Noe had certainly faced her fair share of tough times.
Ulrich''s mind was a whirlwind of jumbled images as he imagined how hard life must have been for
Noe and their grandma.
Noe, however, was watching Ulrich as he lost himself in his dramatic musings with a calm gaze.
"Ulrich, could you give him a tetanus shot for me, please?"
"I''ll go grab it."
Palmer had a few nasty scrapes, and Ulrich had noticed those wounds too. Understanding the risk
of infection if left untreated, he wasted no time getting on his feet and out the door.
In the office, it was just Noe and Palmer. She handed him a clean shirt, and a flicker of concern—
unnoticed even by herself—crossed her usually stoic face.
"Don''t do something like this again. What would Grandpa Sexton do if something happened to
you?"
Palmer looked up at Noe with a smile. "Don''t worry, Grandpa''s been through worse."
That''s an experience Sexton could do without!
Noe rolled her eyes, not amused.
But watching her lively reactions, Palmer felt his mood lighten considerably. In his eyes, she
seemed even more vibrant.
Everything he did, it all seemed worth it!
"Palmer, don''t do this again," Noe said, her head bowed slightly. "At least, you should''ve brought
me along."
"What if I say this was my decision to make? That I did it because I wanted to."
"Then whatever you brought back is yours; I don''t want it. If you think you did it for me, then it
involves me."
She wasn''t one to hide behind others. While being under the Schnabels'' wing was nice, Noe
wasn''t about to let someone else fight her battles for her! She was all about standing side by side.
And if she ever considered being with Palmer, she wouldn''t be content just standing behind him!
Palmer was initially taken aback but thenughed heartily, his hand resting on Noe''s waist, his
head leaning against her stomach, hisughter muffled.
His voice was filled with an indescribable sense of joy and relief. "Okay, I won''t keep you in the dark
next time. If there''s anything nned, I won''t make decisions for you."
Noe let him hold her, and she said seriously, "Also, using cologne to cover up your wounds is
pretty dumb."
"You don''t like the smell?"
Palmer deliberately shifted the focus of the conversation, and Noe, catching his drift, didn''t press
the issue.
"Not a fan."
"Then tell me what scents you do like, and I''ll wear it next time I see you. I want my friend to be
happy."
Ulrich returned with the tetanus vine, only to walk in on Palmer''s smooth talk. He couldn''t help
but interject, "Mr. Pock, what kind of game are you ying now?"
Was he out of touch with how rtionships worked these days? What kind of romance was this?
Palmer raised an eyebrow. "Dr. Schnabel, I heard Ms. Gruber went to another clinic for her wounds.
Is she not interested in your hospital?"
Ulrich''s face twitched, but he maintained a dignified tone. "Whatever clinic she chooses is her right.
Seeking medical care should be about convenience."
Palmer simply smiled, taking the vine from Ulrich and handing it to Noe.
Ulrich was on the verge of exploding!
"Mr. Pock, my sister doesn''t know how to give IV injections. Are you questioning my medical
skills?"
Palmer calmly replied, "No, I just don''t trust a doctor who''s emotionally unstable. Dr. Schnabel, take
a look in the mirror, and you''ll see how unappealing your expression is right now. My biggest rule is
to value my life."
Noe held back a smile, taking the vine and expertly administering the injection.
Ulrich was speechless.
"Is my expression really that bad?"
Noe nodded. "Yep, it''s pretty bad. Ulrich, if you like Malvina, you should go after her."
"How does being responsible for a patient suddenly trante to liking her?"
"Ulrich, anyone with eyes can see it. Last time, Mom even asked me when you and Malvina are
getting married."
Ulrich''s eyes widened, and the next second, his face went red. Faced with his sister''s calm yet all-
seeing gaze, Ulrich wished he could just disappear.
"Ulrich, Malvina is great, but you have to make the first move, or she might never do it."
Malvina''s delicate sensibilities, shaped by her upbringing, led her to navigate personal and
emotional matters in her own unique way. Given Ulrich’s status and the Schnabel family''s
reputation, it seemed unlikely that Malvina would make the first move.
Ulrich covered his face, deciding to just squat on the ground and rub his now-heating cheeks.
"Noe, if you were in Malvina''s shoes and liked Palmer, would you make the first move?"
Noe was momentarily speechless. How did this questionnd on herp? She caught Palmer''s
amused look and couldn''t help but smile too.
"I wouldn''t, because he''d pretend he''s just a taxi driver."
Palmer felt embarrassed as Noe brought up the past. That had all been a misunderstanding;
Palmer had mistakenly believed that Noe was working as a hitwoman due to financial troubles. To
avoid scaring her away with his own background, he had concocted that wed excuse.
Ulrich chimed in, "But you knew, right?"
Noe, being sharp and having ess to information through the Obelisk Organization, could see
that Palmer''s financial situation was far from one that required him to drive a taxi. She spected
that perhaps he had some deep, unspoken troubles he didn''t want to delve into, or maybe... she just
wasn''t that into Palmer''s drama at the time.
"It doesn''t matter. What matters is, Ulrich, are you really not nning to pursue Malvina? I have a
friend who''s quite interested in her."
Ulrich shot up so fast, he almost gave himself a concussion.
"Which friend? What did Malvina say?"
One could practically see the nerves and difort oozing off Ulrich. The Schnabel kids weren''t
exactly the Don Juans of the dating scene.
Ulrich couldn''t even pin down if he liked Malvina or not! But every time he saw her, he couldn''t help
but want to look out for her!
And when he couldn''t see her, he''d find himself wandering near the underground fight club, hoping
to bump into her. And if he did, she''d tease him about having too much free time. Heaven knows he
was swamped, with back-to-back meetings and endless research. But without seeing her, Ulrich felt
a gaping emptiness inside!
"I just think, with all the drama going on at her ce, stepping in now would probably be annoying,
right?"
Ulrich looked downright dejected.
"And besides, she... doesn''t like me back."
To Ulrich, Malvina was just out of his league. She was smart, beautiful, and handled everything with
ease, radiating a resilience and vitality as if she was literally glowing. That vibrant charm was
something Ulrichcked!
Original from N?velDrama.Org.
He admired Malvina''s fierce independence and respected her quiet perseverance, empathizing with
her tragic past.
Was this what liking someone was all about?
Noe wasn''t exactly seasoned in the love department either.
Honestly, when it came to the Schnabel siblings'' love lives, it was a nk te!
"So, Ulrich, are you basically saying you have a crush on Malvina?"