The Worst Husband In The World

Eryx pinched the bridge of his nose, the headache from the long night creeping up. He wasn't in the mood for this, but he had to get answers. The woman was still out cold on his bed, and the situation felt more like a mess with each passing minute.

Seraphine left right after the 'husband' scene. He didn't know if he should thank this woman for his contribution to get rid of the woman that he hated the second after his mother.

"How is she?" he asked, his tone sharp, though he didn't even look at the doctor.

The doctor, fiddling with his notes, hesitated. "I gave her a calming injection to help regulate her temperature, but..." He trailed off, unsure how to phrase it.

Eryx raised an eyebrow, clearly impatient. "But what? Just say it already." He was tired and irritated, desperate for answers.

The doctor shifted uncomfortably. "Well, sir, in cases like this... sometimes physical activity can help... you know, to release the effects of the drug faster."

Eryx froze for a moment, eyes narrowing. "Wait... you're telling me I should... what, have sex with her to fix this?"

The doctor panicked. "N-No, that's not—"

"Then what the hell are you suggesting?" Eryx growled, cutting him off. "A cold bath? A walk in the park? You can't just throw out words like that and expect me to not be confused!"

The doctor stammered, trying to backtrack. "I-I meant, um, just... physical... well, not that physical. Just... try to cool her down, sir." He paused before finally continuing, " I think a cold bath is enough!"

Eryx stared at him, his expression hard and cold. "Yeah, right. Cold bath. Got it." He shot the doctor a look that could freeze the air. "You better not be suggesting I... do anything to her. I'll deal with it, but if you ever say that again, I'm sending you to a clinic where you get yourself… checked out."

The doctor, looking mortified, nodded quickly. "Of course, sir. I'll... I'll leave you to it." He bolted from the room.

Eryx sighed, rubbing his temples again. "Sex, really? That was your suggestion?" He turned back to Lunara, his gaze narrowing. "Who knows, maybe this fox planned this from the start." He walked toward the bed, eyes staring down at her with a mixture of frustration and disbelief.

His hands ran through his hair, looking at her face as if expecting her to wake up and explain herself. But the only response was the soft moan that escaped her lips. Eryx coughed under his breath, feeling an unexpected rush of awkwardness.

"Great. Now she's... moaning in her sleep?" He muttered, glaring down at her as if she were the one causing all the trouble. He shifted on his feet, avoiding looking at her too closely. "Shit."

His eyes flickered to the door, debating whether he should leave. But something kept him rooted in place.

"Don't even think about it," he muttered to himself, trying to ignore the ridiculous situation.

"Ahem…" Callum, who had been standing there frozen, watching his boss' awkward situation, cleared his throat to remind Eryx that he was still in the room.

Eryx snapped his gaze back to him, his irritation clear. "What?" he snapped, voice sharp, his patience wearing thin. "Did you get the information? Who is she?"

Callum, clearly uncomfortable but trying to hold it together, shifted on his feet. "Uh... well, her name is Eloise Winfield, the daughter of Gideon Winfield and Mira Winfield, the owners of a chain of boba milk tea cafes. She's 25 years old, not working, and for now, her family's business is not looking good." He reported the info he had gathered in a short amount of time.

"And?"

"And?" Callum repeated cluelessly.

Eryx's face contorted in annoyance as he instantly pulled off his hotel sandal and threw it at Callum. "Is that all? What the hell is she doing here?!"

"Ah… ah…" Callum, now holding his arm where the sandal had struck, suddenly recalled more details. "Her father… he borrowed money from Old Man Vaughn and invested in a company called Zenith Dynamics, thinking it would make it big. But unfortunately, he got scammed. I heard Old Man Vaughn suggested giving him his daughter to erase the debt."

"And he did?" Eryx's eyes widened in disbelief. "Are you saying he sold his daughter to settle his debt?"

"Yes, sir. That's the information I managed to gather in the short time you gave me…" Callum's calm tone earned him a sharp stare from Eryx.

"If you were competent, that amount of time would have been enough to get all the information I needed."

Callum cleared his throat, shifting uncomfortably under Eryx's sharp gaze. "I will gather more information for you, sir."

"No need," Eryx said, glancing back at Lunara as she stirred on the bed.

Callum, curious about the woman's face, tried to crane his neck for a better look, only for Eryx to shoot him a warning glare.

"If you're done, go home. Tell mother I'll be back tomorrow."

"Tomorrow, sir?" Callum blinked, clearly surprised by the statement.

Eryx narrowed his eyes. "And what exactly is running through your mind right now?" He reached for another sandal, ready to throw it, when Lunara suddenly let out another faint moan.

"Hot… thirsty…" Her voice was weak, but both men heard it clearly.

Eryx clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Go."

"I'll take my leave now." He turned toward the door but couldn't resist sneaking one last glance at the woman on the bed.

Eryx's death stare landed on him once again before Callum hurried out, shutting the door behind him, leaving Eryx alone with the barely conscious woman.

He exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. "Hot and thirsty?"

His gaze dropped to her flushed face, her lips slightly parted as if begging for relief.

Eryx scoffed. "Troublesome woman."

He stepped closer to the bed, bending down and scooping her up, only to freeze when Lunara's eyes suddenly fluttered open.

"Oh…?" Her lips parted as if she wanted to say something. Then, with a soft smile, she murmured, "Husband?"

Eryx frowned. The word barely reached his ears. "Did you just call me husband again?"

In response, Lunara gave him a lazy, mischievous grin. "Hmm…" She nodded weakly. "The worst husband in the world."