Mysterious Mrs. Pansy

Realizing she had slipped up, Jane cleared her throat and explained, “I learned Taekwondo back in school.”

Patrick chuckled upon hearing this revelation but refrained from further comment.

They soon arrived at the hospital, where a doctor thoroughly examined Patrick.

As Jane expected, the cut on his hand turned out to be minor. His leg, though, suffered severe bruising, but no bones were broken. A few days of rest would have him back on his feet.

Jane breathed a sigh of relief. “You’re going to be okay.”

Patrick turned to her and asked, “Why? Do you care about me?”

Jane responded, “What’s wrong with caring about you? After all, you got hurt trying to save me.”

Jane was grateful to him, even if she believed his help had been unnecessary.

The doctor provided Patrick with a detailed prescription. “Apply this ointment three times a day, and take these pills – one in the morning and one in the evening.”

“Thank you,” Patrick acknowledged as Jane carefully took note. By the time they left the hospital, it was already early morning.

As they got into the car, Patrick surprised Jane by saying, “Go to Water Moon Community.”

“Huh? Aren’t we going home?” Jane asked in confusion.

“It’s late,” Patrick replied with a faint smile. In truth, he didn’t want his mother to discover he was injured, let alone that he had been injured while saving Jane. On one hand, he didn’t want Beatrice to direct her anger at Jane. On the other hand, whenever Jane was at the Pansy family home, she’d remain secluded in the guest room, and Patrick never got the opportunity to spend time alone with her.

Maybe his grandfather was right; he should make an effort to get to know her better.

The streets at night were serene, and outside the car, the colorful city lights illuminated Jane’s lovely face through the window, casting an almost magical glow.

With his eyes half-closed, Patrick leaned back in his seat, entranced by her. He couldn’t take his eyes off the girl as she focused on driving.

Breaking the silence, Patrick asked, “Jane, Monica was fired. What do you think about that?”

“Huh?” Jane was initially confused, but once she understood, she shrugged. “She deserved it. She tried to hurt you. You’d be a fool to forgive her.”

Jane’s response was far from what Patrick expected. Sitting up and looking at her, he said slowly, “I mean, I’m going to promote you. You’ll be the next director of the secretary department.”

Despite Jane being with the company for only a few weeks, Patrick believed she was capable of handling the responsibility. He wanted to give her an opportunity.

Unexpectedly, Jane firmly shook her head. “No, thanks.”

“Why not?” Patrick asked, taken aback. The director position at Pansy Group was highly coveted.Nôvel(D)rama.Org's content.

But Jane declined the offer without hesitation. She frowned, stating, “I’m doing this for your sake. In two months, I’ll break off our engagement, and I’ll leave. You’ll have to select a new director. You need to think about the future.”

“Where are you going?” Patrick’s expression darkened.

“Anywhere but here. I don’t want to stay in your home,” Jane replied nonchalantly. She believed the world would be her oyster then.

Patrick, displeased, refrained from saying more. He felt deeply unhappy, a sentiment that showed on his face. Did he hold no place in her heart at all?

Half an hour later, they reached Water Moon Community, a luxurious residential area owned by Pansy Group, conveniently located near the Pansy Group building.

“Here we are,” Jane announced. However, Patrick remained silent.

Jane turned to look at him, only to discover that he had fallen asleep. She tapped his shoulder and exclaimed, “Patrick, we’re here. Time to wake up.”

In his slumber, Patrick frowned. In his dream, it seemed he had returned to a small, dark room. Several gangsters had beaten him badly, and he was too exhausted to go on. Candy, his companion, urgently shook him awake and said, “Wake up! They’re gone! Let’s get out of here while we still can!”

Half-awake and groggy, he heard her voice again. “Patrick, wake up!”

“Candy…”

Candy was calling him! He instinctively grabbed Candy’s hand, and they ran into the woods, their pursuers close behind. However, they soon faced a cliff, and the gangsters drew nearer. Candy expressed her inability to continue running, and Patrick could only watch as she fell into the abyss.

“Candy, no!”

Suddenly, he grabbed Jane’s hand. “Candy, don’t leave me!”

“Patrick? What’s going on with you?” Jane, wide-eyed, looked at Patrick, confused by his reaction. What was troubling him? It seemed Candy had left him. But why? Did she not like Patrick? Did she reject him? Such an outcome seemed unlikely, given Patrick’s handsome face and high status as an ideal husband. A girl wouldn’t easily overlook his charm. However, Patrick’s emotional outcry seemed to indicate a deep love for Candy. So why? Why had she left him? Was Candy truly gone? Perhaps this was why Patrick was so obsessed with her.

The more Jane considered this, the more convinced she became, leading her not to ask him any questions. She observed the cold sweat on his forehead.

Patrick reached to wipe it away. A moment later, he regained his usual cold and aloof demeanor, saying, “Nothing. Just a bad dream.”

“Anyway, we’re here now,” Jane stated as she opened the car door.

Patrick, pointing to his injured leg, smiled meaningfully. “You’ll have to help me.”

Jane looked at him indignantly. “You’re the one who kicked me, remember?”

“Fine,” Jane begrudgingly assisted him out of the car. With Patrick’s arm draped around her shoulder, she helped him walk to the elevator. The two were so close that Jane could feel Patrick’s warm breath on her neck, and he was rather heavy. Jane quickly grew tired.

Upon finally reaching the door of his apartment, they found it locked. Jane, breathing heavily, looked up at Patrick and inquired, “Where’s the key?”

“In my pocket,” Patrick replied.

“Alright, hand it over,” Jane demanded. She wasn’t about to reach into his pocket.

Patrick held up his injured hand and smiled faintly. “I got injured saving you, remember? You’ll have to get the key from my pocket.”

For heaven’s sake, was he making things difficult on purpose?