“Diarmuid Althoff!” she growled through her teeth, hating him to the death just then!
She would cut him into tiny pieces if he ever had a chance!
Diarmuid sneezed as he drove. It was a hot day out–how did he manage to catch a cold?
Someone must be talking about him.
He wound down his window to let the sun in, and the sunshine seemed to magnify the pronounced edges of his face.
When he arrived at the hospital, he could already hear Kathy throwing a fit from the distance, and frowned in disgust
“Mr. Althoff.” A helpless Stan promptly rushed to his side when he saw him, as if he saw salvation.
“Who were the perps?” Diarmuid asked just then.
“Just some street thugs. Maybe they were trying to cop a feel or something since she is pretty, and did it to her when she resisted.”
Stan did not actually look into the matter, since he had to await Diarmuid’s orders before doing anything!
Still, Diarmuid did not ask him to investigate, perhaps because he had no interest in Kathy-he came because she was the owner of that silver crucifix, and the fact that she saved him.
There was nothing else to it.
“What was she crying about?” His voice was cool and devoid of concern, likely because he really did not like her.
He certainly would not be this calm if Abigail was attacked-he would already have ordered Stan to find her attackers, and bring them pain!
“She just wants to see you,” Stan admitted.
As Diarmuid strode toward Kathy’s ward, she was still flipping out, and flung a pillow at the doorway as he approached.
He sidestepped, dodging it!
“Get out-” Kathy was pointing and yelling at the hospital staff, but paused for a moment when she saw Diarmuid, and lunged toward him at the next instant!
Diarmuid took two steps backward, avoiding Kathy.
Naturally, she was disappointed to miss, and asked Diarmuid tearfully, “How could you do this to me?”
As Diarmuid remained impassive, she bawled miserably. “I saved you, didn’t I? Those men almost had their way with me!”
“I will not work at the branch company!” she cried hysterically. “Even if it kills me!”
Diarmuid frowned in disdain just then.
“You were raised overseas, weren’t you? I could arrange a job for you at a foreign company instead,” he said-not relenting despite her tantrum.
Kathy was left in disbelief.
Was his heart made of stone? Could he not see the bruise on her face? Why was he insisting on making her leave?
“Why can’t I stay at headquarters? Was my performance lacking? I can improve-”
“I arranged a job for you because of my grandfather and because you were the owner of that silver crucifix. Do you think I would be here otherwise? I’m already being kinder than I should be just by being here, and if your answer is still no, you can forfeit it entirely ”
Kathy was speechless-that was not what she wanted!
“I don’t want that. I just want-”
“Money?” Diarmuid suggested, cutting her short.
He really did not want anything to do with her–in fact, he wanted her gone soon.
Kathy shook her head. Even if her family was no dynasty like the Althoffs and her parents died while she was a child, the family fortune was solid.
She did not want money-she wanted him!
“I don’t want money,” she said, tearing up as she remembered that Moneypenny had advised her not to cry all the time, but to do so strategically.
But was this not enough to win his sympathy? Or was he simply no gentleman?
Should she not be crying right now?
She felt aggrieved just then–women’s tears were supposed to win the sympathy and affection of men, but Diarmuid remained unmoved! He had a heart of stone, and chivalry was dead with him!
“Please, I’m begging you–just let me stay at the branch company. I won’t show up around you again… for the sake of this silver crucifix!”
She held up the silver crucifix at Diarmuid’s face just then.
Before this, she hated it because it was an eyesore–no respectable young woman would wear something as out of fashion as that, and she preferred fashionable jewelry.
However, Moneypenenny had told her to wear it at all times, and Diarmuid may be less cold toward her if she did
That was why she kept it around her neck.
And just as expected, Diarmuid seemed to see that pair of bright eyes he saw as a child when she held it at him
“Fine. Get better soon, and go to work when you feel you’re fit enough.” With those words, he turned and left her ward.
As Stan followed him, he instructed, “Arrange a position for her where I won’t ever see her.”
“Yes, sir,” Stan replied.
Diarmuid suddenly threw his car keys at him. “You’re driving.”
Stan caught it and glanced at his own car-guess he would have to send someone to drive it to his house.
As he drove Diarmuid’s car out of the hospital, he asked, “Office, or-”
“Office.”
“Yes, sir,” Stan replied.
They drove along a route passing through a certain hotel.
There were many cars parked outside, and the main entrance was decorated into a wedding aisle that extended into one of the ballroom.
They could see the bride and bridegroom from outside, and Diarmuid recognized the latter.
“Stop,” he said quietly.
Stan moved the car to stop by the road despite his confusion, asking, “What’s wrong?”
Diarmuid gestured for him to look outside.
Stan followed his gaze, and when he saw the newlyweds stepping out of the hotel, he raised his brow in surprise!
“Isn’t that Chad Ross?!” Stan exclaimed in surprise. “I thought he was in love with Whitney Cox, and he looked like he could die after she went missing. He’s marrying someone else already?”
“I told you to watch him-you never noticed that he was going to get married?” Diarmuid asked icily
He had been anticipating reprisals from Chad because he drove Whitney presumably to her death, and therefore told Stan to always keep an eye on his movements.
“But my boys are watching him,” Stan quickly argued. “He wasn’t doing much, and I don’t even recognize that woman.”
Worried that Diarmuid would snap at him for failing in his responsibility, he quickly tried to change the subject. “Hold on, sir. Don’t you think the bride looks just like Whitney Cox? Maybe it’s a rebound relationship?”
Diarmuid was not interested in the bride, but he was surprised that Chad would marry another woman so soon.
He certainly did not hold back from challenging Diarmuid just to protect Whitney, and there had to be actual love involved.
“Call off your guys. There’s no need to watch him now,” Diarmuid said flatly “Let’s go
Chad’s marriage was proof enough that he was over Whitney–Diarmuid therefore did not have to watch his back for him now.
“Yeah,” Stan replied, and drove off.
Unbeknownst to them, the bride had been staring at their car the instant it arrived and stopped outside, and was still watching as they drove into the distance.
The unrepressed spite in her eyes was certainly sinister.
“What are you looking at?” Chad asked just then.
“I saw Diarmuid Althoff’s car,” the bride replied unhappily.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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