Page 106 of The Guru: Shadow

“That we can take care of,” he said, leaning in on her and while he kissed her, he pulled out the knife.

Ouch.

Now, as she was all back to consciousness, it hurt like shit. Some blood flooded out of the wound, but not too much, and he immediately put pressure on it with a fresh towel.

She knew her art. Although, overall, she felt a bit dizzy.

“How about we get you cleaned and checked up? I assume the wound might need some stitches.”

“I will not set foot into a hospital, I have no interest in being put in a psych ward, nor do I have insurance.”

He laughed. “I would not let them. But I thought more of my private doctor”

Of course, he has a private doctor.

“Not necessary, really. Only thing I need would be a first aid kit, the rest I can do myself.”

“Any chance you went to med school without leaving a trace? Where did you learn all that stuff?” he asked her while he went for the drawer on his left, where he seemed to keep a stack of medical supplies.

She chuckled. “I’ve been obsessed with the human body since childhood. Iwanted a skeleton for my fourth birthday so I could learn all the bones.”

“Why not go to med school then?” And he handed her some bandages and a sterile pad.

“Because med school is expensive and requires discipline, something I lack.”

Saying it out loud is awful.

Medical school, being a doctor, or a surgeon was actually, aside from being valued and cherished, her deepest wish. Whenever she thought of being a surgeon, whenever she talked to Kai, it gave her thrilling goosebumps but also pinched her. Because she would never have it. It was a broken dream.

“You only need discipline for the things you hate,” he told her with a smile.

His words made her stop the wrapping of her thigh. She could only stare at him, completely flabbergasted.

She had never thought about it that way, but hearing it, it made so much sense. Whatever she set her mind on – what gave her the dopamine kick – worked. At least for a while, until it became boring. But some things came to her so easily. Like learning about the human body.

“Still, no money.” And she let her gaze wander to stare outside, watching the orange sky become a bright pink.

Another night. Another day.

“That is something that can be changed.”

“Easy to say if you live in Billionaire’s Row.”

What does he think I’ve been trying my whole life? It’s just some are blessed and have discipline, and some don’t.

“Wasn’t always like this, Em.”

“Money like this usually doesn’t come from hard work, more from being born in certain circles and luck.”

“Yes and no. It comes from smart work. From seeing potential, from being strategic, from connections, and from knowing a person’s deepest desire and giving it to them and using knowledge as much as the greed of others against them.”

“Knowing a person’s deepest desire and giving it to them,”his words resounded inher head.

And when they had sunk in, her eyes flashed back to him.

So that is what he does. Finding out everything about a person, give them what they want and then exploit them while using the DeBarra’s greed against him?

And there it was again, the voice of caution, telling her to be careful, to not trust.