Rory Linden gently pushed away the hand holding hers and smiled. "I have my job. My life is pretty much a straight line between work and ho. The hospital is always full of people; he can’t possibly do anything there."
Rory wasn’t worried about herself.
When she wasn’t away on business trips or at conferences, her life was a simple routine: hospital and ho.
Celestria University Affiliated Hospital was one of the best hospitals in Veridia. With people constantly coming and going, there was no way Evan Hollis would try anything there.
"He has no family, so he’s got nothing to lose." Sean Harrison thought for a mont. "I’ll have a driver pick you up and drop you off for a while. At least until he’s caught."
"That’s..."
"Regardless, just let the driver take you, if only for my peace of mind. If sothing were to happen to you, what would Leo do?"
Sean Harrison looked at Rory Linden. "Would you feel at ease leaving him with ? His unreliable, unfamiliar dad?"
Rory couldn’t help but smile at his words.
A few days ago, when Leo had been staying with Sean, she’d had to resist the urge to call and check on him during every free mont at work.
After all, she had been with Leo constantly for the first four years of his life.
They had only been back for a few months.
Leo had t Sean fewer tis than he’d t Ryan Sterling.
She was worried Sean would neglect so detail in his care.
But to her surprise, day after day went by, and the father-son duo got along swimmingly.
’Evan has no reason to hurt ,’ Rory thought, but she agreed anyway. "Could the driver you arrange just drive my car?"
Every one of Sean’s cars was worth a fortune.
Just having one parked at the hospital entrance would draw a crowd.
Her colleagues would definitely get curious if she started showing up and leaving in a car like that every day.
Gossip spread like wildfire in a hospital, and there was no telling what kind of rumors would start.
"Of course."
Sean was naturally willing to concede on such a small matter.
Rory glanced at the ti on her phone. "Let’s go back and check on Leo."
When they got ho, the nanny told them Leo was already asleep.
Rory went upstairs, opened her son’s door, and tiptoed inside.
She walked to the bed and sat down gently. After making sure he was sound asleep, she straightened his light blanket and slipped out of the room.
Sean was waiting right outside the door. When she ca out, he said, "The nanny made so porridge before I left. Want to have so in the kitchen?"
Rory said, "Okay. Thank you."
Hearing her say those two words, Sean’s expression stiffened slightly. The corner of his mouth twitched, but he remained silent.
「Downstairs.」
Sean went into the kitchen and dished out a bowl of porridge for her, along with a freshly baked fish fillet.
The only sound in the dining room was the soft clinking of a spoon against a bowl.
Neither of them spoke.
Rory was the first to break the silence. "Um... are you going to visit Auntie Rhodes?"
She had been wanting to ask.
Other than the day of Charlotte Rhodes’s surgery, Sean hadn’t been to see her.
Of course, his absence was probably beneficial for Charlotte’s condition.
Charlotte Rhodes disliked her own son; she was always irritable whenever she saw him.
But now that Evan Hollis was on the run...
"Not for the ti being."
Sean’s reply was curt.
Rory nodded. "That’s probably for the best."
The conversation stalled.
The dining room fell silent once more.
After a mont, Sean spoke up. "I’m thinking of taking Leo to visit a company that develops intelligent robots tomorrow. They’re also developing the sa kind of dical robotic arm you use."
Rory humd in agreent. "You can go ahead and arrange it."
Having failed to find a topic that interested her, Sean tried again. "There’s a three-day robotics expo in Austrell at the end of the month. I’d like to take him, if that’s okay with you."
"For three days?"
Rory finally put down her spoon.
Before this, Sean had only taken Leo to activities within Veridia.
Now he wanted to take him to Austrell for three whole days.
"Yeah. The organizers invited to attend the opening ceremony, and the robotic dogs my company makes will be on display. The exhibits change each day, so I’d like to take Leo for the full three days."
Sean carefully explained his reasoning.
For an expo of this size, he didn’t need to attend the opening ceremony himself. He could have just sent any colleague.
Ultimately, he was doing it for Leo.
"Okay, you two should go. I won’t be able to make it. I’m too busy with work to get away."
Rory had never regretted her decision to beco a doctor.
But there were tis she felt frustrated by how busy her job was.
If it weren’t for Leo, she wouldn’t have cared how busy she was—pulling all-nighters, traveling for work, attending etings, working around the clock... it all would have been fine.
But with a son, she had another role to play.
’A child only gets one childhood. If I only focus on myself, I’ll definitely regret it in the future.’
"Okay."
Sean agreed.
Rory had just raised half a spoonful of porridge to her lips before setting it down again. "Is it inconvenient for you, having Leo with you every day?"
Leo had been with Sean for the past few days.
Her son ca ho every day saying how happy he was, but she hadn’t had a chance to ask Sean if it was causing him any trouble.
"Not at all." Sean’s lips curved into a smile. "You’ve raised Leo so well. He’s very sensible and well-behaved. Everyone who’s t him lately has told how envious they are that I have such a wonderful son."
He added, "Besides, he’s very bright and genuinely interested in robotics and AI. If he decides he wants to pursue this field soday, I can help him."
Rory was becoming increasingly aware of just how important Sean was as a father figure for Leo.
Compared to what she could provide, Sean could offer more—and better.
It was what Leo needed most.
"That’s good. When Leo is a little older, he should spend more ti with you. He’ll mature quickly and learn so much that way."
Rory genuinely believed this.
Sean looked at the woman across from him. "And what about you?"
Rory fell silent for a mont. "I can focus on my work."
"...Right."
Sean didn’t press her.
’At least,’ he thought with so relief, ’as long as we have Leo as a connection, we won’t drift too far apart.’
-
「The next day.」
Rory was busy all morning.
She was in a patient’s room, checking on their post-operative condition, when she heard two nurses hurry past the door.
Nurses didn’t usually rush like that.
Rory turned to the resident physician accompanying her. "Go see what’s going on."
A few minutes later, the resident returned. "The nurses said the patient in bed 137 hit the call button, so they went to check."
"Bed 137?"
Rory froze. ’That’s Charlotte Rhodes’s bed number!’ she realized instantly.
After giving a few brief instructions, she turned and headed straight for Charlotte Rhodes’s room.
"Ma’am, please calm down. Tell us what’s wrong, take your ti. I’m sure your son has a good reason for not being here."
Rory had just reached the doorway when she heard a nurse trying to placate Charlotte Rhodes.
She walked inside...
"Rory Linden! You’re here! Get over here!"
The mont Charlotte Rhodes saw Rory walk in, she started yelling for her.
Her tone was clearly demanding.
Rory glanced at the monitor beside the bed and hurried over, about to offer so words of comfort...
"Call Sean Harrison right now! Tell him to answer my calls!" Charlotte Rhodes grabbed her hand forcefully. "He must be the one hiding Evan Hollis! He can’t stand to see doing well, can he! Does he really want to watch die?!"
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