"Please, Mr. Romano, give me one more chance. My daughter is still so young, and I don't want to go to prison!" A middle-aged man was kneeling on the floor, crying uncontrollably, his hands trembling as they supported him on the ground. He reached out toward the man in the wheelchair but hesitated, unable to bring himself to touch him.
Liesa Valtieri stepped inside, witnessing the scene. At the butler's subtle glance, she wisely moved to stand in the corner, her gaze landing on the handsome man sitting in the wheelchair before her.
That man was her target in this world: Angus Romano.
Angus watched the desperate man on the floor, his expression unreadable. Behind him, Sam Summer, the butler, furrowed his brows. "You leaked the company's bid to a competitor, and you still expect Mr. Romano to forgive you?" Sam's tone was firm as he gestured for security to come in.
As the guards started to approach, the middle-aged man, overcome with despair, grabbed onto Angus's wheelchair. "Please, Mr. Romano, just one more chance. I swear I'll never betray the company again!"
Angus expressionlessly pressed the button on his wheelchair remote. The wheels of the chair rolled over the man's fingers, and he screamed in agony. Liesa furrowed her brows and thought,
Angus's calm voice broke the silence. "Who are you?" He asked, as if he hadn't just injured someone.
Liesa's gaze swept over him. His looks and physique were undeniably striking, but it was his air of aristocracy and coldness that really stood out. Even sitting in a wheelchair, he exuded an intimidating pressure.
Definitely not a easy target to approach. Liesa smiled. "Mr. Romano, I'm the new physical therapist, Liesa Liesa. I'll be handling your rehab from now on, until you're fully recovered." Angus turned his cold gaze to Sam, who seemed visibly embarrased for Liesa's words. "Mr. Romano, this appointment was scheduled in advance, so..."
"Get out." Angus's lips barely parted, his voice sharp and dismissive, like a blade cutting through the air. His gaze narrowed, his eyes as cutting as his words. Sam sighed, nodded toward the security guards who had just returned, and left the room.
Liesa stood there, momentarily stunned. She frowned and spoke up, her voice gentle but firm. "Mr. Romano, I'm here to help you. You shouldn't push me away. Trust me, if you follow the rehab plan, your leg injury will heal."
Angus Romano looked at her coldly. He had heard these words countless times since waking up after the car accident. But the truth was, no matter how hard he tried, he could never live like a normal person again. All those doctors who took his money but failed to deliver on their promises were nothing but frauds.
Liesa caught a glimpse of the security guards approaching, and her pace quickened. "Mr. Romano, please trust my abilities. I'm not like those doctors. I specialize in leg rehabilitation. With my help, you—"
Before she could finish, the two tall security guards grabbed her, one on each side, and began dragging her out. Panic surged within her. She had entered this world as a physical therapist because it was the easiest way to get close to the patient. But she hadn't expected Angus to reject her so forcefully.
She couldn't be thrown out. If she was, she would never have another chance to approach him. Then how would she complete her mission?
With that thought, Liesa began to struggle. As she did, she kept her voice remarkably calm. "Mr. Romano, this isn't the way to handle things. I'm a doctor, you're a patient. We should cooperate, not make this more awkward than it already is."
Angus watched her, a mocking smile curling on his lips, his eyes full of indifference.
Just as she felt herself being dragged toward the door, her voice shot up. "Mr. Romano, if you just let me stay, I promise I can fix your leg! I swear I will! If I don't, I'll bring my head to you on a silver platter!"
At her last words, a flicker of interest crossed Angus Romano's eyes. The butler, who knew him all too well, immediately waved his hand at the security guards. The two guards, trained and efficient, loosened their grip on Liesa.
As she struggled to get back into the room, she was suddenly released. The momentum sent her flying forward, and she crashed right into Angus. She found herself kneeling on the floor, her forehead pressed against his firm abdomen, her face buried in the front of his thighs. The world seemed to stop.
The atmosphere hung awkwardly for a few seconds before Liesa casually straightened up. She pulled out a lollipop from her bag, her demeanor calm as she offered it. "Mr. Romano, would you like a candy?"
Sam's face twisted into a grimace as he thought,
Angus, however, wasn't visibly angry. Instead, he spoke slowly, his tone detached. "What did you just say?"
Liesa snapped back to attention, standing up straight. She wiped the awkwardness off her face and shifted back into professional mode. "I can fix you, Mr. Romano. If you let me stay, I can help you recover."
Angus stared at her coolly. "I meant the second part."
Liesa paused for a second, then quickly answered, "If I don't fix you, I'll bring my head to you! I'll cut it off right here at the neck!"
A small smirk tugged at the corner of Angus Romano's lips as he beckoned her over. Liesa took a deep breath and bent down, but before she could fully straighten, his long fingers gripped her chin. The coldness of his touch sent an instinctive shiver down her spine.
Angus studied her innocent-looking face, his voice dropping to a low murmur that only the two of them could hear. "Looks like I'll have to think about what to do with that pretty head of yours."
Liesa met his gaze, her voice unwavering. "Unfortunately, Mr. Romano, you won't have that chance. I'm going to fix you. I swear it." They stared at each other for a long moment, both sets of eyes filled with something resolute. After a while, Angus released his grip and took the towel Sam handed him, carefully wiping his fingers, as if he had touched something filthy.
Liesa stood up straight, a light smile on her lips. She turned to Sam. "Excuse me, but where's my room?"
Sam glanced at Angus before leading her out, stepping ahead in a gentlemanly manner. "This way, Doctor."
"Second floor," Angus added, his tone flat.
Sam paused, giving a respectful nod before responding, "Understood, Mr. Romano."
Liesa followed them out, then stopped at the door. Turning back, she spoke with a straight face. "By the way, Mr. Romano, I think you should take a shower. After all, I didn't just accidentally touch your fingers earlier."
Without waiting for a response, she walked away, and just as she rounded the corner, the sound of glass shattering against the door echoed behind her. Liesa couldn't help but smile, unfazed, and continued walking after Sam.
When they reached her temporary room, Sam stopped and turned to her. "Here we are, Doctor."
"Thank you."
Liesa nodded and pushed the door open to step inside. Sam hesitated, then spoke up. "Dr. Liesa, do you really think you can fix Mr. Romano's leg? I mean, fully heal it?"
Liesa smiled. "Of course." She said it casually, though she thought inside,
Sam chuckled softly. "I look forward to seeing your miraculous skills. Get some rest." With that, he turned and left.
Liesa gave a polite nod as he walked out, then quickly shut the door behind him. She walked over to the bed and collapsed onto it. After a few moments of restless tossing, she began to think through the situation.
A month ago, Angus, a powerful figure in Aquila City, had been shot in the head during a robbery. Though his body was slowly recovering, his mind was still struggling. Post-traumatic stress had triggered symptoms of schizophrenia, though his case was far more unusual than most.
Unlike typical split personalities, where the dominant and secondary selves fight for control, Angus's secondary personalities didn't even know the main one existed. They lived in their own separate worlds inside his mind, unaware of each other.
But even so, the chaos was wreaking havoc on the main personality. Each time a new personality emerged, the body was wracked with excruciating pain. That pain left deep emotional scars on the secondary personalities, fueling their anger and bitterness. This relentless mental strain kept Angus's mind active 24/7, which, if it continued, could lead to permanent brain damage and eventually leave him in a vegetative state.
Liesa had been hired as an assistant to the renowned American doctor who was supposed to treat Angus. But when the doctor unexpectedly canceled due to urgent matters, Liesa, in desperate need of money, took matters into her own hands. Without a second thought, she posed as the doctor, bringing the latest equipment back to China. After conducting the tests, she synced her brainwaves with Angus's, who had been hypnotized.
The place she found herself in now was the first fractured world inside Angus's mind. It was also the one that resembled his true self the most—if the real Angus was a business tycoon, this version was a classic arrogant CEO.
However, unlike the real Angus, this version of him had been left physically scarred by a car accident. His leg injury had made him bitter, reclusive, and suspicious of everyone around him.
A man like that was no easy person to approach. Liesa's mission was to dissolve the anger and resentment festering in his secondary personality. Only when that anger was resolved would this fractured world disappear, and the activity in Angus's brain would decrease. Liesa squinted her eyes, then thought back to how Angus had rejected her earlier. She sighed, massaging her temples. She had chosen the easiest way in, thinking that posing as a doctor would make things smoother, but she hadn't expected the level of hostility she'd face. What seemed like the simplest option had quickly turned into a nightmare.
"What am I supposed to do now?" she groaned, letting her frustration show as she tossed and turned on the bed.
She realized,
"What am I supposed to do now?" With no one around, she finally let her true nature show, tossing and turning restlessly on the bed.
Meanwhile, in the other room, the television screen displayed her dramatic, distressed rolling on the bed. Sam glanced nervously at Angus's face and cautiously spoke up, "This doctor seems... rather unique."
Angus didn't respond immediately. He stared at the woman on the screen, his lips twisting into a sneer. Finally, he said, his voice cool and indifferent, "If someone like that can actually fix me, I'd be surprised. Butler, draft an exemption contract for her to sign. In a few days, we'll send her to the sharks."
<...> Sam stood there, speechless.