Chapter 10 Impossible Offer 2

Maya froze the moment she heard Marcus repeat himself. For a few seconds, she simply stared at him.

Her eyes slowly travelled from his face to his shoulders and back again, searching for the slightest sign that he was joking. Instead, all she found was the faint smile on his face.

"Did the accident damage his brain?" she wondered. "How can he say something like this with a straight face?"

She opened her mouth to rebuke him, but stopped herself just in time. To Ethan Voss, this was probably nothing more than another joke. But to her, he was talking about her mother.

The woman who had been lying unconscious after a failed brain surgery while she struggled day and night to keep paying the hospital bills.

“How could someone who knew nothing about medicine casually claim he could heal her?”, the thought alone felt like an insult.

Her eyes became moist, and despite trying to hold it back, a tear slipped down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away.

Maya hated crying in front of other people. Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself before looking Marcus straight in the eyes.

"Mr. Voss," she said quietly, "I know you've never really cared about other people, but please don't make jokes about my mother's condition"

Her voice remained respectful, but the hurt behind it was impossible to hide.

"With all due respect, I think it's time for me to leave. I'll return this evening for your next check-up"

She picked up her medical case and turned toward the door. Before she could take another step, Marcus gently caught her wrist.

"I know it's difficult for you to believe me," Marcus said earnestly. "But can't you give me one chance?"

His voice softened, "I am not as heartless as you think I am"

He looked directly into her eyes, "If you don't want to believe me because you're a doctor, then don't do it for me"

He paused, then said, "Do it for your mother"

His expression grew serious, "She's the one suffering. If there's even the slightest chance I can help her, why refuse before you've even seen what I can do?"

Maya stared at him in disbelief, "Has he lost his mind?" she thought.

To her, Marcus sounded like someone asking to experiment on a human life. She took a slow breath before speaking carefully.

"Mr. Voss... should I recommend another CT scan for you?"

Marcus blinked at her humorous statement.

"Or perhaps I should ask the director to arrange a psychiatric evaluation instead"

To her surprise, Marcus laughed softly. He wasn't offended, because If their positions had been reversed, he would probably have reacted the same way.

After all, Ethan Voss had never shown the slightest interest in medicine. No reasonable person would believe him.

Marcus slowly released her wrist, "I understand why you think that," he said with a faint smile. "Everything I've said sounds impossible."

He then took a step closer, "But tell me something"

"You've spent everything you have trying to save your mother, haven't you?"

Maya lowered her eyes without answering.

"You've followed every treatment the hospital recommended". Still, she remained silent.

"And yet...", Marcus continued gently. "Nothing has changed"

Those words struck harder than she expected. He wasn't mocking her, he was simply stating the truth.

Marcus continued, "I know modern medicine has done everything it can"

He hesitated briefly before adding, "So why not give another approach a chance?"

"If it doesn't work...", he looked at her seriously. "I'll accept full responsibility"

Maya frowned, but Marcus continued before she could interrupt.

"If your mother recovers, I'll buy you an apartment". Her eyes widened slightly.

"And I'll put you on a monthly salary of five thousand dollars"

After a long pause, Maya finally asked, "And if it fails?"

Marcus answered without stuttering, "I'll still buy the apartment"

"I'll still pay the salary"

"Everything I promised remains yours"

He folded his arms, "So..."

"Will you work with me?"

Maya found herself at a loss for words. The confidence in his voice didn't sound forced, nor did it sound like the empty arrogance Ethan Voss was famous for.

After a moment, she spoke again, "You mentioned another method"

"What method are you talking about?"

Marcus weighed his words carefully. He couldn't reveal the existence of the Code of Vitalis.

"I once spent some time in a village with a friend's grandfather," he said.

"He practiced a form of traditional holistic medicine"

"I became fascinated by it and continued learning from him long after everyone else had left"

It wasn't the complete truth, but it wasn't entirely a lie either.

Maya stared at him, "That..."

She struggled to find the right words, "...is hard to believe"

Marcus smiled, "I expected you to say that"

He walked to a nearby table, picked up a prepared folder, and held it out to her.

"If you're willing to work with me, everything is already prepared"

"This is the contract"

Maya accepted the folder hesitantly and sat down to read it. At first, her expression remained calm. She slowly turned one page after another, then her brows knitted together.

She read further and her face changed completely.

Suddenly, she stood up, "I can't sign this", she dropped the documents onto the table.

"This isn't an employment contract". Marcus', "It's an oath of secrecy"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Voss"

"I can't agree to these conditions"