Chapter 94

The best she could do was stop thinking about those unpleasant memories, but to lower herself and grovel? No way.

Joseph clicked his tongue. "Chill out, I'm not that twisted. I just want you to invite me in. You should show some respect to medical personnel, right? How about this, call me a kind and handsome guy?"

Christina really wanted to punch that smug face of his.

How could he be such a jerk?

She fought the urge, gritting her teeth as she spat out, "Don't push it."

Kind? Where?

If he were truly kind, her Harper wouldn't have suffered so much in their past life!

"I was just joking. Do you really need to be so serious?" Joseph's mood improved seeing her anger.

He walked right in, placing the medical kit on the table, then motioned for Christina to come over. "I'll draw some blood first, then check your heart rate and overall condition."

Christina was highly skeptical of his words.

The medical tools on the boat were limited, and if he could check her heart rate, why was there a need for a blood draw?

"I don't want to give blood," Christina thought, and directly refused him.

Joseph had been looking forward to poking her with a needle.

Now she refused? That wouldn't do.

He looked up, speaking righteously, "Who's the doctor here, you or me? You need to listen to me. If I say you need to give blood, you must. No objections."

Last time at William's villa, Joseph had others hold Christina down.

Now, with just the two of them in the room, he couldn't exactly go out and fetch William for this. He needed a way to make Christina give in on her own.

"That woman next door, Mia, she's your friend, right?" Joseph quickly thought of a plan.

He smiled even more broadly. "I was planning to check on her after examining you. She inhaled a lot of water and was struggling to breathe earlier. Who knows how she is now? If you don't cooperate, we can just sit here and wait."

After all, he wasn't the one in a hurry.

Christina was furious at his despicable behavior.

If she could hire another doctor, no matter the cost, she would. She didn't want to deal with Joseph.

But here, money was useless, and Joseph knew it, so he made things difficult for her.

"Fine, draw the blood," Christina finally relented.

She sat across from Joseph, extending her arm.

Joseph rummaged through the medical kit, finally selecting the thickest needle. He deliberately missed her vein, then twisted the needle under her skin. "Oops, missed the vein. Shall we try again?"

Just then, William walked in, immediately recognizing Joseph's intentional act.

Joseph was an expert; he wouldn't make such a basic mistake.

And such a thick needle was usually for burly men in hospitals.

"I missed your vein again. Maybe the room's too dark, and I can't see your veins," Joseph continued to lie.

Christina turned her head away, refusing to acknowledge him.

William stepped in to stop Joseph. "If you're that bored, why not grab a fishing rod and go fish?"

"Alright, alright, I won't poke her anymore," Joseph immediately backed off.

He gave William a knowing look. "We're friends, after all. If you care about her, I'll cooperate."

They'd known each other for years, and William never had other women around.

Plenty of women tried to get close to him, but none succeeded.

Except Christina.

Though they were technically uncle and niece, Joseph didn't care about such details. As long as there was no blood relation, being happy together was what mattered. Why give up true love for others' opinions?

"Joseph, don't say such things," William's frown deepened.

Their previous scandal had made headlines, and it took a lot of effort from his grandfather to suppress it. He didn't want to hear such talk now.

Christina felt the same. "Just draw the blood and stop talking."

Not every woman wanted to be Mrs. Cavendish.

She despised that title.

William should be with Jennifer, not causing trouble for others.

"Fine, I'll stop. I'll draw the blood, check your heart rate, then see the other patient," Joseph put aside his teasing.

He didn't want to intrude on them any longer.

As soon as he touched Christina's pulse, Joseph sensed something wrong. He felt her forehead, which was burning hot.

"You're running a fever. Dry your hair completely, then lie down and sweat it out. Here's some fever medicine, take it with warm water," Joseph quickly found the medication.

Taking her temperature was William's job.

Using the infrared thermometer was simple. He aimed it at Christina's forehead, and it quickly showed 103.5°F, a high fever.

"Get a good night's sleep. If your fever isn't down by morning, we'll head back," William decided.

He had planned to meet an international client for a big project tomorrow afternoon, but a life was more important.

He couldn't let Christina's fever worsen. What if she ended up with brain damage?

Then the Cavendish family would have to care for her forever.

"Make sure your hair is dry before sleeping, and keep the windows closed," Joseph advised before leaving.

He suddenly remembered, if Christina had a fever, Mia might too.

He couldn't care for two patients alone.

So Christina would have to rely on William.

After Joseph left, Christina stood to get the hairdryer but collapsed after a few steps.

Just as she thought she'd hit the floor, an arm wrapped around her waist.

"You're sick. Don't move. Sit still," William guided her back to the chair.

"But I need to dry my hair."

"I'll do it," William retrieved the hairdryer, set it to warm, and patiently dried Christina's hair.