<div> Chapter 38: Madling, Again?
 Slowly, Rino turned around to meet the eyes of Arianna. His heart was now caught between duty and a strange feeling of responsibility that had latched onto him.
 Her words, the fragile voice with which she had begged him not to leave her were solid in the way they came. It didn’t hint at a statement or a plea made out of fear, there was something more Rino needed to find out.
 Without saying any word, he returned to where Arianna lay, this time sitting gently on the edge of the bed. She watched him with her glimmering eyes that brimmed with unshed tears.
 He took her hands again, much more gently this time, as if he feared gripping her further was going to shatter them.
 "I’m not leaving," he whispered, brushing a stray strand of her hair behind her ear. "I will not leave you, at least not yet. I promise."
 His usage of ’yet’ was a mistaken word he shouldn’t have used. It left Arianna to deepen her pitiful gaze on him. The silence that ensued between them, was full of questions neither of them seemed able to ask.
 But Rino won’t solve any problem if he maintains silence with the girl.
 He had to try.
 "Are you scared? You look scared... back there," he said, tilting his head as if to demonstrate what he meant. "When I was about to leave. Why?"
 Arianna didn’t give him the required answer. She only looked down, her hands still in his as she mumbled again, "Please, don’t leave me."
 This time, repeating the plea had more effect on him than the first. It struck him deeper than the first. There was a tremor in her voice now, hinting at a fear for something she didn’t want to name.
 Rino exhaled slowly, nodding once. "I will stay, I promise."
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</div> There was mother silence.
 Then, Arianna lifted her gaze and asked him. "Will you take me with you... after I’m discharged?" she asked with a voice barely above a whisper.
 He was still trying to make do with her first question and here she is, asking another one.
 Just what does she think she’s doing? Who does she think she is?
 If only Rino Carter’s personality took dominance at this moment, he only pitied what the outcome might turn to.
 But—
 The question had hit like cold water.
 Take her with him?
 He blinked.
 The truth was, he had intended to take her with him. That was his plan. At least, temporarily. But hearing her ask it now forced the weight of the decision upon him.
 Why would she want to go with him?
 Rino’s eyes flicked to the nurse who pretended not to be present, as if she had not been hearing anything that was going on between him and Arianna. Her face was neutral, her eyes locked on a medical chart of a skeletal body hung on the wall, but Rino knew her ears were clearly tuned.
 That was their normal action technique. They acted like they knew nothing, but when it was time for their mouth to do their usual gossip job, you would be stunned at the amount of information they had gathered.
 He looked back to Arianna.
 He opened his mouth to ask about her mother, to know if she was alive, if she was kind, or maybe if there was trouble at home. But the words caught in his throat.
 Rino, rather based his assumption of the logic and psychology of what had happened.
 Children didn’t ask to be taken in unless their homes lacked warmth, safety... or care. Rino wasn’t a therapist, but he had been through enough to recognize emotional silence when he saw one.
 The reaction to the mention of her father earlier... her sudden dependency now... the fear of being left alone...
 This girl was running from something—something she wasn’t ready to say out loud.
 Rino’s inner mind clicked into overdrive. She probably isn’t receiving the kind of treatment a child deserves at home. She may not feel safe there. Maybe... emotionally, she was already an orphan.
 He had to be careful though.
 So, he made up his mind to take her in temporarily, ensure she recovered fully, then pay a visit to her home and meet whoever was responsible for her. If it turned out his assumptions were right in a way, then he did find a way to step in.
 It was crazy, he thought, how he was about to take care of someone just four years younger than him. But then again, this wasn’t about age. This was about responsibility.
 He had to face much of this situation in his former life, so, there should be no problem now.
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</div> Rino Carter wouldn’t have done this. But he wasn’t just Rino Carter anymore.
 There were two people in one body.
 And the other... was far more capable of compassion.
 "I’ll take you with me," he finally said. "But only if you promise to rest well until then."
 Arianna smiled faintly, her face softening.
 "I promise," she said.
 With that, Rino gently loosened his grip on her hands. "I’ll be back soon. I have to go for an appointment. But I’ll make sure everything here is paid for, alright?"
 The girl nodded, and this time, she let him go without resistance.
 Rino left the room and approached the nurse’s counter. His expression was serious and focused.
 "I’d like to make a deposit for the girl—Arianna Meth," he said.
 The nurse tapped on her keyboard and gave a small nod. "Her total bill is $1,750,000."
 He pulled out his phone, collected the hospital’s account details and transferred $1,000,000 immediately as a deposit.
 "Make sure she gets everything she needs."
 Once the payment was complete, Rino slid down the moving stairs of the hospital, his feet flying over the steps. He walked briskly out and slid into his limo.
 The address was already set in his mind. He was the one who set the address and time, and now, he’s the defaulter. The latecomer.
 He glanced at his watch, it was already ten minutes past the hour of 8 in the night. It would take him at least 10 minutes more to get to the venue if he surpassed the speed limit for cars traveling on the road.
 And that was what he planned. It was night already, kids or careless pedestrians wouldn’t be found on the roads now.
 To Café D’Étoile.
 The café for the exclusive, the rich, and those who had something to prove.
 His car sliced sped across the road that led to the café, carefully drifting at each turn as the car tires screeched against the tar of the road, and the city lights flickered to life as he passed by any of them.
 It wasn’t long before the building came into view, glowing softly under the descending night.
 Rino parked his car at the space in the parking lot, and stepped out, adjusting his collar, and scanning the front through the glass walls.
 Inside, he moved slowly—searching—and then, he spotted her.
 Zaria.
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</div> But not alone.
 Sitting across from her at the table was another young man, dressed clean, sharp, like he belonged. His body language spoke familiarity. Zaria was smiling—softly, at whatever amusing the young man told her.
 Rino’s eyes narrowed.
 He felt a tinge of jealousy creep in his heart.
 No. He shouldn’t be feeling her social engagement with others, he thought.
 But that kind of smile—
 He moved closer, each step heavier than the last.
 Then, as he reached the table, his voice came before his mind had time to process fully.
 "Madling?" he said, confused... and stunned.
 The young man looked up.
 And there he was.
 Again.</div>
 

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Chapter 38: Madling, Again?

Chapter 38: Madling, Again? Slowly, Rino turned around to meet the eyes of Arianna. His heart was now caught between duty and a strange feeling of responsibility that had latched onto him. Her words, the fragile voice with which she had begged him not to leave her were solid in the way they came. It didn’t hint at a statement or a plea made out of fear, there was something more Rino needed to find out. Without saying any word, he returned to where Arianna lay, this time sitting gently on the...

Financial Emperor: After I Rose From the Dead

Chapter 38: Madling, Again?

Financial Emperor: After I Rose From the Dead - Chapter 38: Madling, Again?