When Rory Linden saw Sean Harrison’s na, her imdiate, subconscious impulse was to hang up.
But her hand froze in midair.
No matter what, Cece’s surgery hadn’t happened yet, and the foundation’s procedures weren’t complete.
Besides, she had already agreed to have dinner with him every week...
After a mont of internal struggle, Rory Linden pressed the answer button.
"President Harrison, is there sothing you need?"
Rory Linden’s tone was polite and formal.
As if the two of them were complete strangers.
There was a mont of silence on the other end of the line before Sean Harrison asked, "About dinner next week, what day are you free?"
Rory Linden’s first instinct was to ask about his availability, but she caught herself before the words left her mouth.
’He was the one who proposed this weekly dinner arrangent.’
’So naturally, it should be on my schedule.’
Rory Linden thought for a mont. "Wednesday, I suppose. I’m in the outpatient clinic all day Wednesday, so I probably won’t have to work overti."
"Alright. I’ll pick you up Wednesday evening."
Sean Harrison readily agreed.
Before the call ended, a few people who looked like students walked by.
One of the girls ran up to Rory Linden. "Excuse , miss, could we trouble you to take a few group photos for us?"
When she noticed Rory was on the phone, she quickly apologized, "Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t see you were on a call. My apologies for interrupting."
The group walked away.
From the other end of the line, Sean Harrison finally asked, "Where are you?"
He had just heard upbeat music and was growing curious about Rory’s current location.
Rory Linden wasn’t good at lying, so she could only tell the truth. "I’m at an amusent park."
"With your son?"
"Yes."
Rory Linden didn’t hide it.
Sean Harrison imdiately asked, "Which amusent park? I’m coming over now."
He knew all too well that he had missed too much over the past five years. Since Rory was at an amusent park with their son now, and he had the ti, it was the perfect opportunity to go.
Rory Linden hurriedly refused. "No, don’t. You don’t need to co."
"I’ll just co and watch you two, that’s all." Sean Harrison paused. "You don’t have to tell . There are only two amusent parks in Veridia. I’ll check them one by one. I’ll find you."
The man had always been like this.
His personality had always been overbearing.
It was just that in the past, when Rory Linden had feelings for him, she didn’t mind this assertiveness.
Now that their relationship was over, that sa assertiveness had beco a burden that she resented.
Rory Linden’s fingers tightened around her phone. After a mont, she said, "President Harrison, you don’t need to co. We have company."
Sean Harrison asked, "Is it that Ryan Sterling?"
He never denied Rory Linden’s charm, so he naturally knew she could fall in love with soone else at any ti.
"President Harrison, this is my own private matter. I have no obligation to tell you," Rory Linden stated seriously. "The only thing I want to tell you is that I don’t need you to co and accompany us."
Her words were set against the cheerful background music of the amusent park.
Yet they seed to plunge the man into an ice cellar.
’That’s right.’
’After how decisive he had been in the past, everything happening now was what he deserved.’
After a long while, Sean Harrison finally said, "See you Wednesday."
Half an hour after the call ended, Ryan Sterling erged with Leo Linden.
Leo Linden ca bouncing up to Rory Linden and threw his arms around her. "Mommy! I had so much fun."
Rory Linden stroked her son’s fluffy hair before saying to Ryan Sterling, "Thank you, Mr. Sterling."
"You don’t have to be so formal. I had fun, too." Ryan Sterling glanced at his watch. "Co on, let’s go eat. I know a great restaurant."
After lunch, the three of them played until six o’clock before leaving the park.
Leo Linden was young, and a full day of playing was exhausting for him. He was already struggling to keep his eyes open before he even got in the car.
The mont he sat down in the car, he lay down and fell asleep.
Rory Linden sat in the back with her son.
Ryan Sterling looked at her in the rearview mirror. "Ms. Rory, you have to go to the hospital to do your rounds, right? I can drive you there. I’ll take you both ho after you’re done."
"No, it’s fine, just take us ho. I’ll drop Leo off and then head out again."
Rory Linden felt bad about troubling Ryan Sterling.
"It’s no problem. I don’t have anything else to do anyway. Besides, I’m the one with the steering wheel, so you have to listen to ."
As he spoke, Ryan Sterling had already changed the car’s navigation destination to Celestria University Affiliated Hospital.
The drive to the hospital parking lot took over an hour.
At this ti of day, there were plenty of empty spots in the hospital’s surface lot.
Rory Linden got out first and headed to the inpatient departnt.
Ryan Sterling sat alone in the car, playing gas on his phone.
He wasn’t sure how much ti had passed...
"KNOCK KNOCK."
Soone was knocking on the driver’s side window.
When he turned his head to look, he saw Rory Linden standing outside the car in a white coat, holding a bag with drinks inside.
Ryan Sterling’s expression froze for a second.
This was the first ti he had ever seen Rory Linden in a white coat.
Even though it was just a white coat worn over her regular clothes, her entire aura seed to have changed completely.
The car window rolled down.
Rory Linden handed him the plastic bag, smiling. "I should be done in about ten or fifteen minutes. Would you mind waiting just a little longer?"
Perhaps it was the gentleness of the July evening breeze, but her voice seed a little softer than usual, too.
"It’s fine. I’m not in a hurry, so you don’t need to rush."
Ryan Sterling took the plastic bag. Inside were two ice-cold cans of coke.
"Okay, just a little longer then."
Rory Linden waved at him before walking away.
Ryan Sterling watched her retreating figure.
He suddenly thought that she looked especially beautiful in her white coat.
Soon, Rory Linden finished her rounds and ca back down.
Once the car was out of the hospital parking lot, Rory Linden said, "There’s a gas station up ahead. You could stop and get so gas."
The amusent park was far from the city; the round trip was nearly a hundred kiloters.
The gas tank was indeed almost empty.
Without a second thought, Ryan Sterling drove the car into the gas station.
When it was ti to pay, Rory Linden beat Ryan Sterling to it.
"You spent the day with us at the amusent park, so of course I should be the one to pay for gas." Rory Linden put her phone away. "Besides, you’re a student. The money your family gives you is for you to spend on yourself."
Ryan Sterling looked at Rory Linden, and sothing finally dawned on him.
After they were both back in the car, he looked at Rory Linden in the rearview mirror. "Ms. Rory, in your eyes, am I just a kid?"
"What else would you be?"
Rory Linden had always thought of him that way.
"I’m twenty-four years old. I’m actually not that much younger than you," Ryan Sterling explained. "And it’s not like I don’t earn any money. My artwork sells."
"Yes, you’re very impressive."
Rory Linden was acknowledging his accomplishnts.
But this just made Ryan Sterling even more upset.
To him, that sentence sounded just like an elder praising a junior.
He knew deep down that he didn’t want to maintain that kind of relationship with Rory Linden.
And it wasn’t just because of so rebellious streak.
He felt a sense of peace when he was with Rory Linden.
The feeling she gave him was...
As if she would never, ever get angry.
Ryan Sterling’s hands tightened on the steering wheel as he glanced at the rearview mirror. "Ms. Rory, I don’t think you know at all."
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