Chapter 15
“Pearl!”
Pearl fed Jonah some fever–reducing medicine after they returned to the base. Thankfully, his condition gradually took a turn for the better.
She was setting up an IV drip for him when he weakly opened his eyes and grabbed her wrist.
Pearl felt utterly done. She really wanted someone else to care for Jonah, but he refused to take any medicine unless she gave it to him.
Lionel had no choice but to ask her to help out for the sake of securing that million–dollar donation.
Pearl ground her teeth as she wrenched Jonah’s fingers off her wrist. Fortunately for her, he was currently very feeble and therefore couldn’t resist her. Then, she swaddled him with the bedsheet like a baby, completely immobilizing him.
Jonah immediately protested at her treatment and turned his head away from the medicine.
“Are you, the great Mr. Lawrence, really going to be so childish?” she demanded, wholly exasperated by this farce.
She was so frustrated that she tossed the medicine aside. “Fine. Drink it or don’t!”
After all, he was already on an IV drip. He would be fine.
To her surprise, Jonah panicked the second she stopped trying to care for him. Once he was certain that Pearl wasn’t going to wait on him hand and foot, he forced himself up on one elbow and chugged the medicine himself.
After that, he became the best patient, cooperating fully with his treatment. Naturally, he recovered quickly.
Lionel finally managed to organize a simple charity donation ceremony. It was there that Jonah officially signed the donation agreement.
“With this donation, we’ll be able to develop our projects and purchase the equipment we’ve been eyeing,” Lionel blubbered. There were tears in his eyes as he made every team member shake Jonah’s hand in gratitude.
When it was Pearl’s turn, she stepped forward, just like her teammates had, and politely extended her right hand.
Jonah’s burning gaze landed on her for a whole two seconds before letting out an inaudible sigh. Then, he gently held her fingertips in a perfunctory handshake before moving on.
The Pearl who used to love him with all her heart was gone.
Although life at Nyora was tough for the medical team, they still made special arrangements for a celebratory banquet to honor Jonah in thanks. After all, he was the man who had donated a million dollars to their cause.
During the meal, Jonah seemed off. Case in point–he was accepting every single toast that came his way.
Pearl couldn’t help but frown when she saw how he kept downing drink after drink. She clearly remembered that he had always hated drinking culture.
He was a brilliant yet young entrepreneur who had made his mark in the business field early. He was known as the dark horse who had shaken up the industry when he was just starting his company. So, none had dared to pressure him to drink at social events.
Although he owned a fine collection of liquors, he never indulged and only sipped them sparingly when the mood struck him.
Even though Pearl had been married to him for four years, she had never seen him drinking with such wild abandon. Of course, the day Cecelia got married didn’t count.
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By the time the banquet was over and done with, Jonah was completely wasted.
And who was tasked to send him to the hotel? Pearl, that was who. The job had fallen on her shoulders because he refused to let anyone else touch him. “Jonah, I swear to God, are you doing this on purpose?” she growled in anger.
Pearl struggled as she supported his weight. Suddenly, she tilted her head, and a cheeky glint appeared in her eyes. She didn’t bother sending Jonah back to the designated hotel. Instead, she turned to the nearby slums and stopped in front of a run–down inn.
Although Jonah was drunk, he still drew attention with his long legs, narrow waist, and aristocratic air.
The innkeeper was an Etherian woman who had come all the way to Nyora for business. So, she immediately came out to greet them the second she caught sight of them.
“How much for one night?” Pearl asked.
The innkeeper held up a few fingers. Pearl ran the figures through her head and soon figured out that it costs less than ten dollars a night.
Pearl didn’t hesitate to pay up. “Ring me up for one night. Thanks.”
When she saw how the innkeeper could barely keep her eyes off Jonathan, she decided to have a little bit of fun and said, “This host over here is handsome, isn’t he?”
As expected, the innkeeper’s eyes lit up with unholy glee. “A host, you say? With looks like that, he’s got to be expensive, no?”
Pearl shook her head and drawled, “Not really. He’s cheaper than the room.”
Chapter 15
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The innkeeper was hooked as she asked, “Can I get his number?”
“Why don’t you ask him when he checks out in the morning?” Pearl winked at the innkeeper before helping Jonah upstairs under the innkeeper’s dreamy
gaze.
A strong scent of mold filled the room the moment she lifted the sheets. Pearl pinched her nose as she dumped onto the clearly filthy bed.
His elegant brows immediately scrunched together, and Pearl couldn’t help but laugh to herself. For someone as pampered as Jonah, she was confident that he had never even breathed the air of a place that dirty.
Still, it really wasn’t her fault. It was on him for clinging to her like gum on her shoe. She had been forced to cater to his needs when he fell ill, and now, when he decided to be a drunkard.
Last she checked, she was here to provide aid to Nyora, not to babysit Jonah in a different country!
This time, she was going to make sure he learned his lesson and stopped pestering her in Nyora.
Her gaze landed on Jonah, who was dressed in a bespoke suit and sprawled awkwardly on an oddly greasy and foul blanket. Satisfied with what she saw, she dusted her hands off and prepared to leave.
Pearl had just turned on her heel when her wrist was stuck in an iron grip.
“Pearl, don’t leave. Please don’t leave me…” Jonah begged.
