"I don’t understand what you an."
Alice played dumb.
Rosalind Sawyer sneered. "Stop playing dumb with . It’s one thing for Wyatt to bring you to the hospital, but he also stayed with you for half the day. Tell , why would he watch over you?"
Alice looked at Rosalind Sawyer, her gaze direct and unwavering, utterly composed. "Are you saying... Third Uncle stayed with at the hospital for a long ti?"
Rosalind Sawyer: "You didn’t know?"
Alice slowly shook her head.
When it ca to intuition, won generally had a natural advantage.
This ti, Rosalind Sawyer’s suspicions were aroused, and she wouldn’t rest until she got to the bottom of it. When she had suggested visiting Alice in the hospital, she had already planned how to trick a confession out of her. The more aggressive she was, the more likely she was to elicit a subconscious reaction.
’Looking at her now, it’s either that Alice’s ga is on another level, or I’m really just overthinking things...’
Alice lightly raised her hand, casually revealing a dark bruise on the back of it. "When I was brought to the hospital for the IV drip, Third Uncle wasn’t with . It was that Assistant Cheney who handled everything. After that, I fell asleep. I had just woken up when you and Rhea ca to see . If you hadn’t ntioned it, I wouldn’t have even known Third Uncle had been here."
Her tone was slow and deliberate, laying out the sequence of events with perfect clarity.
When she finished, she coughed a few tis and slowly sat down on the edge of the bed, looking completely drained of energy.
Rosalind Sawyer noticed the bruise on the back of Alice’s hand and decided to drop the matter. "Get so rest."
Alice replied, "Thank you for your concern."
"What’s there to thank? We’re all family." As Rosalind Sawyer spoke, she suddenly changed the subject. "I’ve been away from Silvanus for the past few months, so I’m out of the loop on many things. I only heard from your grandfather yesterday that Silas intends to have you change your surna. I wonder, what are your thoughts on that?"
Hearing this, a brilliant smile blood across Alice’s face. "That’s wonderful news."
Rosalind Sawyer scrutinized Alice’s reaction. "You and your mother have been with the Sterlings for over a decade without changing your na. I thought you’d grown indifferent to the matter."
"To be honest, I had grown indifferent..." Alice paused for a mont. "But if I can truly beco one of the Sterlings, I’m still very much looking forward to it."
Rosalind Sawyer averted her gaze. "You certainly know what to say."
A seemingly sincere statent could one day carry two entirely different anings:
—To beco a Sterling.
—To beco... a Sterling’s.
Alice pretended not to understand Rosalind Sawyer’s hidden aning.
"Grandma, the doctor said Alice can’t be discharged yet."
Rhea Sterling had returned, and behind her were a doctor and a nurse.
Rosalind Sawyer: "It’s just a minor cold. What, is it so serious she needs to be kept for observation?"
The doctor didn’t explain imdiately. Instead, he walked to the bedside, took out a cotton swab and a penlight, and gestured for Alice to open her mouth so he could check her throat.
Alice obediently opened her mouth.
It was unclear whether it was due to the doctor’s technique or if it was intentional, but the swab wasn’t just for assistance; he deliberately swirled it around in her mouth.
Alice frowned and nearly gagged after the swab was withdrawn.
The doctor quickly sealed the cotton swab in a plastic bag and handed it to the nurse beside him. He then turned to Rosalind Sawyer to explain why the patient couldn’t be discharged. He used a string of professional terms, ntioning blood and various values, until Rosalind Sawyer lost her patience and turned to look at Alice.
Because besides the doctor and nurse, Alice was the only one present who could understand.
Alice, having just recovered from the urge to gag, spoke up. "The doctor ans that one of my blood test results isn’t back yet. I have to wait for it to co back and confirm there are no issues before I can be discharged."
Rosalind Sawyer: "That’s it?"
Alice nodded with a soft "Mm."
When Rosalind Sawyer looked at the doctor again, her expression had soured. She told Alice to rest well, then left.
Rhea Sterling followed behind Rosalind Sawyer, calling back as she walked, "Alice, you get so rest! Call if you need anything. I’ll co pick you up when you’re discharged."
With that, they disappeared through the doorway.
Alice turned her head to look at the doctor. Noticing the na and departnt on his badge, she asked calmly, "Dr. Ziegler, shouldn’t that cotton swab be thrown away?"
She had clearly seen him place the used swab into a plastic bag. That action obviously ant he was taking it for testing.
Dr. Ziegler explained, "You’re so young, your immune system should be at its strongest. Logically, a cold shouldn’t be this severe. But your physical condition isn’t great, so we need to run so further tests. Collecting your saliva is just for one of those tests."
Alice’s brows knitted together. "Shouldn’t you have inford beforehand?"
Dr. Ziegler’s expression didn’t change. "Yes, but you weren’t awake at the ti. We communicated with the Mr. Sterling who brought you to the hospital. He said he’s your biological uncle."
At the ntion of Wyatt Sterling, Alice was partially convinced.
After all, even Rosalind Sawyer had said Wyatt Sterling stayed at the hospital for a long ti. So, after she fell asleep during her IV drip, the doctor really would have had no choice but to confer with Wyatt.
But thinking back to the so-called blood test results, Alice was still puzzled. "I don’t rember having my blood drawn after I got to the hospital. Why did you say my blood test results weren’t back yet?"
Dr. Ziegler explained, "When I said we were waiting for the blood test results, I ant we were waiting to draw your blood after you woke up."
With that, Dr. Ziegler stepped aside and gestured to the nurse next to him.
The nurse understood and stepped forward, reminding her gently, "Please cooperate and roll up your sleeve. I’m going to draw your blood now."
Alice felt sothing wasn’t right. She shook her head, her expression guarded. "Let’s do it tomorrow."
Dr. Ziegler imdiately said, "Miss York, we already discussed this with Mr. Sterling. Your condition really requires further examination."
"I know my own condition perfectly well."
’There’s clearly sothing wrong with this doctor.’
Alice looked at him, reminding him word by word, "Also, when a patient is conscious, dical staff must respect the patient’s personal wishes. And right now, I do not wish to have my blood drawn."
The nurse looked back at Dr. Ziegler, troubled.
Dr. Ziegler made a gesture, and the nurse understood, stepping to the side.
"Miss York," Dr. Ziegler said to Alice with a smile, "Mr. Sterling arranged everything for your hospital stay. If you don’t cooperate, we’ll have a hard ti explaining it to him when he asks."
"Fine. Then I’ll call my Third Uncle right now and ask him if that’s really the case." Alice reached for her phone.
Dr. Ziegler’s expression shifted slightly. He imdiately changed his tune. "Since Miss York insists on having her blood drawn tomorrow, then tomorrow it is. Please get so rest."
After speaking, Dr. Ziegler shot the nurse a look, and the two of them quickly left the room, one after the other.
Not until the door closed did Alice’s expression darken.
’That doctor really is suspicious.’
If he had only ntioned Wyatt Sterling once, she probably would have believed him and cooperated. Who would have thought he’d bring up Wyatt again and again, especially when she was being uncooperative? It was a deliberate tactic.
「Outside the hospital room.」
Dr. Ziegler took the sealed bag from the nurse’s hand and hurried toward the man standing at the end of the hallway.
"Did you get the blood sample?"
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