Chapter 66
Alaric’s face darkened as Galatea effectively kicked him out of her office, her sharp words stinging. He didn’t expect to be met with such indifference after coming all this way to return her phone. His pride was wounded.
“Ungrateful woman,” he muttered, the coldness in his voice palpable. “I came all the way here to give you your phone, and this is how you treat me? Trying to kick me out?”
Galatea remained unfazed, her posture rigid as she shot back, “Since you’ve returned the phone, there’s nothing else, is there? You seem to hate my humble place so much, so why should I want you to stay?”
For a moment, Alaric fell silent, his pride clearly bruised. But instead of leaving, he simply sat down on the sofa, as if staking a claim.
Galatea froze, her mind racing. Was he really going to stay? Was he planning to have dinner here?
“Your son is coming back later, right?” Alaric asked, a hint of casualness in his voice, though it didn’t fully mask his intent. “I haven’t met your son yet.”
“He has an after-school program,” Galatea replied shortly. “He won’t be back until late.”
“No problem. I can wait,” Alaric said, as though it was the most natural thing in the world.
Galatea said nothing more, and the air between them thickened. She glanced toward her home office, where her computer pinged with a notification. She sighed. She was clearly not going to get rid of him anytime soon.
“Well, you can wait then,” she said, her voice colder than before. “There’s hot water in the teapot on the coffee table if you get thirsty.”
With that, she turned and walked into her office, leaving him in the living room.
Galatea sat down at her desk and opened the messages on her computer. Several patients had reached out, seeking advice for various medical issues. She began to respond, focusing on each case with the care and attention she always provided.
Suddenly, the door to her office creaked open, and Alaric’s voice interrupted her concentration. “Who are you chatting with?”
Galatea jumped in surprise. She hadn’t heard him approach, and his sudden presence startled her.
“Weren’t you in the living room?” she snapped, looking up at him with surprise. “Who let you in here?”
Alaric’s eyes were narrowed, and he asked again, more earnestly this time, “I’m asking, who are you chatting with?”
“Patients. People who are sick,” Galatea replied, annoyance creeping into her voice. “Are we done here?”
“Patients?” Alaric repeated, sounding somewhat incredulous.
“Yes,” Galatea confirmed, her frustration mounting. “I can’t work at the hospital right now, but I can give medical consultations online. I’m still helping people, which is something I can manage.”
She wasn’t about to sit idly by when there were people out there who needed her expertise. Galatea was a skilled doctor, and she had adapted to the situation, offering her services virtually. Even today, as soon as she made herself available online, people had booked her time, eager for her guidance.
Alaric didn’t seem convinced. “How can you be so forgetful? You’re supposed to be resting. The doctor said you need more sleep.”
“I’m a doctor. I know how to take care of myself,” Galatea shot back. “Consulting online isn’t exhausting, and I earn an income while I’m at it. Isn’t that good?”
Alaric didn’t seem to understand her need for purpose, her drive to keep going even when the world expected her to rest.
“Fine,” she said with an edge to her voice. “Mr. Knight, if you’re going to wait, please wait in the living room and don’t disturb my work.”
Alaric raised an eyebrow. “Call me Alaric.”
“What?” Galatea blinked, startled by the sudden request.
“I’ve told you before, you’re to be seen as my fiancée,” Alaric explained, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. “Once the amusement park project starts, we’ll have a groundbreaking ceremony, and a series of celebrations, including a victory banquet. As my fiancée, you’ll have to attend with me. To avoid any slip-ups, you should naturally call me by my first name.”
“Understood,” Galatea said, biting back a smile. “Don’t worry, I won’t let you down in public.”
“For safety’s sake, you should call me that in private, too,” Alaric pressed, a slight challenge in his voice. “Say ‘Alaric.’ Let me hear it.”
Galatea’s eyes narrowed. Was he serious? He was making her say it? She couldn’t help but feel exasperated.
“Alaric…” she said, her voice stiff, as though she were repeating a foreign word.
“Too stiff!” Alaric complained. “Is that how a fiancée should address her betrothed?”
Galatea’s patience was wearing thin. He’s doing this on purpose, isn’t he?
She sighed dramatically. “My dear Alaric,” she said in a deliberately seductive tone, then added, “Is that better?”
Alaric’s reaction was instantaneous. He grabbed her chin with a firm grip, his eyes dark with authority. “If you’re going to pretend to be my fiancée, you need to act the part. Call me that from now on, you got it?”
Galatea wanted to slap his hand away, but she didn’t. Instead, she pushed it aside with a huff. “Got it,” she muttered, unwilling to show him any more frustration.
Just as she thought he might say something else, his phone rang, cutting the moment short. Glancing at the screen, Alaric’s expression shifted. “Hello, Caspian.”
“Where have you been?” came Harry’s voice, annoyed and impatient. “Do you realize I don’t live on campus anymore? I’ve already come home from school, and you’re nowhere to be found. If you’re not cooking dinner, do you want to starve me to death?”
Alaric’s face fell as he listened, realizing how much he’d neglected his son. He’d been so focused on everything else that he had forgotten about Caspian completely.
“I’ve got an emergency at the office. I’m heading back now,” Alaric said, trying to placate him. “Caspian, if you’re hungry, you might want to snack on some cookies until I get home.”
“I don’t want them. I’ll wait for you to cook for me,” Harry insisted, clearly trying to get under his father’s skin.
Alaric sighed, feeling a pang of guilt. Before he could say anything else, Harry hung up the phone.
Galatea, overhearing the conversation, couldn’t help but smirk. She caught Alaric’s sheepish expression and couldn’t resist teasing him. “Who would’ve thought the mighty CEO could be so easily wrapped around his son’s finger?” she said, barely containing her amusement.
Alaric gave her a reproachful look, but it didn’t have the same power it usually did.
“Your son is really quite spoiled,” Galatea continued. “He’s so old, yet he can’t look after himself. But you can’t blame him. There’s a saying: ‘If the son doesn’t learn, it’s the father’s fault.’ You should take a look at yourself.”
Alaric scoffed. “A woman who never lets things go. You’ve finally caught me out, haven’t you?”
Galatea laughed triumphantly, “I’m just speaking the truth. It’s your parenting methods that are at fault. My Harry was independent by the time he was three. Moreover…” She trailed off mid-sentence, as Alaric suddenly leaned in and kissed her.
She gasped, startled by the unexpected kiss—though it wasn’t exactly a gentle one. Alaric didn’t waste any time pulling away, a smug grin on his face.
“That’s what you get for making fun of me,” he said with a dangerous edge to his voice. “Next time you mock me, the punishment won’t be so simple.”
Galatea’s eyes narrowed, her anger bubbling up, but Alaric was already backing away, clearly pleased with himself.
Before he left, he added one last instruction. “Keep your phone on twenty-four hours a day. No matter when I call, you need to pick up immediately.”
With that, he left, leaving Galatea seething in silence.
The moment he was gone, Galatea rushed to the bathroom, turned on the faucet, and began to wash her lips furiously, her anger clear. That arrogant, shameless man!
Meanwhile, Alaric, clearly in high spirits after his unexpected conquest, walked away with a smug smile. He had won this round, and he knew it.