The car pulled up to the hospital, its journeying to an end.
It wasn''t until the final stitch was ced that Noe finally allowed herself a moment of relief.
"We nailed it. Time to update the family."
Calvin looked over at Noe, thoroughly perplexed by her genius.
How could someone so young, barely in her twenties,mand the operating room with such calm
and precision? Here he was, merely her assistant, marveling at her every move.
As he observed another sessful surgery, Calvin found himself continuously astounded by
Noe''s prowess.
Noticing Noe''s scrubs soaked with sweat, he urged her to go freshen up.
With the operation room lights dimmed, Calvin, mask in hand, walked out to face a crowd eagerly
awaiting news.
Having spent extensive time operating alongside Noe, Calvin had mastered the art of delivering
updates.
"She''s doing well, but we''ll need to keep a close eye on her. She''s been moved to the ICU,
equipped with thetest tech."
ra, anxiety written all over her face, asked, "How''s my sister?"
"She''s changing. We''re all pretty spent. The patient should wake up within a week, and we''ll monitor
her closely."
"Thank you, Professor Calvin!"
"It''s what we do."
Jasper pulled ra into aforting embrace, her tears soaking his suit. "There, there, I''m here
now. Your mom''s going to be okay, sweetheart."
ra, unable to speak, let her fears and frustrations flow freely.
"Jasper, I''m so scared. Scared for Noe, scared that I made her agree to Lorne''s demands. I feel
so powerless."
"I understand, and it''s okay. You''re concerned for Noe and your mom, right? But you, ra, are
stronger than you think. No more tears."
Beckett gently patted ra''s shoulder, his voice soothing. "You''ve done incredibly well, ra. Leave
the rest to us."
Nodding, ra let her worries dissolve into Jasper''s suit.
...
In the dimly lit hospital stairwell, the sudden flick of a lighter sliced through the darkness. Noe
looked up to see a man standing above, his cigarette briefly illuminating his face.
"Why are you here?"
Palmer took a drag, then crushed the cigarette underfoot, his gaze locking with Noe''s as he
ascended the steps.
"I figured you''d be here."
Noe''s eyes flickered as she watched the man approaching her step by step. "How did you know?"
"Just a guess."
Actually, upon arriving at the hospital and noticing Noe’s absence, Palmer knew she would be
here. Between them, they already shared a deeper connection than she had realized.
"And how did you know I’d be atop that building?"
Noe stayed silent, locking eyes with the intense gaze before her. The man standing in front of her
boasted impably sculpted features, resembling a work of art, with sharply defined and
handsome contours, and piercing eyes.
"I guessed." Palmer chuckled softly, opening his arms, unaware of the tenderness in his gaze.
"Mind the smoke?"
He looked down at her. "We seem to understand each other well. So, I guess you need a hug?"
Their hugs were not umon, but this time, Palmer offered her the choice to step into his
embrace.
"Is it really up to me?"
"Of course. I assume you''re here because you don''t want to burden your family with your stress.
Right?"
Noeughed lightly. "You sure enjoy your little guessing games, huh?"
"But I was right, wasn''t I?"
Stepping forward, Noe hugged him tightly, her voice muffled. "That''s not fair. You didn''t really give
me another option."
With her back against the wall and him in front, she had nowhere else to turn.
"Hard day, huh?" Palmer''s voice was aforting rumble.
Going to the hotel alone, then undergoing such an exhausting surgery, but having to digest the
emotions alone, not wanting to bring any negativity to the family. His fiancée always saved her best
side for the family, while the rest of the time was spent growing alone.
"You worked hard. My embrace was always here for you."
Noe''s arms were still sore, the energy required for the operation was beyond imagination, and
after the surgery she felt like her brain had emptied for a few seconds!
"Thanks."
"Is it tougher operating on someone you know?"
Noe nodded, findingfort in Palmer''s arms. "My first surgery was on my grandma. I couldn''t
look at her face, afraid I''d break down."
"Was it sessful?"
"Very. I started studying medicine to be able to operate on her."
Noe''s determination was driven by a desire to help her only remaining family member through a
complex illness, leading to her first interactions with Calvin.
"And did anyone ever tell you how incredible you are for that? You worked hard."
Original from N?velDrama.Org.
Learning so much at such a young age, she must have endured many hardships, driven solely by
the desire to keep her only family member close!
Listening to Palmer''s voice, Noe felt momentarily disoriented. Performing surgery on her
grandmother wasn''t for des; the greatest happiness for Noe was prolonging her
grandmother''s life. Yet, upon hearing this dyed expression of gratitude, she still felt a warm glow
in her heart.
Noe realized that Palmer truly knew her.
"I was on that building because I knew you needed someone."
"You seem to know me well."
"Of course. First, to know my rival, and now, to understand a friend."
Understanding Wise Fool or Noe was essentially understanding her!
In the past, they''d make identical decisions, vying for the same resources and territories along the
frontier – a sort of unspoken agreement between them.
"I turned down Lorne without considering my sister''s feelings. You don''t think I''m being capricious,
do you?"
"Noe, I couldn''t be happier that you rejected him! Besides, your sister loves you more than you
realize. You''re family."
What Noe declined was to call off their engagement, and he should be over the moon she didn''t
want to end things with him! Even if her motivation was not wanting to be manipted, Palmer was
still ecstatic. He held her close, his voice deep and reassuring.
"You can do anything you want, and from now on, by my side, you can always be Noe, not...
Loadstar!"