Chapter 2 Married by Law
833 Words
Antonio, who was lying on the bed, was surprised by Giovanna's tone.
He had heard from his grandfather that his bride was supposed to be Kimberly Langley.
However, Kimberly had recently been found to be possibly infertile, so Giovanna married him instead.
Hearing Antonio's voice, the butler immediately responded with respect, "Yes!"
Giovanna turned to size up her husband.
The man was propped up against the headboard. Even though he was paralyzed from the waist down, his domineering aura was undiminished.
If she could get information from him about her grandmother's death, her purpose here would be fulfilled.
The room plunged back into darkness, which Giovanna found unsettling. She asked, "Can we open the curtains?"
"No," he refused without hesitation.
"Don't you think it's a bit gloomy in here?" The cold aura around him made her feel like she was about to freeze.
Antonio chuckled softly, "Isn't it better this way? We're in a marriage of convenience. It's better if we don't see each other."
"But we'll have to see each other every day. Do you plan to stay like this forever? Besides, how can I treat your legs if it's this dark?"
In the darkness, Antonio's eyes widened in surprise. "You can treat my legs?"
The fish had taken the bait! Giovanna shrugged modestly. "I can give it a try."
She wasn't offering to treat Antonio's legs out of charity.
If he owed her a favor, he would help investigate her grandmother's death. No one in the Hooper family knew more than he did.
Antonio hadn't seen the sunlight for months. Since learning that his legs would never function again, he had shut himself in his room.
Could this girl really cure him?
His grandfather had brought in numerous renowned doctors, and taken him to many hospitals, all to no avail.
Recalling those failures, his eyes dimmed again.
"Forget it. Not even the specialists can do the tricks. What makes you think you can?"
It was better to stay hopeless than clinging to the futile possibility.
Giovanna understood his skepticism. Such a handsome man confined to a bed—it was indeed demoralizing.
"What's the harm in letting me try? Maybe this time you'll get lucky."
Antonio glanced at her coldly. "Lucky? I doubt that."
Giovanna chuckled, not taking offense. "Come on, don't be so pessimistic."
Antonio was curious to see what she could do. "So, what do you plan to do?"
"Hold on a second..." Giovanna retrieved a small bag from her suitcase.
She opened it to reveal various medical tools, which he found quite shocking. Could this girl really have some skill?
When Giovanna approached Antonio with a bag of needles and checked on his legs, he finally got a good look at her.
She had deliberately dressed down to keep a low profile, and... What an ugly sight!
Giovanna glanced at his leg and got a rough idea of what was going on. Then she looked up and finally took a moment to study him.
His flawless face and sharp features seemed somehow aggressive yet alluring, and his aura was one of innate nobility and distance.
It was a pity he was paralyzed, but meeting her could be his stroke of luck.
"I need to start examining you. It might hurt a bit, so bear with me."
"Wait." Antonio eyed the needles skeptically. "Do you even have a medical license?"
Giovanna was taken aback. License? Her credentials were professor-level, and patients usually had to wait months to see her.
However, with her current appearance, he'd probably never believe it.
"My license is back in the village, but trust me, I can handle this."
Just as Giovanna was about to proceed, Antonio grabbed her wrist.
"Are you sure? You should know that my legs have been examined by countless specialists, both local and international, and none of them could help."
Antonio doubted her skills. How could this... unpleasant-looking "doctor" possibly succeed where others had failed?
"Are you sure you've seen all the specialists?" she questioned. He had certainly not seen her.
Antonio remembered that there was indeed one specialist that he hadn't seen.
Edward had mentioned a prodigy who became a professor at a young age, often working abroad.
Despite many offers from prestigious medical institutions, she remained elusive.
Quite mysterious, indeed!
Besides, her last name was even the same as Giovanna's, but he couldn't recall her full name.
But what did it have to do with Giovanna? She couldn't possibly be that prodigy. That would be too unbelievable!
Seeing him lost in thought, Giovanna decided not to say any more. She slapped his leg lightly. "Come on. Time to get started."
Then, she picked up the needle and began her work. As she finished her initial examination, Antonio's younger sister, Yolanda Hooper, burst into the room before she could pack up her stuff.
Seeing the needles in Giovanna's hand, Yolanda instantly turned pale. She rushed forward, shoving Giovanna away.
"You evil b***h! Are you trying to kill my brother?"
- Writer
