harris, I genuinely hope you’re all right.”
“I said no.”
Before he could argue again, a familiar voice cut in.
“Adrian? Lila?”
Dr. Lee approached, confusion etched across his face. “You two know each other?”
“Yes,” Adrian answered.
“No,” Lila said at the same time.
The contradiction made Lee blink. These two were probably the last people on earth he expected to cross paths.
“What’s going on? Are you two… dating?”
“No,” Adrian said coolly. “Manny was injured. She found him and gave blood to save him.”
“Oh God. Is Manny okay?” Lee asked urgently.
“The doctors say he’s stable. Still under observation,” Adrian replied.
Lee turned to Lila with sympathy. “I’m so sorry—you must have been terrified. Lila, are you okay? You’re still pale. Why aren’t you resting? Your mother will worry if she finds out you pushed yourself like this.”
“Please don’t tell her,” Lila murmured. “She’s been through enough. But if she were healthy, she would support me. She’s… a compassionate person.”
When she said compassionate, she glanced deliberately at Adrian.
“I should go. You two can talk.”
She walked away slowly, carefully, trying not to reveal how drained she truly was.
After watching her disappear around the corner, Adrian asked quietly, “You know her?”
“Yeah,” Lee sighed. “Her mother has breast cancer. That girl’s been juggling multiple jobs just to pay the bills. She hasn’t even graduated from college yet.”
“Her father?” Adrian asked.
Lee gave a dry, humorless smile. “Take a guess. Either dead or as good as dead. In any case, as a husband or father, the man doesn’t exist for them.”
Adrian lowered his head, thoughtful.
Lee mistook it for worry about Manny and added gently, “Don’t worry. You should be grateful Manny had Lila. Rare blood type or not—not many people would help others when their own life is falling apart.”
“You really think so?” Adrian asked, one eyebrow lifting.
“Of course.”
Lee glanced toward the corner where she had vanished. “Given her situation? How many people would still choose to give kindness?”
Adrian’s gaze followed the empty corridor. But the question haunting him wasn’t Lee’s.
It was the one he couldn’t shake—
What do you want?
---
Lila peeked through the window into her mother’s ward. Her mother was fast asleep—rare, peaceful sleep. Lila didn’t dare wake her.
She sank onto the bench in the hallway, leaning her head against the wall. Her limbs felt heavy, her mind drained. She hadn’t even called David. The thought alone exhausted her.
Ten minutes, she told herself.
Ten minutes to escape the world, just long enough to breathe again.
“Miss Harris?”
Her eyes fluttered open. That voice—too deep, too measured. But when her vision cleared, she froze. Adrian stood before her, tall and sharply built, those unsettling green eyes fixed on her.
Watching her.
“Tell me,” he said quietly.
Her brows knit. “Tell you what?”
“Tell me what you want.”
“I said I want nothing from you!”
“Then you want me?”
His voice was low—dangerously smooth. Like a siren’s call slipping into the cracks of her exhaustion. For the briefest moment, her heartbeat stuttered.
Just a flicker. Not real. Not possible.
But she couldn’t move. Couldn’t even look away as he leaned in, shadows deepening in his emerald eyes, pulling her into their depths—
“Miss Harris? Are you okay?”
She jolted awake, breath hitching. A nurse stood before her.
A dream. It was just a dream. A stupid, ridiculous dream about that infuriating man.
“Yes—uh—my mother… is she okay?”
“She’s fine. Still asleep. I came to tell you we’re preparing to move her to another room.”
Lila’s breath caught. “Why? Is it… because of the bill? Please—please don’t move my mother out. I’ll pay everything, I swear I will!”
The nurse blinked and hurried to reassure her.
“No, Miss Harris, it’s nothing like that. Please, calm down. In fact… a gentleman has already settled your balance. He also upgraded your mother’s room.”
Lila froze for exactly one heartbeat.
A gentleman. She didn’t need to guess. She already saw them—those impossible, emerald-green eyes.
Should she be happy? Grateful? Relieved?
No. Not when the man had thanked her with arrogance, assumptions, and disdain. Not when he’d looked at her as though every kindness must be a transaction.
She turned on her heel and ran.
Even in her panic, she stopped in front of Dr. Lee’s office, smoothed the wrinkles from her clothes, tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, knocked, and waited for his “Come in.”
“Lila.” Dr. Lee looked up, unsurprised. He had been expecting her. He probably knew who paid the bill long before she did.
“Doctor… you know who covered my mother’s expenses, don’t you?” she asked without any preamble.
“You mean Adrian?” Lee nodded. “His full name is Adrian Kade. I suppose you’ve figured that out. He’s the CEO of Kade Group.”
“No. I don’t know him. I’ve never even heard of Kade Group.” Her voice held no apology—only exhaustion. “Please understand, I don’t have the luxury of following things like that.”
“Oh. Right… sorry.”
He winced at his own thoughtless assumption. How could someone juggling multiple jobs and a mother with cancer possibly keep up with corporate royalty?
“I told him about your situation,” he admitted. “He wanted to express his gratitude—”
“But I don’t want him to.” Her interruption was firm, almost sharp.
“Why not?” Dr. Lee was genuinely baffled. Most people would have cried from relief, he thought. This girl… she only looked more distressed.
“You saved his nephew. You deserve—”
“Don’t you think it’s strange, Doctor?” Lila’s tone tightened. “Doesn’t this make it seem even more like I helped Manny because I wanted something from him? I’ve already told him—I don’t want anything. I helped that child because he needed help.”
“But Lila, you don’t need to twist yourself into knots about this.” Dr. Lee tried to reason gently. “You did him an enormous favor. It’s normal he would repay it.”
“I don’t think handing me a pile of money is the right form of gratitude. It feels like…” Her throat tightened. “…charity. Or worse, like he thinks I expected it.”
Especially after the way he looked down on her—condescending, dismissive, infuriating.
“Well then,” Dr. Lee sighed, “what would you prefer? His help does mean your mother will receive better medical care.”
Lila hesitated.
That… was true.
Her eyes dropped to the floor, hands knotting together. After a long moment, she looked up again. Her voice was quiet, but determined.
“Please tell him this: I will repay him.”
“It might be better if you two speak directly. If you want to treat the money as a loan… communication is important.”
Outside the office, Lila gripped her phone so tightly it trembled in her hand. On the screen was a number she knew exactly whose it was.
Adrian Kade.
Should she call him?
Could she?
Her thumb hovered above the green “call” button— but she had no idea what awaited her on the other end of the line.
- Writer
