Tough Young Master, Am I Your Soft Spot?

Chapter 1 The Prank

Amber's POV:

I followed the maid, Mabel, as she led me to an ornate door.

"Mr. Sidney has a very unpredictable temper," she warned suddenly before opening the door. "He's scared off quite a few caretakers before you, so be careful."

Her voice was respectful, tinged with an unmistakable fear.

I frowned, puzzled. How bad could he be? He was just a bedridden patient, not some kind of demon. Wasn't this a bit overblown?

"Thank you. I'll keep that in mind." I offered her a polite smile, though I had no intention of backing down.

Sereina Rossi's offer was too good to pass up, and with my brother's surgery still waiting and my recent unemployment, I needed this job more than anything.

The soon door opened, and I stepped inside.

The room was dark, with heavy curtains blocking any sunlight and only a floor lamp providing a dim glow.

In front of the desk was a wheelchair, and someone was seated in it, their back turned to me. The silhouette looked thin, hunched into the shadows.

Mabel spoke, her voice trembling slightly, "Mr. Sidney, Ms. Rossi has arranged for a new caretaker—Ms. Amber."

The strange atmosphere was making me nervous. I mentally rehearsed my introduction, but the man in the wheelchair didn't respond, the room plunging into an almost eerie silence.

I glanced at Mabel for help, and just as she was about to step forward, Sidney's head jerked to the side, an arm, scarred and limp, slipping out of his lap, with crimson liquid dripping onto the floor.

What was happening!?

My heart skipped a beat, and my mind went blank—had he just committed suicide in front of me?!

This was utterly unexpected! I hadn't even started, and this job was already falling apart.

Mabel screamed, spinning on her heel. "Doctor! Call a doctor!" she shrieked.

Her cry jolted me back to my senses. One thought replaced all others in my mind: Sidney couldn't die because this job was my last chance! 'Move, do something before the doctor arrives! Buy him some time!' I ordered myself.

Instead of panicking like Mabel, I rushed toward Sidney.

That was when I caught a whiff of something distinctly tomato-like.

It clicked in an instant. This was nothing but a lousy prank. Anger swelled up inside me, the kind of fury that only came from being played.

"Game over, Mr. Sidney! No matter how red tomato juice is, it doesn't smell like blood! This isn't funny at all!" I shouted.

The wheelchair spun around, revealing a boy about my age, holding a fake severed arm. He looked genuinely shocked that I'd figured it out so quickly, but his expression soon turned arrogant. "Look at how stupid you all looked, scared out of your minds. How is that not funny?"

He was younger than I expected, just a boy, really. But the childish prank infuriated me, and I found my fists clenching tightly at my sides, struggling to keep my temper in check. "You shouldn't treat us like that, especially not someone who's concerned about you!"

No wonder Mabel seemed terrified—Sidney's behavior was beyond appalling.

He eyed me up and down for a moment, a disdainful expression taking hold of his face. "You can either shut up and take it or leave."

I stayed silent. Clearly, I'd disrupted his "game," and he wasn't happy about it. I could already predict the kind of life I'd have if I chose to stay and endure this, but leaving...

Wait a minute, was this his way of trying to scare me off?

"I'm not choosing either!" I declared, my anger cooling to something more calculated. I wasn't going to leave, I wasn't going to play along with his prank, and I certainly wasn't going to fall for this act.

I called out to Mabel, who was still visibly shaken. "There's no need for a doctor. Mr. Sidney is perfectly fine—you've been fooled."

She looked unsure, the panic not yet fully gone from her expression. But as she followed me back into the room and saw Sidney, unharmed, her shoulders sagged with relief, and she gave me a hesitant smile.

Sidney, on the other hand, was furious. He tossed the fake arm at my feet, causing Mabel to squeal and run from the room.

"Do you think this makes you clever? You should've just been a simple-minded fool. At least then, the prank would've had its effect, and you might've been worth keeping around."

His voice was cold, like a blade aimed at pushing me out. "You've made me very unhappy, and now, you're fired."

I could see he was angry—probably no one had ever dared to stand up to him like this before.

But I was just as pissed off. Since I'd walked through that door, I'd endured his attitude, his arrogance. And now he wanted me gone? No way.

"My employer is Sereina. I take orders from her, not you," I said, lifting my chin and taking a step toward him.

Sidney's demeanor shifted instantly, a wary expression crossing his face. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Carrying out Sereina's orders—taking you out for some fresh air," I answered, moving even closer.

His face darkened, his voice rising to a sharp, warning tone. "You wouldn't dare! I'll kill you!"

"If you think you can," I shot back, not bothering to hide my disdain. He hardly looked like someone capable of doing anything to me—in fact, it felt like I could overpower him easily if I wanted.

He seemed to understand this as well. Panic flashed in his eyes, his bravado crumbling as he quickly wheeled himself backward, trying to put more distance between us, until he bumped against the desk.

Right now, he looked like a frightened little bird.

Even though I was still angry about his prank, there was something about his vulnerability that made me hesitate. I shouldn't forget—he was a patient, suffering from the limitations of his own body.

Sereina had told me that Sidney used to be gentle and kind, but after what had happened to him, he had shut himself away, turning into this bitter version of himself.

Maybe this room was his only refuge, the only place he felt safe.

I could understand why he resisted leaving, but staying in this darkness would only make him more isolated and miserable. He needed a little light in his life.

With that thought, I walked over to the windows and pulled the curtains open.

Sunlight poured in, flooding the room with brightness.

Sidney flinched, throwing his hands up to shield his eyes. "You're crazy! You're completely insane! That's it—I'm getting you thrown out of here right now!"

He grabbed his phone and tried to contact his bodyguard, probably having moved toward the desk for this very reason.

I wasn't going to let that happen. I lunged for it, grabbing at his wrist, trying to stop him.

I hadn't expected him to be this strong. It took everything I had to keep us at a standstill. Sweat dripped down my face, my patience running thin.

"Do you really want to spend your whole life holed up in this room, playing these stupid pranks? You're a coward!" I shouted, my voice raw with frustration.

For a moment, I thought I saw something flicker in his eyes: a flash of vulnerability. Then suddenly, his grip slackened, and I lost my balance, stumbling backward.

Panic set in as I felt myself falling, my arms flailing for something to hold onto.

Suddenly, someone grabbed me, pulling me into their chest.

I was stunned. Sidney caught me? This guy, who'd been nothing but awful, had just helped me out?

I looked up at him, his face now inches from mine, and for the first time, I really saw him. He was handsome—intensely so. The sunlight framed his features: the golden waves of his hair, the sharp bridge of his nose, the blue of his eyes, glinting like stars.

And I realized Sidney wasn't just some frail patient. His limbs were long, his body solid. He should have been towering over me, not confined to that wheelchair.

"Sidney..." I began, not sure whether I should thank him or apologize. But then I felt something pressing into my stomach, something hard, and I instinctively reached down to touch it.

The next second, Sidney went completely stiff, his eyes widening in utter disbelief.