Ignoring his advances, Jenny reiterated her words and added, "I can perform the surgery on you, but you have to understand the risks that come with it.""Got it." Given that he was willing to come for a consultation, he must have been mentally prepared for the worst-case scenario. Curious about his insistence, she asked, "I remember you said you didn't care about the memory loss. Why would you change your mind now?""What are the consequences of not getting the surgery?" he suggested, directing the question back at her. She immediately understood him and chuckled. "Mr. Faust, you are indeed smart. Without the surgery, you will gradually lose your eyesight and likely suffer a brain hemorrhage."Alec could opt for surgery when his condition deteriorated, which would not threaten his life, but no one could foresee other uncertainties in his life at that time. Therefore, it was clever of him to get the surgery out of the way."When can I get the surgery?" he asked. Jenny checked he
Hearing that, Evan raised his brow. "Oh, is that so? Great. I, too, believe that you wouldn't harass Jenny.""Mr. Clarke, you have a wild imagination." Alec scoffed and left, not willing to speak to him any longer. Evan smiled at the sight and went to Jenny's office.It was close to noon, and Jenny was done seeing all her patients scheduled in the morning. She said, "Evan, good timing! I'm about to get off work.""Nice. Let's have lunch together?" He beamed, and she nodded. She brought him to the cafeteria, her attitude vastly different from when she dined with Derrick Clearwater. Evan didn't mind cafeteria food as long as he was with Jenny.At noon, the cafeteria was bustling with hospital staff who weren't close to Jenny but recognized her nonetheless. They looked at Jenny and Evan with curiosity and wondered about their relationship.Jenny ignored the eyes on them and searched for a table with Evan. Meanwhile, Derrick glared at the two of them. He had harbored suspicion about t
Knowing what was on Derrick's mind, McKenna coughed awkwardly. "Derrick, I know you're a capable man, but you couldn't quite realize your ambitions. That's why you wanted to climb the social ladder. But I hope you understand that you and I are ordinary people, and we should live accordingly. There's no need to social climb just to survive. I wish you could let go of your obsession and focus on your work. Don't be distracted by other matters."He listened keenly to her earnest advice, albeit puzzled at her willingness to talk at length with him. She blushed under his perplexed gaze and stammered, "I think you're a decent man, but I didn't like you much before because you were a little arrogant."In other words, she was willing to get to know him better if he could change his behavior. He smiled, feeling speechless. It was a serendipitous moment for him."I got it." He nodded as he realized that he needed a change in mindset. He had been obsessed with marrying the right girl, especial
Jenny agreed with Evan's logic. A family as wealthy as the Glasses would not possibly be unprepared for crises."Don't worry about it. Mr. Walter will take care of the problem." He understood her concern and offered some words of comfort. She nodded without a word and would rather not fret over those headache-inducing issues.They dropped the discussion about the Glasses. A short silence later, Evan casually asked, "Have you checked out Alec Faust's patient record?""Yeah." She nodded but didn't dwell on the case."How's his condition? Are you confident in handling his case?" he prodded.She placed her cutlery on the table and mulled before answering, "50%? His hematoma is causing pressure on the nerves. There's still a huge risk.""Why did you agree to perform the surgery, then? If the surgery fails, the Fausts might find trouble with you." In the days after Evan came home, he researched the Ten Elites of Bardoff City and learned that the Fausts were at the top of the ranks. Hen
James couldn't contain his laughter. "Dad, Mom, you're too elitist. What would others think of us if they heard about this?"Their faces fell, embarrassed at being called out. "How could you label us as elitist? Everyone knew what had happened between you and Jolene Walter. In fact, they are laughing at us behind our backs. No one will fault us for calling off the engagement now."Patricia was a tad worried about James' silence. "Could you have fallen for her?""Hah." He scoffed, "Do you think that's plausible?"She thought about it and shook her head. No, that sounded improbable. She knew James well, and he would never be attracted to sly and calculative women."If that's the case, calling off the engagement is the best option for all." No one cared if she hadn't included Jolene's best interests in her blanket statement.James understood that calling off the engagement was the right course of action. He could not possibly marry Jolene after all. But…When he was deep in thought
James fell into a short silence that gave her some hope. Perhaps, he was hesitant to call off the engagement because he could sense her efforts and sacrifice. Her eyes were sparkling with hope, which didn't escape James' keen observation. He chuckled. "Did you really think I'd feel sorry to do so?"Startled, the color on her face quickly went away again."I'll announce the cancelation publicly in a few days. You can leave by then," he informed her. She felt cold from head to toe as she sensed the disdain in his eyes. Yes, he was mocking her.She maintained her composure with what was left in her. Perhaps, she had matured after going through ups and downs in life. She took a deep breath and uttered, "Sure. Let's do that."With that, she retired to her bedroom, the only place that belonged to her in the villa. The tiny space wouldn't be hers for long, though. She couldn't hold it in anymore and sobbed in the blanket. Even then, she had to keep the volume down so James wouldn't find
"I understood every word you said, but I can't possibly live my life with memory loss. Plus, you know the long-term effects if I do not opt for surgery." Alec examined Blake carefully as though he suspected an ulterior motive.Blake understood the necessity of the surgery, but she simply hoped that the surgery could be delayed for a few months. She knew better than to say her thoughts aloud, so she muttered, "I know. I'm just worried for you.""Don't worry. My luck isn't that bad." He wouldn't go down before he could take over the Faust family.Blake didn't say a word because she knew that any objection would only irk him. Instead, she turned her attention to Jenny.On that afternoon, Jenny was surprised to find Blake at her office. "Miss Watkins, are you here to talk to me?""Yes," Blake replied. Frowning, Jenny wanted to remind her that it was business hours, but Blake said, "I'm the final patient on your list today. You don't have to worry about the next patient." Then, she han
Jenny was unable to refute Blake's seemingly reasonable and confident accusation. In reality, such situations were plausible. If a patient was a loved one of the surgeon, the surgeon might fail to rein in his or her emotions if there was a minor slip-up during the surgery, which might affect the outcome. However, this wouldn't apply across the board to all doctors, and Jenny believed that she was better than that.Still, she couldn't fault Blake for voicing out a legitimate concern. After a pause, she suggested to Blake, "That is a valid concern, but you are not his legal wife yet. From a legal perspective, you cannot make decisions on his behalf. However, you can tell him about your thoughts when you get home. If he shares your concern, I can contact other doctors to step in for me."She offered sincere advice from her heart, but it sounded like mockery to Blake. "Are you mocking me for not getting married to him?""No, that's not what I meant." The misinterpretation dumbfounded Je