Ethan Lancaster looked toward the sofa. He set down his utensils and walked a few steps forward.
Raina Reddington’s eyes were tightly shut, her forehead beaded with sweat. Her phone began to ring in her pocket, and she sat up to answer it.
"Hello."
"Raina, I’m ho."
"Good. Rest well."
Annabelle Spencer double-locked her door. Still terrified, she dragged a chair over to brace it against the door. "Are you ho yet? Did you find out... did sothing happen?"
"Annabelle, do you have security caras at your place?"
"What?" Annabelle stood by the door, goosebumps prickling her skin. "No, I don’t."
’Who in their right mind would install security caras in their own ho?’ "What’s wrong?"
"It’s nothing. Just a random question."
Ethan Lancaster sat on the adjacent sofa. He waited until Raina hung up before speaking. "You still want to help him, is that it? You want to see how I’m going to fra him?"
Raina tossed her phone onto the coffee table. "Have you eaten dinner?"
"Even if I wanted Miles Hawthorne dead, I’d be justified." Ethan was in no mood to hear anything else.
Raina bent forward, resting her elbows on her knees. She buried her face in her hands. "Ethan, I’m heartbroken about what happened to Dad, too. And I feel so guilty. I never, ever ant to hurt him."
"I know saying this is useless. Even if I wasn’t the one who actively did it, I know I have to take responsibility. But I’m suffering, too. Every night, I either lie awake, or I have nightmares..."
As Ethan listened, he felt a montary pang of sympathy. But he knew Raina was fond of these tactics. She’d always used a mix of coercion and appeal on him. It wasn’t that he actually fell for it in the past—he had simply been indulging her.
"I..."
"Are you saying all this to tell that you never ant to hurt anyone? That you don’t want to hurt Miles Hawthorne either, so I should just show rcy and let him go?"
Raina started to shake her head, but then she stopped. ’It’s no use,’ she thought. ’Anything I say right now will be wrong.’
"I heard Miles Hawthorne’s mother is at your hospital?"
A wary look imdiately appeared on Raina’s face. "She doesn’t have much ti left."
"Are you her attending physician?"
Raina tensed up. "Ethan Lancaster, what are you planning to do?"
"What could I possibly do? I’m not the Grim Reaper. It’s not like I can end soone’s life prematurely, can I?"
Raina planted her hands on the sofa beside her, terrified Ethan would do sothing drastic. "Her illness is too advanced. Surgery would be pointless..."
"Why are you telling this?" Playing the sympathy card—did she forget that was the one thing he couldn’t stand? He stood up and shot Raina a cold glare. "Go ahead and dismiss the staff. If this is how you want to live, I’ll indulge you."
As Ethan started to walk away, he tossed another sentence over his shoulder. "And don’t worry about Miles Hawthorne. I won’t let him get sent to prison that easily."
’There are so many ways to torture soone. It’s best to take it slow.’
"Yes, since he was capable enough to build a place like Aristor Hall, he must have so skill. This will be a major blow, but it won’t kill him. You two can fight it out. Whoever lives or dies, it’s all up to fate. Just... can you leave out of it?"
Ethan glanced down at her. The already lukewarm food on the table had grown cold. The man turned and went straight upstairs.
「The next day.」
When Raina arrived at the hospital, she saw two nurses at the information desk huddled together, whispering. As soon as they saw her approaching, their voices dropped, and they averted their gazes.
Raina was on good terms with her colleagues. She wasn’t a nosy person by nature, but judging by their reactions, she was clearly the topic of their discussion.
Raina strode over. "What’s going on? Talking smack about ?"
"Of course not," said a young nurse who was close with Raina, grabbing her arm. "Have you heard about The Second Affiliated Hospital of rcy Seas?"
"Isn’t that the new branch hospital? What’s wrong?"
"It’s having its grand opening next week. That hospital..." The nurse lowered her voice, afraid of being overheard. "I have a friend in quality control, and she said many of the levels aren’t just failing—they’re dangerously high. Anyone assigned there is basically a human air purifier. It’s a death trap!"
Raina’s expression grew serious. The hospital was being rushed to open right after construction finished. They were advertising it as "pollution-free," but who knew the truth?
However, the hospital director had spoken to Raina a while back, reassuring her that she definitely wouldn’t be sent over there.
"Is the transfer list out?"
The nurse looked at her hesitantly. Raina finally understood their strange glances from earlier. "? I have to go?"
"It was supposed to be Dr. Hale, but I heard she pulled so strings and had you switched in."
An indescribable feeling churned in Raina’s gut, but she kept her expression neutral. "If I have to go, I’ll go. We all work for rcy Seas Hospital, after all."
"Are you crazy? You can’t compare the two! Besides, the new hospital is a real problem. The formaldehyde levels are lethal!"
Raina could only manage a wry smile. "Then I guess we’ll see who gets lucky. People with stronger immune systems will be fine. Besides, new hospitals and schools open every year..."
"Doctor Reddington, you’re being way too optimistic. Other new schools at least have to air out for six months or a year, right? But The Second Affiliated Hospital of rcy Seas is on another level. They don’t play by the rules, they’re just that..."
Soone was approaching in the distance. The nurse quickly fell silent and nudged Raina’s arm. "You should hurry up and pull so strings, too. Isn’t your husband supposed to be a big shot?"
The faint smile on Raina’s lips vanished. ’Him?’
She gave another bitter smile. ’For all I know, he might have had a hand in this. Otherwise, why else would they single out to be the replacent?’
「The Lancaster Residence.」
After visiting Zachary Lancaster, Caron Fairchild walked out of the room with Ethan Lancaster.
"Him staying in a coma like this... it’s no way to go on."
"The doctors said this is already the best possible outco."
Caron Fairchild glanced coldly at the door behind Ethan. "There’s sothing I forgot to tell you."
"What is it?"
"I pulled so strings to get Raina transferred to the Second Affiliated Hospital of rcy Seas. It’s nothing major, but I figured I should give you a heads-up."
Ethan didn’t even blink. "Got too much ti on your hands? It’s just a hospital transfer."
"It’s not the sa. It’s a demotion disguised as a transfer. Out of respect for you, I at least let her keep a job at a hospital."
Ethan didn’t say anything. ’It was such a trivial matter,’ he thought. Besides, Raina was still a doctor; it wasn’t a huge loss for her, professionally speaking.
"Fourth Master, I was actually worried you wouldn’t have the heart to do it."
"Just don’t go too far."
Caron took two steps forward. "Don’t worry. I have to consider your reputation, after all. Until you’re ready to tell her to get lost, I’ll go easy on her."
That one phrase, "get lost," felt like a needle piercing Ethan’s heart.
Sure enough, a few days later, Raina was transferred.
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