Self

Chapter 34

“Mary, Mary!” Yale’s voice was tinged with agony as he clutched his stomach, his face ghostly pale.

The villa was eerily quiet–no answer came.

The pain had rudely awakened him that morning.

Gut–wrenching cramps radiated from his stomach, his body chilled, the urge to vomit there, but nothing to expel.

He knew that agony all too well–his stomach was acting up again…

He remembered keeping some medicines around and started rummaging through everything.

All he found was an empty medicine box.

Gritting his teeth against the pain, he called his assistant.

“Need stomach meds at the villa–immediately.”

Sensing the urgency, the assistant bolted to the nearest pharmacy and grabbed a box.

Yale pulled up to the villa, his face ghostly pale as he slumped on the couch, a sheen of cold sweat on his forehead.

“Mr. Johnson, here’s your medicine.”

He grabbed the pills and lukewarm water from the assistant and gulped them down without a word.

“Should I get you something to eat?”

Yale dismissed him with a wave. “Just go.”

The assistant let out a relieved breath and slipped out quietly.

Chapter 14

In less than an hour, Yale was on the phone again, his voice sharp with pain and anger.

“What did you even buy? This medicine is a joke! Buying the right pills is a no–brainer. What’s your excuse? Can’t you read, or are you just blind?”

Yale tried to rein in his temper, but the gnawing pain in his gut was making it impossible.

He glanced at the medicine box on the coffee table and realized it was not his usual brand–no wonder it did not work.

“Sorry, Mr. Johnson, I wasn’t careful enough. What brand do your usually take?”

Yale stared at the box, his mind suddenly blank.

Yara always took care of it.

He had never bothered to note the brand or manufacturer, it just always worked.

Annoyed, he hung up and dialed Yara, but the call did not connect.

His scowl deepened, a bitter reminder that she still blocked him.

Just then, the door opened. Mary was back from her grocery run. Yale. liked his privacy, so she had her own schedule for coming and going.

She was about to start cleaning when she saw Yale’s towering figure approach.

“Mary, where’s your phone?”

She jumped, startled by his ashen face. “Young Master, are you alright?”

Yale was on edge, his voice tinged with impatience. “Hand over your phone. I have to make a call.”

Chappé 34

He grabbed the phone and punched in the number without a second. thought, as if he had done it a million times.

Someone picked up almost instantly.

“What’s up, Mary?”

Her voice was like a cool breeze, but Yale had been ready to grill her about her antics and demand to know when she would return home.

Yet, the words jammed in his throat, and he could not spit them out. All he managed was a low murmur. “My stomach’s acting up again.”