Chapter 43 Touch Mine, and You're Gone
Oscar held Pearl tight, wishing he could merge her into his very marrow to shield her from further harm.
His chin rested on her head, and he responded with deep remorse, "I'm here, Pearl. It's okay now, everything's okay!"
Pearl, buried in his chest, still shook uncontrollably as she spoke hurriedly, "Why did it take you so long to come? I was so close... so close to never seeing you again!"
Holding Pearl, whose lips had lost their color, Oscar clenched his fists. The anger in his eyes was clear, but he patiently consoled Pearl, trying to provide her with enough security to ease her recent trauma, "I'm sorry I was late. Don't be afraid. I'll never leave you alone again!"
He couldn't leave Pearl alone, so he came but was still late!
Pearl cried inconsolably, with her unease, fears, and complaints against Oscar.
Her hands twisted together as she lifted them and pounded on his chest, "You will leave me, you will, you always do. You left me before, and you're doing it now."
She couldn't remember the number of times she'd been left behind.
Each time was marked with loss.
Oscar wrapped Pearl in his arms, covering her body snugly with his suit, "It won't happen again. Trust me, just this once, Pearl. I won't leave you again."
Pearl sobbed with a muffled voice, her fists no longer falling on him. She couldn’t contain her fear, shrinking in Oscar’s embrace as if she wished to encase herself in a hard shell.
Oscar soothed Pearl patiently, stroking her forehead again and again.
Once her emotions settled and she stopped trembling, Oscar gently placed Pearl on the sofa for someone to look after.
He rolled up his sleeves leisurely, his sharp gaze fixing on the CEO lying on the ground, semi-conscious from his intoxication.
A bucket of water splashed over the CEO's face.
As he snapped out of his drunken stupor and took in the mess around him, recollecting the evening's events, he saw Oscar's indifferent face with a deathly stare. He immediately knew fear and softened, pleading, "President Oscar, I didn't mean it. I was just drunk, don't take it to heart!"
"You think a mere accident can be so easily excused?" Oscar's voice was as cold and impersonal as his expression while his dress shoe pressed down on the CEO's fingers.
"Touch mine, and you're gone."
"Ah!" Morgan cried out again, clenching his nearly crushed fingers, and said, "Oscar, after all, I'm your business partner; you can't do this to me. If I stop cooperating with you, you'll face a huge loss. Is it worth it for a woman?"
Oscar scoffed, his grip tightening on Morgan's oblivious demeanor, "Morgan, you've lived this long and still so naive. Just so you know, your position is easily replaceable!"
At those words, fear crept into Morgan's heart.
Oscar's message was clear, Li might no longer be CEO, but their cooperation would continue without any loss, despite the offense.
"Impossible, Oscar, you're not that capable. If you dare touch me, you'll regret it... Ah..." A sharp kick to the stomach cut him off, paired with a painful scream, and blood spilled everywhere.
The others, sobered by the scene, their legs turned to jelly as they trembled, "President Oscar, we didn't do anything. This has nothing to do with us; it was all him!"
They were desperate to distance themselves from Morgan's fate.
Oscar's hands were bloodied, a stark contrast to his usual composed and indifferent demeanor, looking like a demon returned from hell. He didn't even glance at the others as he wiped the blood from his hands with a towel, meticulously clean, before he picked up Pearl from the couch and left.
After he was gone, only wretched cries remained inside.
Pearl was trapped in a long dream where a demon chased her relentlessly.
She wanted to run but couldn't move, a massive fear engulfing her, making it hard to breathe, as if death was imminent.
She was sobbing, tears continuously falling.
Oscar saw her distress and gently wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes.
Pearl's body temperature was high; she was running a fever.
Queenie was crying on the side, intending to call for help, but ran into Oscar right at the door. It was fortunate he arrived when he did, or the consequences could've been unimaginable.
Through her tears, she said, "President Oscar, it's my fault for not taking good care of Pearl. She has a fever. We should take Pearl to the hospital."
Oscar appeared cold as ice, devoid of warmth, and simply said, "No need, Harold. Take her home."
With that, Oscar carried Pearl to his car and left the place.
Queenie, still overwhelmed with guilt and crying uncontrollably, was comforted by Harold, "Stop crying, let's go home. With President Oscar here, Pearl will be alright."
Queenie trembled and sobbed as she said, "Something happened to Pearl. President Oscar is like a changed man, out for blood, and I'm scared to death."
Harold wasn't sure what to say about their relationship.
He, too, would have been full of questions in the past, but not anymore.
He still warned Queenie, "It's okay for now, but be careful in the future; Pearl is someone special to President Oscar, and we can't afford to cross him!"
Although Queenie didn't understand, she nodded earnestly.
--
In the dim bedroom, Pearl awoke from a nightmare with a sharp cry, "Don't!"
She was groggy, her eyes wide open, but before she could make out her surroundings, she rejected any touch, "Go away!"
"It's me, Pearl," Oscar whispered softly.
Pearl, recognizing Oscar and realizing where she was, still couldn't help trembling.
Her face was still swollen, and Oscar had just applied ice. "Did the pain wake you? I'll put some ointment on in a bit."
Pearl's eyes were red, and she hung her head, her fingers clenching tightly around herself.
Oscar sat beside her, and seeing her distance herself, he wrapped his arms around her waist. Pearl was repulsed, "Don't touch me!"
Realizing her voice had been too agitated, she turned away, trying to calm down and not wanting to face him, "I want to take a shower."
"You've already had one," Oscar said.
"I want another one!" Pearl insisted, her voice growing heavier as she dug her fingers into her skin.
Seeing her unstable emotions, Oscar said, "Alright, I'll run the bath for you."
He went into the bathroom and filled the tub with water, checking that the temperature was just right before calling Pearl.
Pearl entered, "You can go out."
Oscar was concerned, "Are you sure you can manage alone?"
"I can," Pearl said.
After making sure Pearl seemed okay, Oscar left.
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