Chapter 2
708words
He raised his uninjured hand and jabbed the emergency call button by the bed.
In less than a minute, the door burst open as a doctor in a white coat and the butler, Jenkins, rushed in.
"Mr. Holt! What happened?" Jenkins' face paled when he saw Ethan Holt's finger.
The doctor stepped forward quickly, examining the injury with practiced hands.
"The bone is dislocated. It needs to be reset and immobilized immediately," the doctor stated clinically.
Ethan Holt's gaze, however, moved past them and locked onto me—a look that promised a slow, painful death.
My legs turned to jelly as I backed away, trembling.
"Keep an eye on her," he commanded Jenkins, each word deliberate and sharp.
Jenkins nodded once, and two mountain-sized bodyguards materialized at the doorway, blocking any chance of escape.
The doctor began treating Ethan Holt's finger. The resetting process was clearly excruciating—beads of sweat formed on his forehead, his lips pressed white—yet he didn't make a sound.
His silence terrified me more than any scream could have.
[Ding! Detected target experiencing severe physical pain. Hidden task triggered: Distract the target. Task reward: "Pain Transfer" skill (Basic level). Failure penalty: Share pain with target.]
Share pain?
Looking at his twisted finger, I shuddered with fear.
Hell no! I don't want that!
But how could I distract him?
Sing a song? Tell a joke?
In his current state, I was afraid if I opened my mouth, he'd have the doctor pull out my tongue next.
Just as the doctor was about to proceed with the final step, I had a flash of inspiration and blurted out: "Wait!"
All eyes turned to me.
Ethan Holt's gaze was cold enough to freeze hell itself.
"What trick are you trying to pull now?"
Under immense pressure, I stepped forward and somehow found my voice: "Doctor, the reduction will hurt like hell. Let me tell him a story—it might distract him."
Both the doctor and Jenkins looked at me like I'd grown a second head.
Ethan Holt was so angry he actually laughed: "Eve Sullivan, do you think I'm afraid to hurt you?"
"That's not what I meant!" I was so anxious I nearly cried. "I'm serious! When I was little and had to get shots, my mom would tell me stories. It really helps!"
Complete bullshit, of course.
But I was desperate.
Ethan Holt stared at me intensely, as if trying to peel back my skin and see the truth beneath.
After what felt like eternity, he surprisingly said: "Fine. Go ahead."
I blinked in surprise, then quickly cleared my throat and began improvising.
"Once upon a time, there was a mountain. On the mountain was a temple. In the temple, an old monk was telling a story to a young monk. And what was the story? Once upon a time, there was a mountain…"
Before I could continue this endless loop, Ethan Holt shot me a glare that could cut glass.
[Warning! Target dissatisfied! Change story immediately!]
Cold sweat broke out on my forehead as I scrambled for a different story.
"Uh… how about 'The Three Little Pigs'? Once upon a time, there were three little pigs. The first built a house of straw, the second built a house of wood, and the third built a house of bricks…"
I nervously continued, watching Ethan Holt's reaction from the corner of my eye.
His brows remained furrowed, but the murderous intent in his eyes seemed to dim slightly.
The doctor seized the opportunity and applied sudden pressure with his hands.
Click!
With that soft sound, Ethan Holt's body jerked violently. Sweat instantly beaded on his forehead.
I was so startled I lost my place and blurted out: "Then the big bad wolf came and with one huff and puff… blew you down, Mr. Holt!"
The air in the room crystallized.
I wished I could bite off my own tongue.
What the hell did I just say?!
[Ding! Hidden task completed! Rewarding host with "Pain Transfer" skill (Basic), can transfer 50% of your pain to a designated target.]
The system's cheerful notification couldn't have been more poorly timed.
