Catriona had to stay in the hospital for three days.
She wasn't feeling too bad physically, and from time to time, she would get up, walk around, and play on her phone. What puzzled her most, however, was Roderick, the werewolf.
The next morning, Arden and a man in a suit arrived in her room, and as Roderick discussed work arrangements, she overheard a bit from the side. The more she listened, the more something didn't sound right.
Roderick seemed to be implying... that he wouldn't go to the office for these three days and would stay in the hospital to take care of her?
Huh????
For a moment, she wondered if the anesthesia hadn't worn off, thinking she must be hallucinating. Who was Roderick, after all? He had so much work waiting for him, all lucrative deals, and yet he wanted to take care of her?
Setting aside the fact that she wasn't seriously ill, what was his connection to her? When did their relationship become close enough that he would set aside work to take care of her personally?
After Arden and the executive left.
She looked at the tall man and couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Nightblade, did you just say that for the next three days you're not going to the office and, um... you're staying... to take care of me?" She could barely get the last few words out, feeling incredibly awkward.
Even if a cat suddenly spoke human words in front of her, she wouldn't be as shocked as she was now.
Roderick's expression remained calm and serious as he nodded. "You're unwell; it's necessary for me to prioritize this."
Money in business was trivial to him—truthfully, he had little interest in the human concepts of wealth and power. Everything he did now was for his grandmother's sake. The company was her legacy, built over more than eighty years, her last mark upon the human world.
His duty was to protect it.
But Catriona was ill.
And right now, her well-being was the most important thing.
Catriona, after hearing this, forgot all about keeping her expression in check.
She furrowed her brow, opened her mouth slightly, feeling entirely bewildered. "Is that... really necessary? Mr. Nightblade, this isn't necessary. Why go to such lengths?"
She was genuinely stunned, utterly at a loss. "Please, just go take care of your work. Really, there's no need for you to take time off just to stay here and look after me."
And still putting her first?
This werewolf Alpha, the head of the Nightblade Group, said he would stay to take care of her. She didn't know how others would feel, but for her, it didn't bring a bit of happiness, surprise, or sense of being cared for.
All she felt was resistance, confusion, and overwhelming pressure.
Roderick hadn't expected this reaction from Catriona after he canceled work to stay in the hospital room. He thought she, now sober, would politely say thank you and allow him to stay.
He quickly noticed the aura of resistance radiating from Catriona.
She didn't want him to stay at all.
Not one bit!
Roderick pursed his lips slightly, his voice dropping. "So who do you want to take care of you? Lucian?"
Catriona was stunned. "Huh? What?" Why was he suddenly bringing up Lucian?
Roderick's deep, dark eyes fixed on her, his throat moving as he asked, "You want me to leave?"
Catriona met his gaze, feeling there was something unfathomably deep in his eyes that she didn't understand.
The air around them inexplicably grew colder.
She looked away without nodding or shaking her head. "You just need to pick up Cedric from school in the afternoon. There's really no need for you to take time off for me; you should go to work."
She no longer looked at him.
The intent to dismiss him was clear.
Roderick stood awkwardly in the middle of the hospital room, feeling more unwelcome than he ever had before, just left there to be ignored.
Whether in the human world or among werewolves, he was used to being respected. Catriona was the first human to repeatedly give him the cold shoulder and brush him off.
Normally, he would have laughed coldly and turned to leave, but he had long ceased to be his usual self around Catriona.
Like a defeated man, he simply muttered an "Mm" in front of Catriona and left the hospital room.
Her rejection felt like a knife piercing his heart.
He drove himself, his thin lips pressed into a straight line, and soon arrived at the company. His secretary, seeing him, was briefly taken aback.
"Why is Mr. Nightblade here at this hour? I don't have any urgent work..."
Something about that statement seemed to strike a nerve in Roderick. His eyes darkened, and he let out a cold laugh. "So? Have I lost my own position, too?"
It was one thing to be unwelcome with Catriona, but now someone at headquarters was trying to "dismiss" him, too.
Was he not allowed to come to his own company now?
Just because there was no urgent work, he wasn't allowed to be here?
Roderick pressed his lips together, his jawline sharp and unforgiving, his expression as cold as a winter storm, exuding an overwhelming aura of intensity.
The secretary trembled in fear. "N-no, Mr. Nightblade, I didn't mean that."
Roderick seemed truly angry, his eyes showing a fierce edge. "Why do you think I came here? You think I wanted to come to this lousy company? She told me to! Do you think I could refuse?"
The secretary felt like he should have checked his fortune before coming in today.
How had one sentence managed to offend Mr. Nightblade so much?
No one could be more unlucky than him right now.
Roderick didn't know how he made it to noon. The employees had gone to lunch, and he got up, instinctively wanting to go to the hospital. The next second, he remembered Catriona's rejection that morning, and, pressing his lips together, he sat back down.
At that moment, Silas called, inviting him out for lunch at that wolf-friendly restaurant villa.
Roderick sat at his seat, drinking in silence.
Silas and his wolf brother Rowan sat across from him, and Magnus, who had business in Capital, sat to his left. A young man with a mushroom haircut sat quietly to his right—the fourth person Catriona couldn't remember back then.
He was Roderick's cousin, the son of Roderick's aunt.
He lived at the Nightblade's old mansion.
At that moment, he looked at Roderick and said, "Roderick, in four days, it'll be your birthday."
Today's meal was to discuss the birthday plans.
Silas raised his brow. "Roderick, how do you want to celebrate? Food and fun at the mansion, a trip to the sea, or maybe a hunting competition on the plains?"
Everyone looked at Roderick.
Empty bottles were piling up beside Roderick, and Rowan chuckled at the unusual sight. "Did something good happen to you today, Roderick? Celebrating with drinks?"
His tone and look weren't teasing; he genuinely thought Roderick must be in high spirits.
They were all waiting for Roderick to make a decision.
Roderick silently set down another empty bottle, his usually sharp gaze clouded and distant under the influence of alcohol. "Going out to sea... I don't know if she'd get seasick. Hunting... she might be scared..."
"And she just had surgery... let's just have something simple at the old house."
He spoke as if no one else was there.
Magnus raised an eyebrow slightly.
Silas's gaze held a hint of surprise.
The bowl-cut cousin widened his eyes.
Rowan's expression of complete confusion was the most pronounced; he stared blankly for a long time before finally finding his voice, nearly jumping up in excitement. "Whoa! Who is this 'she' you're talking about? Is it Snowheart? I heard she came down the mountain. She's not going to join you, is she?"
The more Rowan thought about it, the more it made sense, and he was sure he had guessed correctly. "What, do you like Snowheart?"
Roderick's dark, empty gaze fixed tightly on him. "Shut up! You're the one who likes her. I only like Catriona."
"What?!" Rowan was stunned, his voice breaking.
Magnus seemed a bit puzzled. "You're only thirty, and you're already certain?"
For werewolves, who live so long, thirty was still very young.
He didn't want to find a mate so soon; he had a lot to accomplish and wasn't ready. There was no need to rush.
Roderick's lips tugged slightly. "If I like her, why not be certain?"
If he didn't make it clear, Catriona might just run off with someone else.
