I paused to see if his expression would change and in fact, They did change. Switching from passive to worried.

“So you were…” he started to ask.

“Yes, I was more or less a prostitute,” I replied with a nervous laugh.

“So that's what my father meant when he tried to compare you with Kate,” he asked.

“Yes.”

“Oh…” he said, thinking about it.

The silence that stretched out bothered me. He seemed like he was contemplating all the choices he had made so far.

“Did you and my father ever…”

“Wait what? No!” I shook my head negatively. “I had already left that life behind when I met him.”

“Oh.” He let out a sigh of relief, then paused. “Wait, is that the secret you've been keeping from me?”

“Yeah,” I replied.

“That's it?” He didn't look impressed.

“What?” I blinked twice.

“Based on how you acted, I honestly assumed that you might have done something worse,” he replied.

“Yeah, but I slept around using my body and looked to get what I want,” I explained.

“You didn't know better and had to use what you had,” you said. “If I hate you for doing something that was out of your control, Then I have to work on myself.”

I didn't expect that reply.

“I guess it makes sense now,” he added. “Does this have to do with why you overwork yourself at the hospital?”

“Well, yeah.”

He sighed and shook his head. “You really don't have to do all that.”

“Well, I wasn't the one who hired myself without doing a proper interview,” I pouted.

“Again I'm sorry,” he apologized, giving me a side hug and pulling me to himself. “I hired you based on instinct, and to be honest, it hasn't been a bad decision so far.”

“You've really become a wonderful asset,” he continued, “and don't think I didn't notice you covering up for some people who had been messing with my budget. I bet you have a lot of enemies now.”

“You knew?” I raised a brow.

“But there wasn't enough damage for me to care,” he replied. “I was going to fire them sooner or later anyway.”

Joanne won't be grateful for what I have done for her.

“Thanks to you, most of the staff don't like me,” I stammered.

“But I like you,” he said softly.

There was another moment of silence as his words sank in. I felt so safe In his arms.

Wait, he still held me in a side hug. Had he forgotten?