As far as Rory Linden was concerned, she was at work right now.
Whatever Sean Harrison’s reasons were, she didn’t want him joining the dical team as her boyfriend.
This entire rural dical outreach trip would last over a month.
She didn’t want to be treated as a special case on this team.
The mont the two words "President Harrison" left her lips, the smile in Sean Harrison’s eyes vanished instantly.
She had never addressed him like that before.
Even at the very beginning, when Evelyn Irving introduced him to her at the hospital, she had called him "Mr. Harrison."
They had been together for so long.
And yet, her form of address had regressed to "President Harrison."
Sean Harrison went along with her formal tone:
"That’s right. I’m here on behalf of the chairman to see where our foundation’s money is being spent."
The man’s tone was calm and cold.
Rory Linden could already tell...
He was angry.
’I don’t have a chance to explain now,’ she thought. ’I’ll have to talk to him later.’
The dical team captain saw Rory Linden and Sean Harrison standing together and casually asked, "President Harrison, do you and Dr. Linden know each other?"
The doctors on the dical team all ca from different hospitals.
The captain knew that Rory Linden was from Elysian.
A man of Sean Harrison’s status was surely a mber of Elysian Hospital.
It wouldn’t be strange for them to have t or to know each other.
Sean Harrison glanced casually at the woman beside him and said in a detached tone, "I’m her ex-boyfriend’s uncle."
That single sentence.
Caused a stir.
Rory Linden was instantly so embarrassed she didn’t know what to do.
She had originally planned to explain later.
But now, she’d lost any chance to explain at all.
With him announcing their relationship like this in front of everyone, any further display of intimacy would be deliberately over-analyzed.
Rory Linden had never imagined Sean Harrison would say sothing like that.
It seed that ever since that day...
The man had begun to shed his perfect facade, revealing his true self bit by bit.
It made Rory Linden feel with increasing clarity...
She had never truly known him at all.
Hearing this, the captain’s expression also grew a little awkward. "Oh, is that so? Well, then... let’s get going."
Everyone began boarding the bus one after another.
Rory Linden had assud that with his status, the man wouldn’t possibly ride in the sa vehicle as them.
’He must have his own private car parked sowhere,’ she thought. ’I just didn’t see it.’
When she got on the bus, she naturally walked over to sit next to Evan Hollis, just as she had before.
She had just sat down.
Through the bus’s high window, she saw Sean Harrison walking over with the captain.
They boarded the bus.
The man’s gaze only lingered on her for a second before he sat down in an empty seat at the very front.
That seat was right next to the door.
The seat beside him was empty.
The bus began to move slowly.
Rory Linden felt a pang of regret...
’I shouldn’t have been so hasty just now.’
’At the very least... I shouldn’t have called him ’President Harrison.’’
’He has every right to be angry.’
Rory Linden took out her phone and started sending the man texts, explaining her actions.
She sent one ssage after another.
But she received no response.
It was as if the man hadn’t looked at his phone at all.
"Dr. Linden, want so beef jerky?"
Evan Hollis saw her put her phone away and offered her a bag of snacks.
"Thank you, but I’m not hungry right now."
Rory Linden was in no mood to eat.
Evan Hollis then offered her a pack of gum. "How about so gum?"
"I... Thank you."
Rory Linden felt it would be rude to refuse again, so she took a piece.
After pouring so gum out for her, Evan Hollis called out loudly, "Anyone else want so gum?"
Several people nearby raised their hands to show they wanted so.
Evan Hollis readily shared it with them.
A few seconds later, a voice ca from the front row. "I’ll have so, too."
Rory Linden recognized it in an instant...
It was Sean Harrison’s voice!
The man raised his hand, signaling that he was indeed the one who wanted gum.
Evan Hollis and Rory Linden were sitting in the sa row.
Evan was on the inside, and Rory was on the aisle.
Evan Hollis simply handed the container of gum to Rory Linden. "Here, you take it to him."
"Okay."
Rory Linden wanted to go over anyway.
She wanted to remind the man to check his phone.
They could clear up the misunderstanding.
The bus was driving fairly smoothly at the mont.
Holding the container of gum, Rory Linden steadied herself with the seatbacks as she slowly made her way toward the man.
She stood in the middle of the aisle, her left hand gripping a seatback for balance and her right hand holding the gum container out to the man.
She tilted the container slightly, ready to pour so out once he held out his hand.
The man reached out...
But instead of taking the gum, he grabbed Rory Linden’s wrist!
His grip was incredibly strong!
!
Startled by his action, Rory Linden instinctively tried to pull away.
Sean Harrison lowered his gaze and uttered two words: "Sit down."
...
Before Rory Linden could speak, the bus suddenly jolted.
She lost her footing and stumbled forward.
Since Sean Harrison was sitting on the aisle, he just had to reach out to steady her.
The captain, sitting in a back row, called out, "Dr. Linden, this stretch of road is pretty bumpy. Why don’t you just sit there for now?"
"Ah?... Okay."
Rory Linden glanced outside the window. They were on a muddy dirt road, so she had no choice but to sit down.
In truth, she didn’t have any other choice. The man’s right hand was still gripping her right wrist tightly, showing no intention of letting go.
The man’s seat was at the very front.
She couldn’t possibly struggle with him under everyone’s watchful eyes.
She couldn’t leave even if she wanted to.
Rory Linden turned sideways and squeezed through the narrow space in front of the man’s knees to sit in the window seat.
Only after she sat down did Sean Harrison release her right hand.
Then, he used his left hand to take hers.
His well-defined fingers slid between hers.
And then, he interlaced them.
As their palms t, the man’s fingers tightened, giving her no chance to escape.
Rory Linden was truly thankful the man was sitting here. If soone had been in the seat next to him, who knows what kind of gossip would have started.
Although the man was holding her hand, he didn’t look at her.
Rory Linden could only whisper, "Check your phone."
"I get carsick," Sean Harrison said without even glancing at her.
...
Rory Linden was speechless.
There were other people sitting in the rows behind them, and the bus was relatively quiet.
She couldn’t explain, so she could only sit there in silence.
The bus drove on for about half an hour before returning to a well-paved road.
"Um... I’m going to go back to my seat. I’ll find you when we get to the next village."
Rory Linden requested in a small voice.
Only then did Sean Harrison turn his head to look at the woman trapped in the inner seat, his voice cold. "It seems you and that Dr. Hollis are quite close. You can’t stand being apart from him for even a mont, can you."
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