Chapter 473 Anna, Don't Degrade Yourself
Anna was curious as hell.
Giorgio got a few more calls and stayed outside for like fifteen minutes, not even bothering to come back in.
From the bits and pieces she caught, Anna kinda got the gist. He was digging for info on Elodie's condition and hunting for other treatment options.
She didn't think he'd be so into helping her out. And she, from the start, hadn't planned on telling him, still stuck on whether to pick him or her grandma.
Anna felt all kinds of guilty and crappy, but also kinda warm inside.
Seeing the breakfast on the table getting cold, she walked out and said, "Let's eat first. You can deal with it after."
Giorgio turned around, his handsome eyes locking onto her. After a beat, he nodded and followed her back to the living room to eat.
He had no clue Katherine had laid down such a condition for Anna. And he hadn't spilled the beans about the condition Katherine had set for him either. He was scared she'd have to make a choice.
Three days had flown by since the whole mess started. In those days, whether it was Simon, Giorgio, or Giuseppe, they were all busting their butts trying to find a solution. But no amount of cash or power could fix the life-and-death problem. Still, they came up empty.
And Anna felt useless and stuck in the middle, drowning in guilt. They were stressing out for her, and she couldn't do squat in return.
[Anna, I never thought you had the ability to make three guys worry about you. A chick like you isn't worth it.]
At night, Katherine's message popped up.
Anna lay on the bed, her eyes dim. Yeah, she thought she wasn't worth it either.
She replied: [At least I'm not using people.]
At least she wouldn't use someone's life as a bargaining chip.
Katherine sneered: [It's not using, it's getting what you deserve for what you give. You think I'd help you save someone for nothing? I don't have time to play this game with you. On the sixth day, I have an overseas event and need to jet. If you haven't made a decision by then, get ready to collect grandma's body!]
The words were blunt and brutal. Three days had already passed, and there were only two days left to stop Katherine from leaving.
Anna's mood tanked.
"Not asleep yet?" Giorgio, who had wrapped up his work, walked into the room.
These days, he had to juggle company stuff, take care of Vivian, and also reach out to people and find solutions for Anna. He hadn't been sleeping much.
But the sleepless nights didn't show on his handsome face, still looking like it was sculpted by the gods, flawless and perfect.
Anna sat up and said, "Yeah, how are Charlie and Penny?"
In the past two days, to keep the kids from getting caught up in the drama, Giorgio had them stay at the Vittorio family estate.
"Don't worry, Charlie and Penny are being super good. They just want us to give them a little brother or sister and don't want to come back." Giorgio replied with a smile.
It was both annoying and cute. The two kids were just too innocent and adorable.
Giorgio hit the shower, then lay down next to Anna, pulling her close. "Sleep, so you'll have the energy to deal with everything tomorrow."
Even though he'd held her a bunch of times in the past two days, Anna was still nervous, her heart racing. He had just showered, and he smelled amazing. Through the thin pajamas, she could feel his muscles.
Being so close in his arms was too nerve-wracking. But Anna didn't push him away. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his waist, moved closer, and kissed his lips.
Giorgio's tall frame went rigid upon her sudden advance, his body almost instinctively flipping the script, turning passive into active, kissing her back, softly and passionately.
And tonight, Anna was all in. Even though she was nervous, she didn't push him away. Giorgio sensed something was off. He reluctantly pulled back, his deep voice cutting through the dark. "Have you thought this through? Hmm?"
Anna's face was on fire. Because she was so nervous, she blurted out, "Yes, you've done so much for me. I know you're exhausted. I just want to do something for you."
More importantly, she didn't know if she'd make it through this time. She wanted to give herself to him.
Then, there'd be no regrets later.
So, was she repaying a debt? All of Giorgio's emotions were put off by the thought like a cold shower. His dark eyes locked onto her vague outline, a bit pissed.
"Anna, I don't need you to lower yourself like this. Don't say stuff like that again." He turned over and got off the bed.
Anna clenched her palms and turned to the side. "A boyfriend helps his girlfriend, and the girlfriend wants to thank him this way. It's not degrading. I have nothing else to give you, it's really all my sincerity."
Saying this, she mustered up the courage again to hug his arm. "Giorgio, you can accept it."
She rarely laid her emotions out so clearly. Facing the embrace of the woman he liked, it was hard to resist.
Giorgio raised his hand, his hot and strong hand holding her slender wrist, his voice deep. "Anna, you're treating me like a benefactor. I don't want our intimacy to be based on other factors. Be good, sleep!"
He was already angry and warning her. If it were before, Anna would have blushed with shame. But now, for gratitude and the fear of no future, she really wanted to do something for him.
"Giorgio, I like you too. I'm willing to give myself to you." Once again, she insisted.
"Anna." Giorgio raised his voice to cut her off.
Since meeting her, he had little self-control over her. Now rejecting her twice was already rational suppression. If she kept going, he didn't know what he'd do.
"Sleep well tonight, I'll go back to home." With that, Giorgio got up, turned on the light, changed his clothes, and walked out with big strides. Then, the sound of a car engine roared to life.
After that, it was all silence. Anna's heart sank along with it. Mixed emotions of embarrassment, shame, sadness, and confusion washed over her. These emotions tangled up, making it a sleepless night.
The next day, after what felt like forever, Sara was finally able to leave the hospital. No matter how messed up Anna felt, she had to go.
"Anna, why haven't I heard from you these past few days? You didn't come to see me either." Sara complained, then leaned close to Anna, whispering mysteriously, "Are you secretly getting all lovey-dovey with Mr. Vittorio and forgot about me?"
Every time, her topic would go there. Anna rolled her eyes in frustration and said, "Get rid of those thoughts. I offered myself last night and got rejected."
"What? No way." Sara looked incredulous.
Not to mention that men rarely rejected women in that department, but Giorgio's deep possessive gaze towards Anna was very telling!
Anna helplessly told Sara about the recent events and last night's situation. After listening, Sara praised, "Mr. Vittorio made it very clear. He respects you more than you respect yourself! Anna, you must marry such a good man! You can't back down!"
Anna knew Giorgio was great and didn't want to retreat. But Elodie was the most important person in her life. She couldn't give her up either. Even if it took a year or two, she had to save her.
As she was thinking, a sudden dizziness hit her. Anna's eyes rolled back, and she completely blacked out.
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