Page 49 of Ellie 3

He huffed as he sat up, sounding a bit petulant. “No.”

That was it though. I sighed and rolled out of bed and used the washroom before following after him to the kitchen where he was fixing us coffee. “Ha-joon, I’m too tired to piece this together. Please be kind and just spell it out to me.”

His response was pulling something up on his laptop and flipping it around so I could watch… And it wasn’t good. The South American government was less than thrilled about what I’d done, and a few cabinet members had publicly stated they wanted me arrested for trying to overthrow their government.

Right, that was what I had tried to do, not simply protect myself and my hospital. Idiots.

But it was clear that threats against me truly upset my lover. He was pouting as he slid my drink over to me fixed my favorite way.

“I saw that in between our rounds when I was anxious and couldn’t sleep. I knew your interview would be—you were so amazing and sexy—”

“But you were scared about the fallout.” I nodded when he did. “I’ve handled worse. I promise.”

“I believe you, but this is terrifying as someone with strong feelings for you.”

It actually hurt that he didn’t say he loved me. I knew he was trying to spare my feelings so I didn’t feel pressured to say it back or that it was too soon, but he’d already said it, so it was almost like taking it back. Who didn’t like to hear they were loved?

I pushed that aside and accepted what he was saying. “What else?”

“Your popularity has gone through theroofnow that most of the hospital has learned who you really are,” he grumbled, sounding a bit petulant. He probably thought I should have figured this part out or was already read in.

Maybe I should have been, but it was all stupid to me.

But I still reached deep for patience because I knew it couldn’t be easy on Ha-joon… People wouldn’t make it easy on him given he was a newer addition to ASH and young in our world.

“Yes, people attracted to money and power would absolutely tempt me. That sounds like something that would interest me,” I said dryly.

Okay, fine, I didn’t reach for much patience when I was this tired. I needed to work on that for sure.

The soft growl he let out made that clear. Whoops!

“They’re not assholes, Ellie. They’re people who realize they’ve been too harsh on you or got swept up in smear campaigns against you. They’re people who have alwaysadmiredthe founder and your innovations. I’ve heard several say it was always amazing how hard of a worker and diligent you were, but to know you were always the one behind the curtain is astounding.”

I let out a slow breath and met his gaze. “That has to be hard for you to deal with as my lover. I understand that.” I held up my finger to hold him off when he opened his mouth. “I hope you’re also happy for me that people are finally pulling their heads out of their asses. I went through too much, Ha-joon. I deserve people to recognize me.”

“I do. I absolutely do, and it took the duffers long enough to see what was right in front of their damn faces. I’ve said that. Repeatedly.”

I was glad and thought that was the end of it.

“But they need to stop saying that plowing the founder is now on their bucket list,” he snarled.

Or apparently not. Okay, men were just… Men.

I had no cure or way to fix that. May the gods help me.

14

Ha-joon

Ellie overthrew a government.

She could say it wasn’t her all she wanted, but she damn well pushed over the first domino, and anyone with a damn brain knew that. Did she do it to overthrow a government?

No, not in the slightest… But that was where the chips landed when everything settled.

My partner had that kind of fucking power and it was beyond astounding. I was also really,reallygrateful she was on the side of good.

Reallyfucking grateful.

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