Joel Sutton was at work, so he couldn’t drink much, and I didn’t push him. We just chatted casually.
He said, "Miss Hathaway, last ti you lent twenty thousand, I still have eight thousand left. I’ll pay it back first. As for the remaining twelve thousand, I’ll work part-ti to pay you back. I’ll start my internship next sester, and once I find a decent internship, I should be able to save up quickly."
"Internship soon?" I was a bit surprised.
"Yeah, I’ll graduate next June, and Azure will be a senior next year too." Joel Sutton sighed at how ti flies, "Ti really goes by fast."
I remained silent, as if it was just yesterday I was pretending to bump into Henry Preston on campus, and now I’m almost thirty.
At that mont, three more figures walked towards us, and I imdiately spotted Ivan Underwood. Oh no, why are he and Silas Lockwood and Jason Forrest at this bar too?
Damn serendipity.
"Sutton, go do your work." I quickly told Joel Sutton.
"Alright, Miss Hathaway, call if you need anything." Joel Sutton got up and went back to work.
Ivan Underwood’s gaze followed Joel Sutton’s back for a while before landing back on .
Silas Lockwood saw and didn’t know how to address for a mont. He and Jason Forrest exchanged glances, looking like two monkeys from Mount Eldoria.
Those two don’t know Joel Sutton, so they probably thought I just called a waiter for drinks.
Ivan Underwood sat down next to , his long legs casually crossed, and he scrutinized with sharp eyes.
"Brother Evan, this place isn’t great, let’s sit over there?" Silas, feeling guilty, didn’t dare sit with , considering he’s been scheming for Henry Preston to pursue other won.
"You guys go ahead, I’ll join you later." Ivan responded indifferently.
"Alright then." Silas and Jason imdiately found a seat as far away from as possible.
I found it really amusing; do they think I’ll do sothing outrageous to them?
"Another coincidence?" Ivan Underwood spoke, and I knew he was talking about sitting with Joel Sutton earlier.
"Yes, truly a coincidence." I didn’t lie, eting his gaze confidently.
"Where’s Henry Preston?" Ivan Underwood scanned the area, "Didn’t you leave in his car?"
I shrugged, "Saw him having a serendipitous encounter with his true love at the hotel, felt down, got out halfway to get a drink, and ran into her true love’s boyfriend. Quite the coincidence, don’t you think?"
Ivan Underwood’s eyes flickered, "That girl nad Azure Vaughn is at The Apex Hotel?"
I flashed a bright smile showing eight teeth, "Yes, why, are you interested in her?"
"Hah." Ivan gave a sowhat mocking smile, "Not interested, you’re overthinking."
When will he ever be interested? I’m almost growing roots waiting.
But I really had sothing to discuss with Ivan, so I poured him a drink, pondered for a mont, and said, "Ivan Underwood, about knowing Azure Vaughn and Joel Sutton, please don’t tell anyone, especially Henry Preston, okay?"
I forgot to emphasize this to him last ti, and Henry Preston’s call last night made quite anxious.
It’s not ti to reveal my cards yet; I don’t want things to spiral out of control.
"If he asks why I’m so close to you, how should I explain?" Ivan anticipated this issue; he knows Henry Preston well.
"Aren’t you a doctor? What departnt?" I asked.
"Cardiovascular." Ivan replied.
"Ah! Dr. Underwood, my stomach hurts so much, I might have gastritis. I’ll need your treatnt from now on!" I clutched my stomach, putting on an exaggerated act.
Then I saw Ivan Underwood’s usually cold face turn dark, like he was possessed by so spirit.
With a grim face, he said, "Your illness is not within my treatnt scope."
"Joel Sutton’s hospitalization wasn’t due to a cardiovascular issue, yet you covered for a colleague then too?" I argued confidently, "Doctors save lives regardless of the patient’s condition; how can you pick and choose? You lack dical ethics."
"Zoe Hathaway, are you an idiot?" Ivan was sowhat speechless.
"Without this, what excuse do we have to interact? How can you explain it to Henry Preston? Fine, my stomach ache you can’t treat, then just say I have arrhythmia, and you’ve treated before, wouldn’t that work? You’re an adult and can’t tell a little white lie?" I was a bit annoyed; Ivan clearly didn’t want to help .
Silas and Jason were still glancing over frequently. Driven by alcohol, I sat back down beside Ivan, linking my arm with his, "If you don’t help, I’ll sit on your lap right now, believe it or not? Once you can’t explain it, might as well get caught in The Saffron River scandal."
"Zoe Hathaway, behave yourself!" Ivan retorted angrily, shaking off my arm and standing up.
"If people think we’re involved, wouldn’t that explain why we’re close?" My face flushed, emboldened by the liquor, I started to speak nonsensically, "No ethics, and lacking intelligence..."
Ivan, both ashad and annoyed, seed to blush as he angrily glared at , realized I seed drunk, then turned towards Silas and Jason’s side.
I slumped back in my seat to sleep for a bit, feeling dizzy.
I thought Ivan had left alone, but a minute later, he ca back, grabbed my arm, and helped out of the bar.
Too bad my bleary eyes couldn’t make out the looks on Silas and the others, probably similar to when Crystal saw getting out of Henry’s car.
"I-Ivan, let tell you..." Sitting in the car, fragnted images of past life surfaced in my mind, and I babbled on, "Actually, Azure’s nothing special, there’s plenty of fish in the sea, why hang onto her? Look at , I’ve let go..."
These were words I deeply wished to convey to him before my past life’s end; it wasn’t worth doing so much for Azure.
He’s not Henry Preston; he’s always been a clean man and shouldn’t end up that way for such an ordinary woman. Most importantly, he lost to Henry.
Ivan glanced over, eyes complex, and I mumbled until I fell asleep.
To my complete surprise, Ivan didn’t take back to Maplewood Gardens but instead to a hotel, where he got a room to settle in; I only discovered this the next morning upon waking.
My phone showed a WeChat friend request from Ivan Underwood, previously he relied on my number to contact .
With one hand holding my throbbing head, I used the other to accept.
Ivan Underwood: When awake, co to the hospital and book a cardiovascular appointnt, choose .
Completely puzzled, I soon realized, this guy agreed to help keep it from Henry Preston? And he’s planning on staging the whole act?
I quickly replied: Okay, coming over soon!
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