The Royal Contract

On the other side of the city, he had to assist a surgery and managed several emergency cases besides the patients he had to attend to regularly. It was exhausting and quite late.

"Are you on your way out?" Sebastian stopped him at the lobby just when he was about to exit the door.

He heard that he did well in the operating room today. One of his colleagues could not stop praising the new doctor. He was curious. He could use another good doctor around.

"Yeah, why?" He asked, praying that it was not another case because his body was giving up.

He could feel that the muscles in his legs were about to collapse. He might still be able to function barely, but it would only be due to adrenaline, nothing more.

"Don't look so glum, Jacob." Sebastian teased him. "I was only going to tell you that you are scrubbing with me tomorrow. I have a new case. That is if you are up for it."

He did see the fatigue expression on his face. Being a new resident in a new hospital was never easy. He knew all about it since he also went through the same rigorous training. 

But he believed it did help develop his skills as a doctor and a surgeon. He was still a long way from becoming a great doctor, but he would get there eventually.

"That's great," Jacob shouted in excitement. It felt like it was his lucky day. His tiredness slightly eased out upon hearing the news. "Thanks. I'll be there."

He was looking forward to every opportunity to be inside the operating room, learning from his mentors. It was the only best way to learn, according to his book.

"Then, I'll see you tomorrow." Sebastian went back inside the hospital while he walked straight to his beaten car.

For someone a bit wealthy, he still drove his old car. He did not feel like letting it go. It had a sentimental value. Besides, it was still working just fine.

"Take me home, my friend." He mumbled to his car as he started the ignition. He hummed perfectly, just the way he liked it. Then, a few minutes he was on the road towards his house.

He carefully unlocked the door of his apartment, afraid that he might wake her up. However, he was the one shocked when he saw her still in his living room, watching a movie, wide awake.

"Hi! I hope you are not waiting for me." Jacob quickly said as he closed the door and walked towards the living room.

He was expecting that he would find Cassie probably sleeping already when he got home. That was if she decided to take on his offer to stay for a couple more days until she was ready to leave.

Well, he could not force her to stay if she did not want to, nor could he ask her about her relationship with his brother. She would tell him about it if she trusted him enough. Else, it was not his business.

"Well, I am. I figured that you might be hungry, so I cooked something for you." She stood up from her seat and led the way to the kitchen, where she had laid some food on the counter.

She figured it was the least she could do for him, for saving her and taking care of her and then allowing her to stay in his house for a few days until she could figure out what to do next.

"Where did you get all this food?" He asked, remembering that his kitchen was almost bare since he forgot to drop by the grocery again.

He did plan to do some shopping. As a second-year resident, it was not that easy. Although the hospital was impressed with his achievements at a very young age, it did not mean that he received favored treatments compared to his fellow residents.

"I sneaked out earlier. I was hungry. I figured we have to eat, so I bought some few stuff." She explained to him.

She sat down on one of the chairs and offered him what she had prepared for them. It was not much, but it was what she used to cook for Nick. She was not a chef, but she still believed that it tasted good.

"But, I thought Nick was after you. You should not be walking on the street, or he might catch you." His tone was a bit louder than he intended. He could not help but be alarmed by her careless action. 

He did guess that she was hiding from his brother. It did not need a rocket scientist to figure that one out. His brother was a notorious businessman. 

A criminal, he was still figuring out how deep he was in that area. He still did not know him that well, but he knew his brother had many connections. Was he cruel? Maybe, judging from the incident in the bar.

"Don't worry. I made sure that no one recognized me with my disguise. Anyway, I only bought some food. I did not roam the street." She felt a bit defensive all of a sudden, not expecting his sudden outburst.

She knew the risk she was taking as soon as her foot stepped out of his apartment, but she could not keep hiding in there. She would have to leave eventually.

But first things first, she needed a plan to see or talk privately with Alex. She could not leave town until she had seen him. But she knew that Nick's men were out there scouting the city for her.

"I'm sorry. I did not mean to raise my voice. I was just concerned about your safety." Jacob immediately calmed down his tone. 

In the first place, he had no right to meddle with her life. She was not his prisoner, and he could not stop her from doing what she felt she needed to do.

"That is fine. You are right. I should be extra careful with my actions. I don't know what I was thinking." She also realized what he was talking about and understood his reaction.

Suddenly, she felt she could trust him even if his brother probably wanted to have her captured, tortured, or even killed. She could sense that Jacob was different from the first time she talked to him at the bar.

"Well, could we forget about it and start again? I don't want all this delicious-looking food to go to waste because we had a little disagreement." He offered a truce.

He started to taste the first dish that was nearest to him. And find it way much better than the breakfast he had earlier. He could not wait to try the other sumptuous meal on the table.

She was glad that he found him easy to talk to and funny in a way. It made their meal less awkward and enjoyable. At the end of the meal, she finally decided to share her past with him.

"That is how I got involved with your brother." She knew it was a risk, but she could not keep acting like she was the victim. She was not innocent and needed saving. 

Parents wanted their kids to stay away from someone like her because she was not good and did not play fair.. She was a true villain in the story.