Love at First Sight? Mr. Harrison Has Been Scheming All Along-Chapter 56: "I’ll Give You a Week’s Time.

Rory Linden’s face was so hot it felt like she had a fever. She shook her head gently. "No, Young Master Harrison is just used to having me around to take care of him. He and I..."

Before she could finish, the man in front of her suddenly sat up. He slid a hand under her legs and pulled her directly into his lap!

The fabric of his clothes was exceedingly thin—so thin she could clearly feel his heart racing.

"I’ll give you one week."

As Sean Harrison spoke, his hands rested lightly around her waist.

Rory Linden didn’t dare to move, letting him hold her. The strong scent of alcohol enveloped her, and her heart began to race. Even though she hadn’t had a single drop to drink, she felt a little drunk herself.

"Be my girlfriend and stay by my side for one year. During that year, if you still think I’m lying to you or using you as a substitute for someone else, you can leave me. I won’t stop you."

He watched her as he spoke, gauging her reaction.

’His actions were already crossing a line in their relationship.’

But he wasn’t forcing her. The pressure from his arms was light enough that she could break free at any time.

Sean Harrison knew that, deep down, he didn’t want to give her a choice. He wanted to force her to stay by his side.

And yet...

’He wanted something more long-term with her, and a good start was crucial.’

Rory Linden bit her lip, saying nothing.

’But deep down, she was willing.’

Sean Harrison continued, "I’ll give you a week to think it over. You can refuse me. If you do, I’ll find you a safe place to live and provide 24-hour bodyguard service to ensure your safety."

"What about Gary Sinclair...?"

"A guy like him is bound to have a record. My people can find a way to get him locked up, but I don’t know for how long."

Sean Harrison was being honest.

He had looked into Gary Sinclair recently and found he had a record for robbery and assault.

Unfortunately, the amount stolen wasn’t large, and the victim of the assault only sustained minor injuries.

Rory Linden whispered, "Thank you."

They were so close that she didn’t dare to meet his eyes. Her gaze flickered away, landing somewhere else.

"Today is Monday. I’m only giving you one week to think about it." As Sean Harrison spoke, his arms tightened unconsciously. "For this week, the driver will take you home as usual, but I won’t be going back to Veridia. I’ll return next Monday evening. If you’re at the house, I’ll take it as your agreement to my proposal."

He looked at her, seeking confirmation. "Is that okay?"

Rory Linden bit her lip hard, then hesitated before asking, "Is this proposal because... your mother is pressuring you to get married?"

Sean Harrison shook his head. "That’s part of it, but more importantly, I want you to give me a trial period. I’ll give you my executive assistant’s contact information in a bit. During this one-year trial, you can raise any expectations you have. I’ll bring the contract back with me in seven days."

The room was spacious and silent.

The lights were bright.

Rory Linden’s gaze settled on the face of the man before her.

Perhaps it was the secret to his success, but right now, his face showed no trace of insincerity or guile.

His eyes were brimming with sincerity.

Rory Linden felt the arms around her loosen slightly once more.

’He was signaling that she could leave whenever she wanted...’

The air hung silent for several seconds before Rory Linden spoke. "You don’t have to give me your executive assistant’s contact information. Whatever this is between us, it isn’t a business transaction. We don’t need a contract to secure it..."

"Alright."

Sean Harrison agreed.

Rory Linden thought for a moment. "Maybe I should move out for now... If I decide, I’ll come back in a week..."

"Just stay there. I have to go on a business trip abroad anyway, for about a week."

"Alright, then..."

After agreeing, Rory Linden remained in his lap, not moving.

She wanted to say something else, but couldn’t think of what.

Sean Harrison’s arms were still around her, his hand gently circling her wrist. "Where do you want to stay tonight?" he asked. "This house has two bedrooms. You can take your pick..."

"No, thank you. I’ll go back to my room."

Rory Linden hurriedly cut him off.

The moment the words left her mouth, she scrambled out of his lap.

Sean Harrison didn’t try to stop her. He stood up as well. "Alright. I’ll walk you to the door."

Rory Linden practically ran back to her room.

In the bathroom, she scrubbed her makeup off completely. Her reflection in the mirror showed a face still burning hot, as if with a fever.

-

「The next day.」

On the night Rory Linden returned to Veridia, Sean Harrison didn’t come home.

Only then did she finally realize he hadn’t been joking.

’He really was giving her a week to think...’

Two days later, while on the night shift, Rory wanted to organize her notes from the meeting a few days prior. It was only then she remembered she’d left her notebook in Stella Yates’s room the day she’d done her makeup there.

She got in touch with Stella Yates and planned to go directly to her hospital to pick up the notebook after her night shift the next day.

Stella Yates was also working, so they didn’t waste time on pleasantries. Rory just grabbed her notebook, and they parted ways.

Just as Rory Linden was leaving the inpatient department...

"I’m telling you, if you dare get rid of this baby, I’ll kill you! I’ll kill your whole family!"

A man’s voice rang out from behind the inpatient building.

Rory Linden jumped, startled.

She’d seen plenty of sordid drama at the hospital and wasn’t curious.

She was about to hurry away when...

"Go on, kill me! If you’ve got the guts, kill Miles Harrison, too!"

A woman’s voice shot back.

’Miles Harrison?’

’That name wasn’t very common, and it was unlikely there were many people who shared it.’

Rory Linden stopped in her tracks and peeked around the corner to see what was happening.

A man and a woman were standing in a secluded corner behind the inpatient building.

The woman...

’Was that Lucy Shaw?’

The man was under six feet tall but remarkably handsome, with a choppy, layered haircut and fair skin. He was even a cut above Miles Harrison in looks.

As Rory Linden watched, the man suddenly dropped to his knees in front of Lucy Shaw, grabbing her hand and pleading, "Lucy, I know I’m a good-for-nothing, that I don’t deserve to marry you, but the baby is innocent! This is my first child—our child. You’re the love of my life. I’m begging you, please keep the baby..."

"Andre Jennings! Get up first..."

Lucy Shaw tried to pull the man, Andre Jennings, to his feet.

"I won’t get up! You want to kill our child, so I’m not getting up..." The man slapped himself across the face. "I don’t know what else to do to save our baby... I know I’m a nobody. I don’t blame you. It’s my fault..."

As he spoke, he slapped himself again.

"Stop it! Stop hitting yourself." Lucy Shaw grabbed his hand. "Why won’t you think about it from my side? The timing of the pregnancy doesn’t add up at all..."

"Then we’ll get a doctor to fake the records! We’ll create a fake conception date, and you can just eat more, gain a little weight, and we’ll say the baby is just well-nourished and growing fast." 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

The man spoke in a rapid torrent.

Even Rory, a doctor, hadn’t thought of that solution so quickly...

It was clear the man had planned this out long ago and was now using this desperate ploy to force Lucy Shaw’s hand.

A saying suddenly came to Rory Linden’s mind.

’It takes a villain to deal with a villain.’

Miles Harrison thought he was high and mighty, free to play with women’s emotions as he pleased.

But in reality, the woman he was dating, Lucy Shaw, was pregnant with another man’s child.

She’d come here for an abortion.

And the fact that this man was here meant their relationship wasn’t over.

Rory Linden had no interest in other people’s gossip.

She quietly turned and slipped away.

-

But what Rory Linden didn’t expect was...

The next day, just as she was finishing her shift at the outpatient clinic around noon, she ran into Miles Harrison and Lucy Shaw in the main lobby of Elysian Hospital.

Miles was hovering protectively over Lucy Shaw, but he greeted Rory openly when he saw her.

Thinking about what she’d overheard yesterday, Rory asked casually, "Weren’t you two on your honeymoon? How come you’re back so soon?"

"Lucy’s pregnant, so we came back early."

Miles Harrison wrapped an arm around Lucy Shaw’s waist, his face beaming with the joy of a father-to-be.