At the office...
Summer raised her hand and knocked her knuckles on the door.
"Come in." Gideon’s deep voice filtered out.
She had been trying hard not to think about last night. But the moment she heard his voice, her stomach fluttered. His bare torso, his arms, the way he’d held her—everything rushed back. She inhaled deeply, steadied herself before pushing the door open and entering.
Gideon didn’t even glance up. He was focused on the file in front of him.
Summer wanted to roll her eyes. Last night, he had practically begged her to stay with him. Now he was acting like she didn’t exist.
’Fine...I’m relieved that you are ignoring me. At least, you won’t trouble me anymore.’
She stepped forward and asked, "You want me to accompany you to a meeting with a client?"
"Why? Do you have a problem?" he asked, still not looking at her.
"No. I am just curious," she said. "You could take Matthew along. Why me?"
"Matthew has other work," Gideon said, flipping the page. "I sent him to check a site. So you are coming with me. If there is an issue, tell me."
’I want to stay as far away from you as possible.’ She wanted to say this, but what came out of her mouth was, "Next time you decide to get drunk, please take Matthew with you. Don’t drag me out in the middle of the night. It’s not my job to look after you after working hours."
At that, Gideon finally lifted his head and looked up at her, his anger evident in the way his thumb pressed hard against the pen. It looked like it might snap.
He thought she still cared about him and that her coming last night meant something. But her words shattered his heart.
"Then why did you come?" he burst out, slamming the pen onto the table. "You could have ignored the call. But you didn’t. And that’s not all—you could have left after dropping me at the hotel, but you stayed. You looked after me and spent the whole night right beside me. Why do all that if you don’t care?"
Summer was speechless. Her mind started to wander if she still cared about him.
’No,’ she refused to accept it.
She had agreed to help him because she didn’t want to lose her job.
"Yes, I could have ignored it, but I still went because I didn’t want people gossiping the next day that the new boss was found drunk in a nightclub. You are new in town. I felt sorry for you and figured I’d make sure you got back safely." Follow the newest chapters on novelping . com.
"So you did that out of pity?" he scoffed, his mouth twisting with irritation. "You drew a bath for me out of pity. You comforted me and stayed beside me out of pity. Summer, you are such a convincing liar."
He slammed his hands on the table as he pushed himself up on his feet, eyes burning in fury.
"In reality, you stayed because of the money I offered."
Summer flinched, startled. Facing his fiery glare, memories of that night crashed over her. His hateful gaze, those accusations and hurtful remarks, followed by his cruelty, sent a new wave of terror through her heart. For a brief moment, she thought he would lock her up and torture her to death.
She wanted to step back, to run, but her legs felt rooted to the spot.
Gideon’s jaw tightened further as he stepped forward, crossing the distance between them. "Everything you did was for money. For fifty thousand, you were ready to bathe me. When I added another fifty, you agreed to massage my head without hesitation."
Summer’s heart twisted – humiliation, pain, and anger all tangled together. It was true that Hope’s costly treatment and the impending surgery had made her desperate for money. But the way he spoke, painting her as a woman who could do anything for money, cut her heart to the core.
She had never intended to spend the night with him. She had only thought of staying a little longer until he had fallen asleep. But she had no idea when sleep had claimed her.
Gideon’s face darkened further as he added mercilessly, "I never imagined you’d fall so low. For money, you’d even sell yourself. If I had offered a bit more, you would have slept with me without a second thought."
Summer couldn’t take it anymore, tears threatening to fall. Anger reached the boiling point, and she raised her hand to strike him. Gideon reflexively caught her wrist in the air.
Their gazes locked intently, the air charged with tension. None of them spoke, nor did they look away. It was as though the time itself had still at that moment.
Then his lips curled into a smile, which was not a smile. "Truth always stings, isn’t it?"
Summer yanked her hand free. "Yes, I need money – to save my daughter," she retaliated. "You are right. I stayed by your side for money. For my daughter. As a mother, I can do anything I can to save my child."
"Is that so?" He scowled, stunned by her desperation. "You mean you can even sleep with someone else?"
Summer’s expression soured. This man... he would never understand her. He never had. Back then, he had ruined everything with his suspicions, and now he was doing the same again. In his eyes, she was always the worst woman he had ever encountered in his life. What more could she say?
"Whatever..." She turned to leave, tired of arguing with him.
"How far would you go for that girl?" He grabbed her arm sharply, dragging her back. "For that bastard child, you are willing to..."
Gideon’s heart shook as he faced her fierce retaliation. Summer looked breathtaking and terrifying all at once—fierce, trembling, defiant.
He couldn’t tear his eyes away.
"If I have to sacrifice my life for her, I will do that without hesitation," she continued. "I helped you last night because I still have compassion. I’m not cold, cruel like you... a monster."
Those words were no less than a punch to his heart. "What did you say?" Gideon thought he had heard it wrongly. He needed to hear it again to be sure. "You called me a monster!"
"Yes," she held his gaze unwaveringly. "You are indeed a monster. It’s you who locked me up in that cold and dark room. You were desperate to get rid of me. You wanted me gone forever."
"What nonsense..." Gideon grunted, ready to defend himself. But a sharp pain in his head forced him the swallow the rest of the words. An echo of his own voice rang in his ear – ’Don’t let her go until I’m back. Punish her as you see fit.’
He staggered slightly, clutching his temples. He couldn’t remember saying anything like that. It didn’t feel like him, not truly. Yet his chest grew unbearably heavy, as if some part of him had indeed given that cruel order.
He had been mad at her for her infidelity, for hurting Danica. That was why he had locked her up. But hurting her? Not a chance. He would never go that far.
As his confusion deepened, his discomfort grew. He pressed his hand harder against his head, trying to dispel the throbbing ache. But Summer didn’t move to help him this time.
"I don’t want to remember those things and relive those miserable moments over and over again," she muttered. "I’ve already let go of the past. You are nothing but my new boss now."
Summer left, without glancing back at him, not caring whether he was in pain or not.
Gideon sagged into the chair, his forehead damp with sweat. The pain in his head slowly started to fade. But the echo of her voice and the sting in his chest lingered stubbornly.
"You cheated on me and had a child with a wild man," he grunted, grinding his teeth. "You left me, forgot about the love we had for that man. And where is he now? Not even helping you gather money for your daughter’s treatment?"
He snorted, bitterness burning up his throat. "Once you were a dignified woman who even refused the money Mom offered to you. And now – money is all you can think about."
Gideon slammed his fist on the table. "Fine. If money is what you want, I’ll give as much as you need. But you have to leave that man and be with me."
He reached for his phone and transferred a hundred thousand to her account instantly.
Summer looked at the phone when it buzzed. Hundred thousand was credited to her account. A fresh wave of tears flooded her eyes, blurring her vision. She had not expected accepting his money to hurt this much. She wanted to refuse it, but the harsh reality was that she couldn’t.
Steading her breath, she typed a reply. ’Thank you for your generosity.’
His reply came instantly. ’Save it for later. Prepare yourself for the meeting. Dress appropriately. Mr. Hill is an important client. Don’t embarrass me.’