Chapter 6

I just stared at Ian, dumbfounded. I had always known that the commissions earned from making sales were lucrative, but I had no idea it was that lucrative. The fact that Samuel could earn two million dollars worth of commissions shocked me even more than the time when I found out that I could only live for six more months. I was the one who made the project successful. If I could get my hands on the commissions, I might be able to extend my lifespan by a year or more. That thought excited me. Although I no longer held out hope for my own life, I still needed to take care of my adoptive father, Noah Richardson. He was the one who had saved me and my mother 15 years ago, after all. In fact, he viewed me as his own son. After my mom went missing, my adoptive father and I relied on each other since then. I named myself "Edward Richardson" after I decided to accept my adoptive father as my sole family member in this world. I could always die, but my dad must survive no matter what. If anything were to happen to him, I'd never be able to forgive myself even after death. The thought of my dad made me stand up immediately. "Let's go. I'd like to rest properly tonight so that I can give it my all at work tomorrow." But Ian was still confused. "Edward, you only have half a year left to live because of your terminal illness. Why are you still thinking about work at this time?" I smiled while patting Ian on the shoulder. "You're right. I should fight for the opportunity as long as it exists." What I meant was that I was willing to struggle for a little longer for my father's sake. Ian smiled upon hearing my words. "See? Your survival instincts are kicking in now. Edward, you'll definitely survive this ordeal." I was touched by Ian's sincere encouragement. We had been working in the same department for over two years as acquaintances. I didn't expect him to be the first one to find out about my disease. Moreover, he really wanted me to live. Before parting ways with Ian at the hospital's entrance, I decided to remind him. "Please help me keep my condition a secret. Don't tell anyone what happened to me." Ian didn't ask me for the reason why. All he did was nod, albeit worriedly. "Can you go home on your own? Should I drive you home instead?" "It's fine. I'm feeling pretty good at the moment, so I'd like to walk home on my own." After bidding Ian goodbye, I started walking home down the pavement. On the way home, I bumped into someone I knew. I exchanged a few words with them before leaving, clearly not interested in continuing the conversation anymore. The afterparty must have been over by now. Yet, Luna didn't come home at all. All of the lights in the villa were out at the moment, making it look abandoned. Was Luna not planning to go home today as well? Feeling quite saddened, I probed around in the dark and managed to flick on the switch that turned on the hallway lights. Just as I took off my shoes at the doorway, I heard a cold voice ringing out abruptly. "Where did you go?" The sudden question caught me off guard. It turned out that Luna was sitting on the couch in the living room. She was the one who had asked me that question. Luna actually came back? This was definitely mystifying. Since I didn't respond to Luna, she was starting to get impatient. She stood up and approached me, obviously dissatisfied due to my not answering her question in time. "Answer me. Where did you go?" "The hospital," I answered subconsciously. But I regretted my answer the moment it left my lips. To my surprise, a trace of worry flickered across her eyes. She asked a little anxiously, "Why did you go to the hospital? What happened to you?" I circled around Luna and headed toward my room while feigning nonchalance. "Luna, will you believe me if I tell you that I'm about to die soon?" My question pissed Luna off. "Edward Richardson, are you screwing around with me right now? I didn't go home after Sam's afterparty and wait for you this long just to hear this stupid question!" Did she come home for my sake? For a moment, I thought Luna was worried for me when I noticed the rage in her eyes. "I… I went to the hospital with Ian. He was suffering from a stomachache so bad that he could barely walk." Sorry for using you as my shield, Ian. Upon hearing the excuse, Luna let out a small sigh of relief. She sounded gentler now. "Remember. You mustn't crack such morbid jokes in the future. I'm the one who has full control over your life now, so you're not allowed to die unless I say so." At that moment, her threat sounded quite tame. It was such a shame that she could never retain my life when it was time for the Grim Reaper to claim me. I just shook my head with a smile. What Luna said after that made me feel as though my heart had plunged into an icy abyss. "Sam wants you to think of a few ideas for the project proposal meant for Mr. Hutton. Tomorrow, he and his team will visit the company. Sam will introduce the proposal to them. You're fine with helping him out, right?" I was too dumbstruck to respond. Heh! And here I was, thinking about the reason why Luna chose to come back at this time. Why would she worry about me for no reason? It turned out that she just wanted me to help her side piece get through tomorrow's hurdle!