No wonder Zoe looked so haggard. Given the condition of the patient she was caring for, it was a miracle she hadn’t collapsed herself.
They weren’t short on funds, but money couldn’t solve everything.
Zoe listened to the doctor’s diagnosis with a solemn expression. There was no visible sorrow in her eyes; she’d probably received too many serious dical bulletins to feel much of anything anymore.
I was at a loss for how to comfort her. All I could do was stand by quietly and watch.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the hospital room door. I turned to see who it was and was surprised to see Damon.
What was he doing here?
Upon seeing Damon, a glimr of surprise flashed across Zoe’s weary face. I wasn’t sure if her surprise was due to Damon’s unexpected arrival or the hope that he might be able to help her father.
"Damon, you really ca," Zoe said, her voice quivering with visible emotion at seeing the man she once loved.
"How’s your dad?" Damon asked, his voice devoid of emotion. He glanced at Daniel in the hospital bed, his tone serious.
"He’s not doing well. If we don’t find a cure soon, he might..." Zoe trailed off, giving a bitter laugh. "Right now, it’s just taking him around to different hospitals. His lovely wife is nowhere to be found."
It was a harsh reality that kindness wasn’t always reciprocated. Thankfully, Daniel had treated Zoe well in the past, so at least he understood he owed Zoe sothing. That probably was why Zoe was willing to take care of him now.
Daniel tried to say sothing to Damon, but he was too weak to speak. He simply nodded at Damon, an act that took considerable effort.
Zoe took a deep breath, then turned to Damon. "Damon, could you do a favor? Could you ask Dr. Catherine to take a look at my dad? I’ve heard she’s an expert in holistic dicine. Maybe she could help."
Damon frowned but didn’t respond imdiately. Still, I could tell he was reluctant to help.
Zoe could sense it, too, but she wasn’t willing to give up. She just stared at Damon, waiting for a definitive response.
"I’m sorry, I can’t help," Damon finally said. There was a hint of regret in his voice, but his refusal was firm.
I couldn’t understand why he was so adamant. Surely, he wouldn’t be so cold-hearted towards Zoe.
Zoe looked crestfallen. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words ca out.
Daniel watched the exchange from his hospital bed, his eyes filled with despair.
"So, could I approach Dr. Catherine directly?" Zoe asked after a mont.
"You can, as long as you can convince her," Damon replied nonchalantly. He didn’t seem to mind if Catherine tried to help Daniel. He just didn’t want to be the one to ask her.
This was strange. If Damon had asked Catherine, it would have been simpler. Given Catherine’s feelings for Damon, she wouldn’t have refused.
Zoe seed to be at a loss. She glanced at , as if hoping I could explain what was going on.
But how could I? I didn’t understand the dynamics between Damon and Catherine. They seed to have feelings for each other, but their relationship appeared strained.
"I’ll go find Dr. Catherine. She’s in this hospital, right?" Zoe said, turning back to Damon when I didn’t respond.
"Yes, she works in the maternity ward. You can try there," Damon replied. His voice was flat, and he didn’t try to dissuade her.
Without any hesitation, Zoe left the room. I knew she was going to find Catherine, but I could guess that Catherine wouldn’t agree to help. Otherwise, she would have already done so and Zoe wouldn’t have had to ask.
Only Daniel, Damon, and I remained in the room. The atmosphere was heavy, and after a while, I decided to leave as well. I sat down in the hallway outside the room, waiting for Zoe to return. Although I already knew what the outco would likely be, I wanted to be there to try to console her.
While I sat in silence, Damon ca out and sat down next to . The hallway was quiet; this was a private hospital ward, after all.
"Why wouldn’t you help Zoe? She was once very fond of you, and you guys are friends, aren’t you?" | couldn’t help but ask. I didn’t understand his reluctance, and after seeing Daniel’s condition, I felt compelled to intervene.
Damon let out a cold laugh. "Why, do you want to help her?"
I didn’t answer directly. Instead, I said, "I just feel bad for her. She’s alone, and her last hope seems to be with Catherine. It just seems a bit cruel."
"So, you refuse my help, but you want to help another woman?" Damon retorted.
I was speechless. My thoughts drifted back to the photography studio and Nick. I was distracted for a mont.
"Damon, is Nick still working at Coleman Co.?" I asked, changing the subject.
"No, he resigned six months ago," Damon replied, his eyes darkening. He looked at with a aningful gaze. "Why do you ask about him all of a sudden?"
I pondered whether or not I should tell him about Nick being the major shareholder of the photography studio nad "As Promised." Nick had taken over about six months ago, the sa ti he had left Coleman Co.
But these two facts didn’t necessarily an anything. It was perfectly normal for soone to leave a job and start sothing new, wasn’t it?
"Why did he quit?" I asked.
"He was caught selling company project data to a competitor," Damon said.
I was so shocked by his response.
Was Nick really that audacious? He hadn’t been at Coleman Co. for very long, yet he was bold enough to sell project data?
As I sat there, stunned, Damon leaned back in his chair. His long legs, clad in black trousers, stretched out in front of him in a relaxed manner.
"You once warned about sothing similar, so when I noticed sothing was off, I paid closer attention and discovered what he was doing. Eliana, it seems like you’ve been unknowingly helping quite a lot."
Damon spoke nonchalantly, even managing to sound sowhat amused.
Was that so? I never realized I’d done such a big favor for Damon. If I hadn’t, things could have turned out- much worse.
I always had an odd feeling about Nick, especially after he returned from abroad. The fact that he t with people from Coleman Co.’s rival company... there’s definitely sothing fishy about that.
Suddenly, an idea popped into my head. "Since I’ve helped you, can you return the favor?"
"How so?" Damon turned to look at , his eyelashes striking from this angle. "You’re not thinking of asking to help Zoe, are you?"
I was taken aback and shook my head. "No, I just want to ask you sothing, and I need you to tell the truth."
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