23 Wilted Smile

~The Official Residence, Minister of Works~

"Who is checking on that brat, has he not returned from his business trip?!" Minister Kim roared as he moved the duvet from his body and got out of bed.

With so many people surrounding him in his bedroom, he felt suffocated as if he was going to die and needed a breath of fresh air. And the fresh air he needed happened to be his son, Roy.

"Sir, he has returned," someone announced.

Immediately, Minister Kim fixed his gaze on him and asked, "When?"

"Three hours ago."

"Three hours ago?" the old man repeated in his head. "How come he hasn't come to see me?"

There was a brief silence before a response was delivered to him. "He said he is not coming over today."

The middle-aged man crossed his hand behind his back with furrowed brows. Then he had a good look at his secretary as he asked, "Didn't you tell him that I wanted to see him urgently?"

This was a sign of trouble and knowing this, his secretary dared not to take things lightly. But how was he going to deliver Roy's firm refusal to come over to the old man who didn't want to take 'no' for an answer?

Regardless, he let the words form on his lips. "We did, Sir, but he…"

"Get out this instant and bring that boy to me! He caused me to lose face before the Prime Minister, how dare he get married without my permission?!"

Since the previous day after parting ways with the prime minister, Minister Kim hasn't heard anything from him.

Naturally, he was the one who was supposed to reach out to him, but how could he do that when he hadn't spoken with Roy first?

If he called that man now, what was he going to say to him? Flimsy excuses were not allowed, and it's not like he wanted to end his political career when he hadn't enjoyed it to the fullest.

Minister Kim quickly changed his mind and decided to meet Roy himself. "That boy owes me answers. Where is he? I will go meet him myself." But before he could ask for a coat, his doctor and his wife walked in and put an end to the drama. 

"Honey? What are you doing trying to take the tube out?" Mrs. Kim asked with a surprised expression on her face.

She took careful steps towards him while giving him a good glance. 

Mrs. Kim's makeup was tastefully done, and her skin looked like she had taken good care of it.

Seeing his wife appear unexpectedly, Minister Kim threw his face to the other side. "What does it look like I'm doing? I cannot go to find Roy with a tube connected to my vein. I don't want those hungry media people to be sued by my enemies to end my career."

"Why do you have to see Roy when you can make him come here?" she inquired as she watched him sit back on the bed at least, he had temporarily aborted that idea of leaving the house.

"Do you think I would want to go and find him if he agreed to come here?" The old man's tone rose as he was pretty annoyed at the reminder of his son's stubbornness. 

First, he got married to a random woman without prior notice and his permission, thereby ruining his plans with the prime minister's daughter and now, he refuses to come home to see him.

With her husband's stubbornness growing every hour, Mrs. Kim could only throw a glance at his doctor who immediately took the cue to step in. 

"Honourable minister, you are not allowed to leave your house until you are done with the treatment for today."

Hearing that, Minister Kim tilted his head to the side to meet his gaze. "And if the President calls?" He was trying to understand what kind of authority his doctor thought he had over him.

Dr. Anderson observed him for a few moments before walking over to the other side to check the flow of the IV. "That is the only exception."

The old man breathed in and out before compromising. He followed his doctor's instructions to lie back on the bed.

"Make sure you take a photo of me connected to the drip and send it to Roy. I want to see if he still has any conscience left for his father," he instructed his secretary.

"Yes, Sir."

"And this can't get him to come home, kidnap that girl he married and bring her here," he ordered without batting an eye.

Just when everyone thought that the Minister of Works was done throwing a tantrum, they heard him ask his doctor, "I thought Roy and your daughter had a good relationship. How can he marry someone else?"

---

At the other end, Roy and Anna got back to his place safely, and as they drove into the estate, the latter couldn't keep her eyes off the window.

"This is a private estate. Cabs can't enter here and it's quite a tedious work to walk from the house to the road to get a cab, so by tomorrow, I will arrange for a car for you," Roy explained before asking, "You don't know how to drive, do you?"

Anna shook her head sheepishly. Roy let out a deep sigh that conveyed his tiredness. He was amazed that in this generation, some young people did not know how to move a car.

"Would you like to learn?" he asked as their car pulled over in front of a duplex with a small fountain at the centre of the compound.

Seeing that he was really interested in passing the knowledge to her, Anna's eyes shone brightly. "You will teach me?" she asked excitedly.

Instantly, a line appeared on Roy's forehead. "In your dreams!" he said before climbing out of the jeep, leaving Anna to deal with her wilted smile.

It seems like the younger woman was now finding it difficult to deal with his other side after dealing with his kindness for a longer duration.

But when she got out of the car and went to stand beside him since she figured he was waiting for her to come over, she heard him say, "I don't have time for things like that. I will arrange for someone to teach you, just let me know when you are ready."

Instantly, Anna's mood was lifted.