"She''s from the Medical Research Institute of America," ric answered Mrs. Carrington nonchntly. "The American Institute for Medical Science?" Mrs. Carrington was caught off guard.


    "Surely you''ve heard of it, right? It''s the pinnacle of the medicalmunity. Gtea is the youngest medical professor there. True, there are many renowned doctors both here and abroad, but each has his or her specialty. Gtea''s focus is on post-traumatic conditions. It was Cormac who specifically rmended her to me, and I spared no expense to bring her over from the American Institute for Medical Science."


    He was confident Cormac would back up his lie.


    "Really?" Skepticismced Mrs. Carrington''s voice.


    "You can check for yourself," ric replied. "I said she''s my fiancée for two reasons; to get Orion off my back and to cover up the fact that she''s treating me. If word gets out that I suffer from after-effects that are getting worse, you can imagine the consequences."


    Mrs. Carrington fell silent, giving ric the opening he needed. "With the sharks circling Nexus Innovations, if they sniff out my weakness, they''ll throw everything they''ve got to thwart my recovery; or worse. Gtea is my lifeline. Should anything happen to her, I have no one else to address theseplications - not at the moment, anyway."


    "Enough," Mrs. Carrington cut in. "I''ll take your word for it. Focus on your recovery. Getting well should be your priority."


    "Will do." A sly chuckle escaped ric, who then added, "Aren''t you nning a world tour? Have fun out there, and don''t worry about me or thepany."


    "I hope to God you''re right," she retorted. "Once you''re better, we''ll settle this matter."


    With that, Mrs. Carrington hung up, and ric breathed a sigh of relief. Putting his phone into his pocket, he started to head back toward the hospital ward; but halted mid-stride, a sudden thought seizing him.


    He pulled out his phone again and dialed another number.


    "ric, what brings you to call me today?" Griffon answered promptly.


    "When you visited Gtea in the hospital, I happened to be out, so I wanted to give you a call to say thanks," ric said.


    Griffon''s expression darkened instantly. ''Happened to be out?'' He was fuming inside, recalling Orion''s tearful voice on the phone and the public apology his precious daughter had been forced to make to Gtea on Facebook. Nevertheless, facing ric, Griffon had to contain his anger, giving a forced smile, "How''s Gtea doing now?"


    "Much better," ric replied promptly, "My mom called me just a moment ago."


    "Oh? Is Mrs. Carrington enjoying her world tour?"


    "She was until she heard about Gtea''s situation," ric spoke candidly, "Our families, the Knights and the Nashs, go way back. Your brotherhood with my father was well-known, and in my heart, you''re like a father to me.


    "I''ve sincerely exined to you why it can''t work out with Orion, and you said you understood. When I mentioned Gtea was my fiancée, you offered your blessings, which I truly appreciate. I''m not asking you to exin things to my mother for me, but at least, don''t be two-faced."


    "What do you mean by that, ric?" Griffon retorted irritably.


    "Don''t get upset, I didn''t mean anything by it," ric said calmly, "I understand you''re a busy man, not idle like my mom now that she''s retired. Maybe it''s best if you cut back on the calls to her. She can be quite temperamental, and I wouldn''t want her to bother you."


    "All right, message received. Thanks for the heads-up, ric!" With that, Griffon ended the call and angrily threw the nket beside him across the room. ''ric, are you choosing Gtea over me?''


    After the call, ric felt a weight lifted off his shoulders. Returning to the hospital room, he found Gtea gazing out the window, her eyes holding a glimmer of hope. "It''s a nice day outside. How about we get some sunshine?" he suggested.


    Hearing ric''s words, Gtea shook off her daydream and came back to reality, ''Sunshine? She''d love that. Lying in this hospital bed for so many days, she felt stiff all over.'' She was feeling much better, yet she stillcked the strength to walk on her own.


    She was about to refuse, but ric quickly said, "Just wait for me."


    Gtea had no idea what he was up to when he stepped out, but in no time, he wheeled in a wheelchair and positioned it by the bed. He then walked over to her and bent down. "What are you doing?" Gtea tensed up, realizing his intention to lift her.


    "Obviously, I''m going to assist you so you can get down," ric replied with a mischievous grin, seeing her resistance. "Didn''t the doctor tell you that I was the one who cooled you down with a coldpress when you had that fever?" ''A coldpress? Like wiping her whole body down with a damp towel or alcohol?''


    "That''s taking advantage of someone when they''re down!" Gtea used.


    "You certainly have no appreciation, do you? I saved your life, and now you''re scolding me." Ignoring her protests, ric picked her up and carefully settled her into the wheelchair, saying, "Isn''t it the creed of you doctors to see only the patient, not the gender? You were just a patient, and I was merely helping you by bringing down the fever. What else are you thinking about?"


    After cing Gtea in the wheelchair, he gently covered her legs with a nket.


    Then, he wheeled her out of the hospital room. Once they reached the courtyard, Gtea took a deep breath, looked up at the sun, and felt its warmth on her skin, as if revived.


    The moment that the car was about to hit her, she thought she was a goner. She never expected to see the sun again, to breathe fresh air. It was wonderful!''


    ric watched her, witnessing the hint of a smile on her lips, and couldn''t help but smile slightly himself.


    He sat down on a nearby bench and after a moment of silentpanionship, he started the conversation, "Since we''re here, and it''s a rare quiet moment, why don''t we have a chat?"


    At that moment, ric sincerely wanted to understand her more, the woman who said her parents were deceased, and her husband had passed away during her pregnancy. ''If that were true, what kind of torment did she go through, and what kind of experiences did she have?''


    "Sure," Gtea agreed readily.


    Small talk was something foreign to her. Back when she was Sten, she had so many friends, most of whom were just ttering her for favors.


    Sincere conversations were nonexistent. Once she became Gtea, her life was consumed with work, her child, and taking care of herself, leaving no room for friends. Having a simple chat had be a luxury she longed for.


    "What would you like to talk about?" Gtea looked at ric.


    "Let''s talk about you," said ric bluntly. "Tell me about your past, your story."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!