After what felt like an eternity, Angus finally broke the silence, his voice calm, almost detached. "The steak was good."
Everyone froze for a moment. Liesa let out a quiet sigh of relief, her lips curving into a faint smile. Sam stepped forward, his expression polite as always. "If you liked it, would you prefer we prepare this for lunch tomorrow, Mr. Romano?"
Angus didn't respond, his expression unreadable. Sam glanced at the security team by the door. In a flurry of motion, they swiftly cleaned the table. Sam gave a slight bow before adding, "I won't disturb your rehab session further." His eyes lingered on Liesa for a moment before he left the room.
Once the door shut, the room returned to its quiet tension. Angus's fingers lightly tapped the armrest of his wheelchair, as though the earlier events hadn't phased him at all.
Liesa knew this wouldn't be so easily settled. As long as Angus was still in the room, she had to explain herself.
"Mr. Romano," she began, her voice steady, "you may not know me, but I've admired you for a long time. When I learned I'd be your rehab therapist, I can't even tell you how happy I was. That's why I've tried my best to meet every one of your requests—even the unreasonable ones."
She paused, watching him closely. But there was no reaction from him. Taking a deep breath, she cleared her throat and continued.
"Maybe I misjudged the situation, and that made you suspicious. But you can trust me—I'm not sent by any outside forces. If you still doubt me, I'm open to any investigation you want. But please, let me stay and take care of you. Is that alright?"
Her voice, once confident and professional, softened, almost pleading. She wasn't just asking for his trust anymore. She was asking for a chance.
Angus remained silent, his gaze piercing as it flicked over her. His thoughts briefly flashed back to the image of her rolling around on the bed earlier.
"Mr. Romano?" Liesa asked, noticing his silence. Her nerves began to fray again, the uncertainty creeping in.
Angus's lips curled into a soft, mocking smile. His gaze sharpened, cold as ever. "Do you think I'll believe that?"
Liesa faltered, but quickly regained her composure. "...It's just the confession of a girl who's had a crush for a long time. If you don't believe me, I can't change that. But please know this—I won't let my personal feelings interfere with my work. I'll do everything I can to help you recover, as quickly as possible."
She smiled, trying to show that her personal feelings were set aside, even though her heart pounded in her chest.
Liesa wasn't as calm as she appeared. To hide her nervousness, she slipped her hands into the pockets of her lab coat, but quickly realized it was an awkward move. She pulled her hands out, but not before something round slipped from her pocket.
The thick carpet muffled the sound of the object hitting the floor, so Liesa didn't notice it had fallen. However, Angus saw it clearly—a small, round hard candy, likely the one she had dropped earlier in the room.
He stared at her for a long moment, his gaze unwavering. Finally, he spoke in a detached tone. "Rehabilitation."
Liesa let out a quiet breath of relief. Inside, she was doing backflips, celebrating that she had managed to cover up her slip.
"Let's start with some basic movements to work on your muscle strength and coordination," Liesa said quickly, adopting a professional demeanor. "Mr. Romano, can you use the strength in your left leg to get out of the wheelchair?"
Angus glanced at her indifferently, his face unreadable. "No."
<...>
Liesa stood there, speechless. "…Right."
So, the rest of the day passed in a blur of repetition. Liesa spent another exhausting afternoon massaging the stubborn man, just like in the morning. That evening, she collapsed into bed, too drained to do anything but fall into a deep sleep.
In the master bedroom, Sam paused after hearing Angus's words. He seemed at a loss for words. "So, you believe her now, Mr. Romano?"
"Not really." Angus turned the page of his book, his expression unreadable.
Sam frowned. "Then why not just let her leave?" He thought,
"Bored." Angus said coldly, his voice as indifferent as ever.
Sam blinked, momentarily taken aback, before nodding in understanding. "Got it, Mr. Romano."
Since the accident, Mr. Romano rarely left the house. His days were spent either reading or going through paperwork—much more dull than they used to be. Now, with a strange woman in the house, at least there was some distraction to break the monotony.
And so, Liesa stayed, despite the growing number of watchful eyes around her. Sam became more distant, but she still felt comfortable enough.
Another day of rehabilitation passed.
After finishing the massage, Liesa couldn't help but sigh. "Mr. Romano, you can't just get massages every day. You need to move around more to work those calf muscles. The more you walk, the better."