Page 20 of Dr. Damaged Protector

"Don't you think I should at least get a proper interview?" I suggested.

"You would do just fine," he remarked. "The man who recommended you said some good words about you. I was skeptical about hiring anyone at first…"

He paused and took a good look at me. "After our first meeting and what he said, I'm convinced that you don't need any more interviews. Otherwise, you might leave me and work somewhere else."

What did he say? What did James tell him?

I recalled his words:"I want him to hire you on the spot the moment he lays his eyes on you. Use your looks to your advantage." He added, "After all, that's what you girls do best, isn't it?"

There's no way…did he tell him…about what I used to be?

"Is something wrong?" Lucas asked, worry written across his face.

"No, it's nothing," I said.

He showed a relieved expression. A soft gaze that admired my body, settling on my curves, neck, and lips I burned under him, and yet my heart was in disarray. I knew I was going to be recommended for this job, but the last thing I wanted was to have my role in his office. It seemed like it was handed to me easily because of my beauty.

That's why I put in the work. Compiling everything I had learned from my previous work experiences, I made sure that I was of use to everyone in the hospital, making their jobs easier, offering my input, and assisting in time management.

I was loved. I didn't have to worry about anyone from my past trying to get their hands on me. Well…at least not all of them.

Lucas attracted my attention, and my body seemed to scream for him. Every time I heard his voice, I would throb. His praises after each job I did would make me wag my imaginary tail. But at the same time, I could only hear the words of James.

I wanted to show that I could do this independently and through hard work.

****

And then it happened. As I had warned Kate, James's family would not be receptive to a stranger. I expected the daggers in their gaze, but I didn't expect Lucas to be present, not as James's brother but as his son. It was strange how neither of them mentioned each other. A sign that their relationship was strained.

"So, did you learn anything from working with Lucas?" James asked.

I was trying to focus on my dinner, and he posed the question.

"Pardon?" I raised a brow.

"Like my daughter, Tabitha reported. Lucas rarely praised anyone, yet he seemed to have nothing of praise for you," he explained.

I glanced over at Lucas, and for the second time that night, he looked like he was waiting for his father to slip up so he'd slit his throat.

"Lucas has been understanding," I started to say. "It's just been a week, and I'm already feeling like I have been working there for a year."

"That's very nice," James praised, then turned his attention to Lucas, "See? I told you she had a good head on her shoulders."

Hmmm? Why did he say it like that? I noticed the sideways glance he threw in my direction. He was trying to tell me something; he hadn't told Lucas about my past and only told him I was the right person for the job. In other words, he was blackmailing me. To think the day I would see myself be blackmailed.

"Just keep up the effort," James advised.

"Thank you, once again, for the opportunity," I said, then turned to Lucas. "You as well."

"What products do you use for your hair?" Helena asked.

I raised a brow suspiciously. She had been quiet for most of the dinner since I joined.

"Uh, just anything by 'Grace's touch,'" I answered.

"That sounds so good," she praised and went silent again.

The family was strange. I didn't feel welcome, and judging by the look of anxiety in Kate's eyes, I could tell that she had noticed it, too. The members of this family all had a screw loose. Hopefully, Lucas wasn't also missing a few screws.

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