Ten Million Dollars Mission

c.74- The apprentice

The quiet room bugged the woman entirely.

"Be it incurable or not, at least, I have one month left. That's more than enough. It's better than staying in the hospital for three months and dying slowly" To break the silence, L lifted the atmosphere. Her lighthearted behavior was admirable in Caleb's sight.

Despite the short time and pain she would be going through, she remained mentally strong. "Thank you. We will be sure to take care of her" Caleb had made up his mind. Even Finn did not protest. The two men bought the lie at last. "You found amazing friends"

Doctor smiled at L.  "Mhm hm. Oh, and what about the body donation we talked about? Can I fill the form now?" The woman's question stunned Caleb and Finn. The form she mentioned was body donation?! She did not sound anxious about her death at all.

She behaved as though the death meant nothing to her. "Ah, right! I almost forgot!" The doctor placed the document on table. And L grabbed a pen out of purse. The two men could only observe in disbelief. Depression must be afraid of her, Finn silently thought to himself.

The three walked out of the hospital.

One had a dejected gaze, one wore a satisfied smile, and one grasped onto the tiny bit of doubt. Soon, the awkwardness conquered them, leading one of them to break the silence. "What's your name?" Finn suddenly asked. Capturing the woman's attention.

Was he being serious? Didn't he hear the nurse calling her name? "Lilith Arnold" She responded, coldly. "Well, listen, Miss Lilith Arnold. Even though the doctor clarified everything, I still don't trust you entirely" Finn disclosed his thoughts, which L didn't care about.

"If I happen to find out you are trying to take advantage of my friend, I am going to boil you alive. Mark my words" Finn's fiery eyes pierced through L's gaze. Such a fierce man. The only thing he needed in his life was a dominant woman to tame him. He should have been her prey.

"Finn, stop scaring her off. We have discussed this matter, haven't we?" Caleb reminded beneath a frown as he tried to stand between them. His height completely towered above the woman. L could not even see Finn. But she felt protected. Tall men sure were attractive.

L took a step to the side.

Grabbing the attention. "I understand that you find it hard to believe. It's my fault for approaching Mr. Caleb randomly. I thought my time was running out of grasp quickly. So, I acted impulsively. I am sorry for not considering it thoroughly" L played the victim card.

And it worked so well, even on the aggressive man like Finn. He blinked. An ounce of guilt built up within. Right, she only had one month left. For her, seconds were ticking off faster than before. It was no wonder she suddenly appeared out of nowhere to fulfill her last wish.

Caleb furrowed his brows. Culpability gleamed in eyes. The more he listened to her, the more he felt like embracing her tightly. No matter how easygoing she might appear, he knew she was carrying this stress and an ounce of fright for the approaching death.

"Miss Lilith, why don't we have a chat somewhere? I know a perfect café" In order to separate the two, Caleb took Lilith with him. "Whatever. I am out" Scowling, Finn also walked away without any complaints. He knew he went too far. "Sure" L had to leave her car.

She decided to get it back after.

The so-called perfect café turned out to be the one Caleb paid visit frequently. To be precise, the café L spent four days observing him. "Caramel latte from here tastes amazing" Caleb suggested from the side. "Then, I will have one" The two took a seat after ordering.

"Firstly, I want to apologize" Caleb started the conversation. Confusing the woman. "Why?" L frowned. "My friend was being extremely rude to you. But he is just a bit belligerent with strangers. Once you grow closer to him, you will find out that he is a good person"

The way Caleb shielded his friend amused the woman. What a cute friendship. "It's okay. I don't mind at all" L shrugged it off. Relieving the man. "About the request, why don't you work together with me? Are you interested in arts? Or maybe books? Anything you prefer?"

Caleb was so generous that L began to feel bad slightly. "To be honest, I am not excellent in both categories. I want to learn from you instead. How about taking me as your apprentice? I will pay a visit to take lessons from you" L's suggestion received a nod quickly.

Caleb never thought of rejecting her.

He wanted to help those in need. But this time, he had no clue that the need was only an empty shell. "If you find yourself comfortable with that, I have no objections" The man approved. "Really?! Thank you!" L grinned as Caleb smiled. She has a beautiful smile.

The thought crossed. "You can ask me anything. We can grow closer in that way" L tilted her head as the man snapped out of thoughts. His eyes glanced around. "Do you have parents or guardians?" Was it an inappropriate question for him to ask? Did he make wrong choice?

"I lost them before twenty. It's been seven years since they passed away in plane accident" L repeated what she read in the file. Her eyes embraced sorrow, unlike the small smile she forced on her lips. "Oh, sorry for your loss" The man felt bad for her. What a harsh life.

In order to change the topic and make the atmosphere light, Caleb added a question; "What about your work?" "I used to work as a journalist. It was a fun job. But I retired after, you know, the leukemia thing" Shrugging it off, L disclosed. And Caleb quieted down.

How miserable.

"Don't worry. I will be here with you until the end" Sometimes, being overly kind was not a good thing. Some people could take advantage of it. Some could confuse reality and cause misunderstandings. L started to draw back from her beliefs.

She no longer believed Caleb's kindness was admirable. Rather, it was concerning. "Your caramel latte is ready!" At the time, the waiter interrupted the conversation. Catching the attention. "Ah, thanks!" The two enjoyed the latte. L would talk about paintings.

Caleb also tagged along in the conversation by mentioning his favorite artists. "I have to get my car from hospital. We should bid farewell for now" Once they stepped outside, L suggested. "I don't want to let you return alone. How about this? I will drop you off at the hospital"

His worry echoed in the tone. L quieted down for a second, as if she were making a decision when, in fact, she had been waiting for him to offer a ride. "Well, it is a good idea" L nodded to the suggestion. As they walked to the car, a boy on skateboard yelled from behind.

"Step aside!"

The frustration displayed in the shout. Caleb and Lilith turned to take a look. However, the boy was only two feet away from them. Causing L to step aside in hurry as Caleb backed up for the boy to pass through from between. At the time, an idea crossed the woman's mind.

"Ah!" She leaned to the back, her heels slipping off the platform. A legendary moment was about to happen. Caleb's eyes widened as his hands managed to react rapidly. He grabbed Lilith's arm, pulling her forward to prevent the fall. L's lips pressed on his shoulder.

His scent was so sweet and soothing! She could feel the rapid heartbeat rate within him. It was so chaotic and loud. A proud smirk tugged on the woman's lips. Was he that surprised and excited? All she did was perform a fake slip and press her body on him. 'Men are so easy.'

Caleb's body froze at the spot. He reacted without a single thought. As a result, he held her waist tightly enough to feel her breasts pressing on him. The man squeezed his eyes and clenched his jaw. She must think he's a creep! "Ah, sorry!" Promptly, L backed up.

Caleb only gulped. He rubbed his nape. His eyes never looked up. He continued to avoid the eye contact which amused the woman. "That boy should be careful. I almost lost my life" L shifted the focus when she noticed the silence response. This meant one thing only.

The man was probably the type to shut his mouth when he felt shy. She could not push far at the moment. Otherwise, this man might run away in fear. "Ah, right. Teenagers are hard to lecture" Caleb put on a smile as he glanced away. What was he saying anyway?! The response was bizarre!

He was not being himself!