C8 8

"Uncle..." Sara muttered, "I... I'm telling the truth."

Hank moved his fingers away but he didn't let Sara get up from his lap. Arms around her waist, he made a questioning sound, "Hmm?"

He then frowned. "Why is this girl's waist so thin? I could easily grasp it with one hand. Is she really eighteen, or is she eight?" He thought to himself.

Sara tried her best to ignore the situation she was in, and said dejectedly, "My half-sister, William wants to go to King College. My father... Yen came today and wanted me to ask for your help."

Hank was not surprised to hear the girl call her father by his name. As for the admission quota of the college, he did not think it was worth mentioning. He only cared about her last sentence. "Then, why didn't you come to ask me?" He asked.

Hearing the man's faint breathing, Sara shrunk her neck and held the edge of her pastel green dress tightly as she answered, "Because... because I don't want to bother you, Uncle."

Hank lifted her chin with a finger and said, "So you went to bother Mrs. Bishop?"

Sara thought that he was angry. After all, even if Hank did not have a good relationship with Mrs. Bishop, she was still his grandmother. Therefore, Sara hurriedly explained, "No... it wasn't me. It was my stepmother, she sent someone to get Madam Bishop..."

In fact, Hank was aware of that matter after hearing it from Bella earlier. He just couldn't help but tease her when he saw her blushing face. "And you begged her?" He asked.

Sara bit her lip and felt extremely shameless. The marriage was only a money matter between the Bishop family and the Martin family, but now the latter had come to take advantage of the Bishop family through her. Sara herself couldn't stand it either.

She gently tugged at Hank's sleeve, looked up at the man's handsome but pallid face and stammered, "You... Please don't be angry, I can... I can make up for that..."

Hank looked at her calmly, like a beast watching its prey under the sunlight. "How are you planning to make up for that?" He questioned her.

Sara gritted her teeth and finally said, "I... I may be able to cure your illness..."

Hank was stunned at her reply.

He had almost forgotten that this girl was from a family of famous medical doctors for generations.

He slowly stroked Sara's waist with his fingers and asked, "Seriously?"

Sara did not notice that this old man was taking her advantage. She raised her petite face and answered solemnly, "I'm not sure either. I'll need to do a physical examination first."

Hank's eyes darkened slightly.

He was hesitant. "What if she finds out that! am pretending to be sick?" He thought.

"Sure." The man's voice contained a hint of amusement. He slowly stretched his hand out, looked at Sara and said, "Go ahead."

Sara whispered, "Then... will you please put me down?"

Hank asked mockingly, "Who are you asking to put you down?"

Sara answered, "...Uncle."

Hank loosened his grip. Sara hurriedly stood up and took a deep breath. Then, she half-squatted in front of Hank and placed her slender fingers on Hank's pulse point.

Hank was observing her quietly.

He was ready to send her to h*ll if she she uttered a word that displeased him.

"...Uncle." Sara's eyebrows furrowed, and her pale feature was filled with uncertainty. "The doctor who diagnosed you, is he not very good?" She asked.

The murderous intent in Hank's eyes suddenly dispersed, and he asked, "Why do you say that?"

put me down?"

Hank asked mockingly, "Who are you asking to put you down?"

Sara answered, "...Uncle."

Hank loosened his grip. Sara hurriedly stood up and took a deep breath. Then, she half-squatted in front of Hank and placed her slender fingers on Hank's pulse point.

Hank was observing her quietly.

He was ready to send her to h*ll if she she uttered a word that displeased him.

"...Uncle." Sara's eyebrows furrowed, and her pale feature was filled with uncertainty. "The doctor who diagnosed you, is he not very good?" She asked.

The murderous intent in Hank's eyes suddenly dispersed, and he asked, "Why do you say that?"

Sara replied him, "I noticed that the medicine you took previously was meant to treat internal injuries, but... you're suffering from external injuries."

She paused for a moment, and then realized what was happening. She looked at Hank carefully and incredulously. "Are you... pretending to be sick?" She whispered.

The look her face resembled a frightened hamster, which was quite interesting in Hank's eyes.

He didn't answer her question.

Sara pondered for a while, and she felt that she might have pried her way into some secrets. After all, in such a complicated family like the Bishop's, with turmoil in both of the military and political worlds, there must be a reason Hank had to fake his illness.

"I'll keep it a secret for you." Sara said. "But you can't take that medicine anymore. It is poisoning you and is bad for your health." She added.

Her serious expression was quite endearing. Hank listened inattentively and asked, "You want to help me keep it a secret?"

Sara nodded as she said, "There must be a reason for you to fake it. But your body do have many old wounds that require recuperation, I'll write you a prescription when we get back..."

Speaking of what she was good at, the young girl's eyes were shining with confidence. For that time being, she had forgotten her fear for him, but then she suddenly stopped speaking.

Sara realized that Hank and her had only known each other for a day, and she thought that this military man would probably not trust her words. Thus, she changed the topic. "...Let's walk around more." She said instead.

Hank didn't want to talk about the topic as well, and Sara was oblivious that the Death's sickle had just swung before her eyes.

"Scrollania." Hank asked unexpectedly, "Do you want to go too?"

Sara was shocked at his sudden question before responding, "I am fine with anything."

She had always been neglected and an outcast since she was a child. For the sake of Lilly's good reputation, Sara was given the identity of the second daughter in the Bishop family. Both Sara and William also attended the same school, but everyone knew that Sara was an illegitimate daughter. In school, she had always been the one who was being humiliated and bullied, even the teachers acquiesced in that.

No one had ever asked what Sara her opinion or desires were.

She was different from William. She didn't have the ambition to make friends with the rich and powerful, she just wanted to leave with her grandfather as soon as possible...

Besides that, she was confident that she could get into a good university, be it King College or not, hence it didn't matter to her.

"You kids would probably make comparisons in your vanity." Hank said. "If your sister went to King College, won't you be made fun of in school?" He asked.

Sara was startled. "Do you... do you mean that I can still go to school?" She asked.

Hank gave her a strange look and replied, "Since when did I say you're not allowed to go to school?"

"Did this little girl assume that I abduct her for human trafficking?" Hank thought.

Sara could no longer hold back her joy, and a bright smile blossomed on her face like a Dior. "Thank you... You really are a good person!" She thanked the man sincerely in a soft voice.

You're totally different from the rumors outside! Sara thought to herself.

.." Hank who was suddenly referred as a good person felt speechless.

"From now on, if your father comes to see you again, don't be bothered to meet him," Hank said, his clear gaze had a gleam of temperament. "If they won't leave you alone, you can come to me." He continued.

Sara asked, "...To complain to you?" Hank thought for a moment and responded, "If I were in a good mood, I might take your side."

Sara was dumbstruck at his words, "..." "So, it depends on his mood?" She thought.

Even so, Sara was already satisfied. In her 18 years of life, she had finally found a second person to complain her problems to.

It was not her father nor her mother, but a man named Hank Bishop.