Chapter 23
Marcus had no choice but to take off her right sleeve first, then carefully remove the left one
The down jacket and cardigan sweater were easy to take off, but if he took off her undershirt, sheâd be completely exposed. Marcus looked at her and said, âIâm gonna have to tear your
sleeve off
Cornelia blinked, âCan you really do that?â
Marcus steadied her wounded arm with one hand while the other tugged harshly, ripping the sleeve at its seam. He displayed a strength far greater than Cornelia had anticipated
In an instant, the wound on her fair arm was exposed It was about the size of a fist, her skin all smashed up, and blood kept flowing out.
Marcus was shocked, but Cornelia was still smiling, like a fool, as if she didnât know pain. âPresident Hartley, youâre quite strong.â
Without hesitation, Marcus tore open his white shirt and wrapped her wound round and round
Cornelia clenched her teeth in pain, and tears began to flow because of the painâ¦
Marcus said, if it hurts, just scream. No one will laugh at you.â
Corneliaâs lips were bitten red, but she still tried to smile. This pain is nothing. I can bear it.â
Ever since he met her, she always seemed to be smiling, rarely showing any other expressions. She was very suitable to be his assistant.
But at this moment, Marcus found her smile very irritating Why do you have to endure it?â
Why endure it?
It seemed that no one had ever asked Cornelia this question. She vaguely remembered that after her father died in a car accident, people around her often mocked her as a jinx. Thatâs when she learned to endure, she guessed
Her grandmother had been taking care of her, in addition to her own son, and it had been tough. She didnât want to cause her grandmother any trouble, so she learned to endure.
Cornelia just smiled and didnât answer.
Marcus asked again, âAre there any other injuries?â
She was wearing thick clothes, and Marcus couldnât visually confirm if there were any other wounds on her body.
Cornelia shook her head, âNo.â
Marcus helped her put on her down jacket. âLetâs go back now, and have a doctor check you out later.â
âOkay,â Cornelia nodded, and Marcus scooped her up.
When they had just teleported, he had carried her so fast that she didnât even have time to react before he put her down. Now it seemed he intended to carry her all the way back to the
hotel
Cornelia was startled and struggled to get down. âPresident Hartley, weâre both married. This isnât right. Please put me down.â
Marcusâs handsome face was cold. âSo by your logic, male doctors cant treat female patients?â
Cornelia said. âThatâs not the same thing at allâ
Marcus ignored her and continued to carry her forward.
Cornelia spoke again, âPresident Hartley, you may not care about your reputation, but I do. Itâs different for girls and guys. When a man does some things, itâs called being flirtatious. But when a woman does it, shes called a slut.â
Marcus stopped in his tracks. He just wanted to get her back to the hotel quickly so a doctor could treat her wounds, but he hadnât thought about all that.
He reluctantly put her down. âCan you walk on your own?â
Cornelia smiled and said, âI hurt my arm, not my legs. I can walk just fine.â
Marcus reached out to help her, but she immediately dodged to the side, still wanting to keep her distance from him.
Marcus was a little angry âCornelia, am I really that scary to you?â
âPresident Hartley, Iâm not scared of you. Iâm scared of my husband getting jealous.â Mentioning her husband at this time was a smart move. That way, she wouldnât have to come up with any other excuses
In fact, Cornelia was scaredâscared of gossip behind her back, scared of people around him warning her again not to have unrealistic thoughts about him.
Initially, she harbored no sentiments for Marcus, but as tongues wagged, some might accept the rumors as truth. This would unjustly paint her as a woman lacking integrity.