Filed to story: Sweetheart Do You Still Love Me
“I have excelled in my skills as Sonny Schwartz’s student. I’ll try my best to save her. As long as you get me the ingredients I need, I can save her life.”Jordan’s voice was shaky.
“Of course.”He almost forgot that Elspeth was an apprentice to Sonny, the medical expert.Letting go of Elspeth, Jordan took a few steps forward as he tried to help Angie back on her feet. However, Callum’s men stopped him in his tracks by pinning his arms.Angie forced herself to her feet without any help. The next moment, Callum felt a tug on his sleeve.
“Mr. Winthrop, please spare him. I told you where Elspeth was, didn’t I?”Callum pressed his lips into a thin line as he weighed his decision. When he met Elspeth’s approving look, he finally nodded.
“Fine. I’ll let him go.”At the sight of the men loosening Jordan’s arms, Angie jumped at him and wrapped her arms around him tightly.”Jordan.”He caressed her hair to ease her worries.
“It’s okay. I’m here with you.”The pair took their time in each other’s embrace. Jordan only remembered to free Elspeth from the shackles when Callum showed a displeased expression on his face.She was so weak that Callum strode over to help her to her feet.”You promise to save Angie. Remember to keep your word. “Elspeth rolled her eyes at Jordan’s demand.
“I did, but not now. I’ve been locked up for seven days. Can I have a break?”He could only reply with a dry laugh in embarrassment.”I need a rest. Just a while. Once I rest up, I’ll help her.”Angie cast a grateful smile at the other woman and nodded.
“There’s no need to rush, Elspeth. Take your time.”Watching Angie’s pale face, Elspeth caressed the young woman’s head.
“I assure you, I’m a lot smarter than Jordan.”Jordan’s expression changed a few times. He tried to retort, but he just couldn’t find the right words.Angie didn’t bother to stifle her laugh.
“You’re the first person to tell him that. You’re an interesting woman, you know. No wonder even a distant man like Mr. Winthrop would fall for you. I would have fallen hard for you too if I was a guy.”
Jordan had a faint smile on his face.
“I won’t. A girl like her is too calculating. I like girls like you, obedient and innocent.”Callum tightened his arm around Elspeth. He cast Jordan a side glance full of warning.
“Coming from a guy who didn’t even leave a good impression on her after half a year. She doesn’t need you to like her.”Jordan was usually a man who could keep his composure even if it was the world’s end. However, he gritted his teeth when he heard Callum’s comeback.
“Callum, must you speak just to make me feel bad?””I’m being a gentleman.””By roasting me?”Callum’s eyes darted to Angie, who looked pure and unsophisticated, before remarking snidely,
“You started it. I’m not gonna take it out on the innocent girl.”Jordan rubbed the tip of his nose in embarrassment.
“Forget about it. Pretend I didn’t say anything.””Very well. I’m taking Elspeth home to rest.”
After Callum announced, he tried to drag Elspeth away.Before the pair could make it far, Jordan blocked their path. Staring straight into Elspeth’s eyes, he asked,
“What are the things you need? I’ll get them ready.””A thousand-year-old ginseng, a saussurea that ages tenfold, and the pure spring water from the mountain with an elevation of 19685 feet above sea level.”Jordan’s face almost scrunched at her list.Noticing his helpless expression, she couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Just kidding. I’ll get everything covered.”She realized there were indeed advantages in finding herself a godfather in the underground black market.As a rough idea was formed in her mind, she wanted to leave the place as soon as possible.”I’m leaving. I’ll inform you once I get the medicinal herbs ready.”Jordan was unhappy, but he was in no place to complain.
“Okay. I won’t keep you.”His dejected look gave Angie a good laugh for the first time since she fell sick.After Elspeth bid farewell to the pair, she departed with Callum and returned to their villa in Blaydal.The moment she walked into the house, she was pulled into a tight embrace.Callum rested his head on her shoulder as he stood still like a statue.”I was scared.”
His words were soft.”The first few days when I couldn’t get a hold of you, I almost turned Blaydal upside down to search for you everywhere. It was only later that I pinned down Jordan as the target.””I couldn’t get a good rest through the nights. I was afraid that any delay would put you at risk.””It was the first time you disappeared for so long. I was really scared of never seeing you again.””Thank God I arrived in time to save you. Elspeth, for the first time, I’m proud of myself. I wasn’t even this happy when I expanded Winthrop Group’s business and made it thrive.”He spoke very clearly, and every word drilled into her mind.”Oh, Callum.”
She put a hand on the back of his head and gave him a soothing pat. His hair was soft under her palm.
“I know you have been trying your best to love me.”Callum raised his head. It was Elspeth’s first time to see him shed tears. Even though his expression remained as calm as ever, she was still shocked to find dampness on her shoulder.”Callum, are you crying?”He averted her gaze and denied it,
“I am not.””You could have fooled me if you didn’t wet my clothes.”Elspeth didn’t expect him to cry after everything as his character was made up of coldness and detachment. It made sense that he was expressionless all the time. She could never imagine the situation that would make an adult Callum cry aside from his wailing when he was born.”I’m scared.”The lingering fear still clung to him as she was almost gone. He had witnessed how the tip of the syringe almost sank into her arm. At that moment, he was engulfed in the fear of losing her.”Callum.”
She took a deep breath before suggesting,
“Let’s get engaged.”
The idea of getting engaged delighted Callum.
“Sure.”
He nodded.
“But first, I need to heal Angie.”
Her illness is not easy to treat.
“I want to visit the black market in Konig’s underworld. Do you want to go with me?””Sure,”
Callum responded with a smile.Elspeth then went to bed to catch some rest. While she slept, she could feel someone staying by her side, gently caressing her face.When she awoke the next morning, she felt revitalized. As she walked downstairs, she smelled the pleasant aroma of cooked rice.”Callum?”At that, Callum popped his head out of the kitchen. He looked at Elspeth who had just awoken and said smilingly,
“I am cooking. It will be ready soon.”Callum Winthrop is cooking! Elspeth was so surprised that she stared at him with wide eyes.On the other hand, he was dressed in an apron while his face was smeared with flour and his hand clutching a ladle. He appeared exactly as if he were a stay-at-home husband.”Callum, if you’re being forced into this, blink twice.”Elspeth then went closer to him and began poking his cheeks.”No one forced me.”
Callum glared at her, his lips pursed before he continued,
“I’m just concerned that you haven’t been eating well the last few days. Hence, I decided to cook for you.”Elspeth’s body shook at the mention of food.
“You’re wrong, then. Jordan made me eat big portions every day so I could be ready for the surgery as soon as possible. Gosh, I’ve consumed nearly all of the delectable foods available. It would be detrimental to my figure to continue eating at that pace.”Callum raised his brows at that.
“So, are you not eating now?””It’s not that! It’s my honor that Mr. Winthrop is cooking for the first time, for me! I will eat!”She then sat at the dining table, and her eyes stared wide again when she saw the entire table filled with various delicacies.”I can’t even prepare all of these. How did you manage it, Callum? You never have to cook for yourself.”Callum looked at her, and his expression was unnatural.
“I am indeed not cooking for the first time.”Elspeth’s smile froze. She could imagine him cooking for his ex-girlfriend in the past and her voice sounded weird as she posed her question.
“I see. How did it go then?”Callum, however, didn’t notice that, as he answered,
“It went fine. It was just that too much of my cooking isn’t good for your health.”He remembered his assistant’s agonized expression when he tried his food for the first time… In the end, Callum had to try his own food for better judgment.Suddenly, Elspeth became enraged and slapped the utensils on the table.
“How nice to be your ex-girlfriend, huh?”That stunned Callum.
“What?”
he asked, perplexed.”Didn’t you learn to cook for your ex-girlfriend?”He shook his head.
“It isn’t for her. I only recently learned to cook.”Realizing that she had misunderstood him, Elspeth embarrassingly lowered her head.
“Is it for me?””No; it’s for me,”
Callum answered with such a serious expression that Elspeth was confused.”Why?”He then looked at her, and after seeing that her expression wasn’t particularly displeased, he said,
“I understood from the egg fried rice you previously made that both of us won’t be able to survive long if we rely on your cooking skills.”That rendered Elspeth speechless.Fine! But he indeed has a flair for cooking.After they had finished their meals, Elspeth glared at Callum and said,
“Wash the dishes.”
He obediently did so. After he washed the dishes and Elspeth cleared the table, they both went to the underworld’s black market.Elspeth went straight to look for Irving.Seeing that she had personally come for him, Irving was delighted.
“I thought you’d forgotten about me, Elspeth! It seems like you do remember an old man like me! Why are you looking for me?””I’m thinking of getting something from you.”Irving was even happier when he heard that.
“Tell me exactly what you want. I’ll get you anything within my capability.””I’m looking for the highest quality saussurea, ginseng, and female ginseng.”Irving touched his chin when he heard that.
“I can find these items for you, but their quality-“Elspeth smiled and said considerately,
“Just try your best.””Oh, someone is coming tonight to auction off these herbs. His herbs are always of high quality. Do you want me to bring you to him?”Her eyes lit up.
“Sure! I can buy other things from him as well.”He nodded before making a call. Not long after, a man in black came in.The man was in his fifties, had a strong build, and walked in steadily as if he had trained his body. His face, however, appeared to be familiar.Elspeth stared at his face, her mind connecting him to someone she knew, but such a link seemed absurd to her.
“Hello, what’s your name?”The man took a glance at Callum, who was standing beside Elspeth, as his eyes blinked and said,
“Just call me Blue.””Mr. Blue, I want to buy from you high- quality saussurea, ginseng, and female ginseng. If possible, please also provide me with other herbs that are good for blood replenishment.”Her words made the man frown.
“Are you going to perform the blood cleansing procedure?”Blood cleansing was a traditional treatment, and only one person in the world, Sonny Schwartz, had successfully completed it.It was a method of cleaning a person’s blood so that the person’s blood could recover to its pre-illness condition. All three ingredients, saussurea, ginseng, and female ginseng, were required for both the process and the individual’s subsequent recovery. However, such treatment was too ridiculous and risky, as there had only been one successful case so far, and thus had long been lost.Elspeth responded with a nod.
“You have good judgment, Mr. Blue.””Since you need them for treatment, I’ll give them to you.”She was elated to hear that.
“Thank you, Mr. Blue. How much should I pay you?”The man, however, shook his head.
“I don’t want any money, but I want to know something from you.””Please go ahead.””I want to know about the Winthrop Family.”At that, Callum raised his head and looked at the man profoundly.The man continued with his eyes gleaming as he looked at Callum,
“I suppose you are the son of the Winthrop Family, right? I have a few questions.”Since it was only a few questions, Callum nodded and agreed,
“Ask away.””I heard a while back that one of the Winthrop Family’s young masters, Arthur Winthrop, had a falling out with the family after discovering that he wasn’t the family’s biological child. Is that true?”Callum’s pupils shrank when he heard that. He then turned around and exchanged glances with Elspeth.”Yes. That’s true.”The man frowned when he heard that.
“Does he believe the Winthrops are to blame for his parents’ deaths?”Callum nodded.
“Yes.”The man clenched his fist tightly when he heard that.
“Last question. Can you bring me to Arthur?”Elspeth was surprised.
“Why?””Because… I am his father,”