Psycho villain I Raised Wants to Marry Me-Chapter283 – A lover?
Clarissa hadn’t planned on bringing Abyss with her today—but Abyss had other ideas.
From the moment she got out of bed, she’d followed her around relentlessly, tugging at the hem of her skirt, staring at her with stubborn intensity even after she changed.
She laughed helplessly and ruffled his huge head.
“Alright, alright, I’ll take you. But you have to behave. No attacking people, got it?”
After confirming arrangements with Atticus over the phone, Clarissa let out a quiet sigh of relief.
“Dr. Atticus said he’ll come down to pick us up himself. We’ll enter through the back door.”
If Abyss marched in through the front, he’d scare half the hospital to death.
She led him quietly around to the rear entrance. Just as she reached for the handle, the door opened from the inside.
Their eyes met.
“Good morning, Miss Clarissa,” Atticus said first.
“Dr. Atticus… I brought Abyss.” She tightened her grip on the leash. Today, Abyss stared at him without blinking, a low, warning growl rumbling in his throat.
The air instantly turned awkward and tense.
Clarissa forced a small laugh and bent to stroke Abyss’s head.
“Abyss, calm down…”
Then she looked back up at Atticus apologetically.
“I’m sorry. She’s very clingy, and I was worried about leaving her alone at home. I hope I’m not causing trouble.”
Atticus only smiled gently, his gaze never leaving her.
“Come inside.”
Clarissa quickly tugged Abyss along behind her.
.......
Atticus settled them in the front waiting area. He brewed Clarissa a pot of tea, set out snacks, and even prepared a bowl of pet treats for Abyss with surprising thoughtfulness.
“I need to handle a few things first. Miss Clarissa, please relax here for a moment. I’ll talk to you properly afterward.”
“Okay,” she replied obediently.
She watched him work.
It was mesmerizing.
His profile was flawless—clean white shirt, sleeves casually rolled up, lean muscles defined beneath the fabric, fingers moving with calm precision. The sight of him like this stirred a strange sense of familiarity deep in her chest.
So familiar it made her heart ache.
“Miss Clarissa.”
His voice behind her made her jolt. Her heart skipped violently.
“Dr. Atticus? Is something wrong?”
He looked up with a faint glint in his eyes.
“If it’s convenient… could you make me a cup of coffee?”
“Of course.” She rose immediately. “How would you like it?”
“However you like it.”
She blinked, slightly puzzled at that odd answer, but didn’t question him. When she opened the pantry, she recognized the coffee beans immediately.
They were the kind she drank herself.
She added two spoonfuls of sugar and three of milk without even thinking. As the coffee steamed before her, confusion flickered through her mind.
Why do my hands remember this so clearly?
She brought the cup to him and set it down gently.
Atticus lifted it and took a sip.
The flavor flooded his senses—rich coffee, soft milk, delicate sweetness. Exactly the same as it had been in the past.
Atticus, too much sugar’s bad for you. You’re still young—you won’t grow tall if you drink too much coffee.
The memory struck him like a blade wrapped in silk.
“Dr. Atticus? …Is it not good?”
He snapped back to the present, setting the cup down with care.
“No. It’s wonderful,” he said softly. “The best coffee I’ve ever had.”
This was the second time he’d said words like that to her.
Her gaze drifted to the booklet in his hands. Many names inside were crossed out in bold red.
She asked instinctively, “Is this your appointment list? Why are there so many red X’s?”
“They’re people I refuse to see,” Atticus replied calmly.
“You… choose your patients?”
A subtle smile curved his lips as he observed her reaction.
“Miss Clarissa, come sit here.”
He patted the chair beside him.
She hesitated only a moment before sitting down.
Even with a small gap between them, the faint medicinal scent on his body drifted toward her. Her muscles stiffened slightly. Her heartbeat quickened. Even the tips of her ears warmed.
Atticus placed the booklet in front of her. “You’ve seen this person before.”
Clarissa leaned forward slightly to get a better look.
“He’s a notorious bastard in the industry,” Atticus said calmly.
Clarissa immediately understood. “Dr. Atticus, I—”
He let out a low chuckle. “How many people on that list genuinely seek treatment, and how many truly deserve it… that’s always worth questioning.”
Clarissa looked at him intently. “You’re a good doctor.”
Atticus lifted his coffee and took a slow sip.
“But I’m not a good person.”
His eyes darkened slightly. “Once, I made a promise to someone. She taught me how precious life really is. I became a doctor because of her—to save those who actually need saving.”
Their gazes met.
Clarissa’s heart, which had just barely settled, suddenly began to pound again—harder than before.
She quickly looked away, unable to bear the intensity.
“I… I won’t interrupt your work.”
With that, she rose in a near panic and hurried into the adjacent cubicle, almost as if fleeing.
Atticus watched her disappearing figure. The cold in his eyes melted into something soft—dangerously soft.
He lowered his head and returned to his work with forced focus, lifting the coffee to his lips once more.
Abyss sat upright on the rug, staring at the open snacks in front of it. The smells were intoxicating.
Eat… don’t eat… eat… don’t eat…
Its tail swished violently, first side to side, then in tight circles. Just as its paw inched forward—
Clarissa suddenly rushed back at full speed and dropped down beside it.
Her face was flushed a deep crimson, her eyes glossy with lingering confusion and embarrassment.
Abyss tilted its head. She had only been gone a moment—how had she turned into this?
Clarissa didn’t even notice it. She fanned her face rapidly, trying to cool down. Abyss thickened its tail around a water bottle and nudged it toward her.
She grabbed it and gulped it down in one go.
Only then did she slump against Abyss, rolling the empty bottle in her fingers, lost in thought.
Is Dr. Atticus really a bad man…?
At first, she had thought he was the type of doctor who only treated the rich and ruthless for outrageous fees. But the truth felt very different.
And Abyss never hated anyone without a reason.
Her grip tightened on the bottle.
He had said he became a doctor because of someone important.
Her intuition whispered the answer—a woman.
A mother? A sister? Or…
A lover?
The thought sent a sharp, unfamiliar ache through her chest.
Does Dr. Atticus… have someone he loves?
Clarissa abruptly sat up.
At that moment, footsteps approached. She quickly dropped the bottle and tightened Abyss’s leash to keep it still.
Watching the two of them chatting happily while it was completely ignored, Abyss rolled its eyes in irritation and tugged at its collar.
Clarissa had already defected—utterly bewitched by Atticus.
His scent alone felt like a threat.
It had disliked him since it was still small. It had failed to protect Clarissa once and even lost consciousness that night. And on the opposite balcony… that man had made blatant, provocative gestures.
The hatred only ran deeper.
But when it saw Clarissa smiling like that—
Abyss hesitated.
It had stayed with her for two years and had rarely seen her this genuinely happy. With Atticus, she seemed relaxed in a way she never was before. Even when she cooked afterward, she’d been softly humming.
…Fine.
Abyss snorted quietly, lowered its guard, and curled up on the rug at Clarissa’s feet, silently keeping watch.
From across the room, Atticus observed the shift.
While Clarissa stepped away briefly, he moved closer with unhurried steps.
Abyss instantly tensed. Its body lowered, crimson-gold eyes narrowing, a low growl rumbling in warning.
Atticus calmly sat down very close to it.
Elegant. Unbothered. A faint smile met Abyss’s hostility.
“Little Abyss,” he murmured. “Let’s… talk.”
......
When Clarissa returned, Atticus was already seated where he had been before, calmly sipping tea. From behind, his tall posture was straight and composed, long legs crossed, slender fingers striking against the white porcelain cup—a flawless, almost unreal sight.
In contrast, Abyss lay curled at her feet, utterly dazed, tail slack against the floor.
Clarissa hurried over. “Dr. Atticus, Abyss didn’t hurt you again, did she?”
Atticus placed his cup down gently and poured one for Clarissa as well.
“No. Abyss is very well-behaved. She didn’t mean it last time. Right, Abyss?”
It didn’t reply. It simply wrapped its tail around Clarissa’s ankle and pressed its entire body against her.
Clarissa stroked its back softly.
“I’m really grateful I’ve had her with me all these years.”
Atticus glanced at her. “Are you alone, Miss Clarissa?”
“Yes.”
His fingers curled slightly at his side. “I thought you’d have many suitors.”
“Love isn’t about quantity,” she said quietly. “It’s about fate.”
After speaking, she hesitated—then looked straight at him.
“Dr. Atticus… do you have someone you like?”
“Yes.” He answered without hesitation, eyes fixed on her. “But she won’t accept me.”
Clarissa blinked. “Is there really any woman who would reject you?”
“And you, Miss Clarissa?” he asked softly. “Would you?”
Her entire body froze.
Since arriving here, her heartbeat had felt completely out of her control. Just like now—she had to force herself to remain calm to avoid losing all composure.
Her cool, restrained reaction chilled the heat in Atticus’s eyes.
He smiled faintly. “Just a joke. Don’t take it seriously.”
“Oh… I see.” Clarissa looked away.
For some reason, the word joke left her with an unexpected hollow ache.
On the way back, her mind stayed tangled in that conversation. She didn’t even realize she’d left the incense Atticus had given her at the front desk.
After locking Abyss in the car, she turned back to retrieve it.
The receptionist’s eyes lit up the moment she saw Clarissa, and several people at the front desk immediately crowded around.
“Oh my god, it’s Miss Clarissa!”
“You’re even more beautiful in person than on TV!”
Seeing they were all nurses from the hospital, Clarissa had an idea. She walked over to the counter, took a few items from her bag, and handed them out with a smile.
“Just a small gift.”
“Wait—isn’t this merch from Mark and Whitney’s new drama?” one of them gasped. “It’s completely sold out!”
Clarissa smiled gently. “They’re just little things. I don’t really need them. I’m glad you like them.”
“We love them! We really do!” another nurse said excitedly. “It would be even better if we could get front-row tickets to your concert— or at least some insider news!”
Clarissa laughed. “If I get any inside information, I’ll be sure to pass it along.”
“Thank you so much!”
As the excitement slowly died down, Clarissa unconsciously brushed the incense she was holding and said softly, almost to herself,
“Dr. Atticus is really amazing… Ever since I started seeing him, I’ve been sleeping straight through the night.”
Chapter283 – A lover?
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