The next morning.
It was dawn. Even without opening the window, one could hear the sound of the wind and tree branches fighting outside. There was a high chance that they were comparable.
After two days of torture, Chris resigned himself to fate and got up from the bed. He pressed the edge button of his phone. The phone screen showed 5:01 a.m. The alarm clock was set to 5 a.m..
It should take a minute to open his eyes and reach for his phone.
Chris had already deeply understood that no matter what, he had to get up from his bed. His mother would use all tricks to wake him up each day. It was better to be more self-aware and get up himself.
Chris had just dressed up and was about to leave when Angie pushed the door open in her pajamas. When she saw that her son was already dressed, she could not help but praise him."Oh, your comprehension realm is good. You've improved. If you had been like this earlier, would | have kept an eye on you?" Angie said as she thought, 'Was there a need for me to accompany you to doit? Upon hearing this, Chris pursed his lips and did not say anything. It was not voluntary, to begin with. Today was the third day of the morning run. "Alright, go back to sleep. If you're willing, I'll bring you along." As soon as he finished speaking, Angie quickly left her son's room. She refused, "No need. Your father has something to talk to me. I'll leave first. Good luck." Chris was speechless The cold wind was as heartless as ever. The lonely Chris ran around the neighborhood again and again. After running for 20 minutes, Chris turned around and looked behind. He wondered why the woman who ran every day was not here today.
‘Could it be that she had reconciled with her boyfriend? As expected, she had fallen out of love and was out to vent her emotions.’ Chris, who had nothing better to do, made wild guesses. After making a lot of guesses, he guessed more than ten reasons. In the end, he shook his head with a sneer. ‘Am | out of my mind? What does it have to do with me? Whatever." Anyway, he would be fine after running for half a month.
Even after Chris finished running and going home, he did not see another person. Before he entered, he even glanced at the villa in the courtyard.
There was no one in the living room. He had forgotten to turn on the heater when he went out. He raised his hand to look at the time. It was 5:40. He didn't have surgery to do in the morning, so he decided to catch up on sleep.
Chris arranged for himself and prepared to go upstairs to take a shower and sleep.
At around 8:30 p.m., in a room in a house in the same neighborhood, the woman touched under the pillow with her eyes closed.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtShe held the phone in her hand with her eyes closed and raised her hand to clench her fist. She knocked her forehead, but she was not very sober.
Charlie didn't let her go to work today. She had worked overtime until 3:30 a.m. last night before sending the proposal to her secretary and going to bed.
At this moment, her head was a little swollen. She didn't feel well but did not want to sleep back. She just sat up, lifted the blanket, got out of bed, and walked to the bathroom barefooted. She planned to shower to sober up, make breakfast, and go out to buy groceries.
People with a sense of time liked to arrange their schedule for the day as soon as they woke up. They would decide what they wanted to do at what time.
Today's morning run was probably not possible. It was too late, so lots of people were in the neighborhood. If she ran now, it was inevitable that many people would notice.
Twenty minutes later, the sound of a hair dryer came from the bathroom.
When she came out, her phone in the living room rang. It was Quinn. The two single ladies were having breakfast together at different places. The video call was connected. The woman in red pajamas was sitting in the dining room with a sandwich in one hand and a phone in the other. The camera was facing her. "You just woke up? It's quite late today. Didn't you run? Are you copying me?" Leia only smiled faintly at the three consecutive questions.
Leia placed her phone on the kitchen counter and prepared to make something to eat. She replied, "I have worked overtime last night. Today, the chairman asked me to rest. | rushed out the proposal overnight last night." She took sliced toast from the fridge and placed them on the toaster. She added an egg, cheese, and ham slices. Then, she put the other slice on top to cover it and waited.
Quinn caught the main point and teased, "What's going on? The chairman specially called you. It can't be what | think, right?" Leia stopped her. "You're thinking too much. Stop imagining things." Quinn smiled. "Alright, | have thought Christina's New Year's wish would come true." Leia smiled and asked, "Isn't today your day to stop running? Why are you up so early? Are you going on a blind date, a regular date, or watching a handsome man?" Every Saturday, Quinn did not run in the morning. It was a way to give herself time to sleep in.
Quinn said, "What are you thinking about? My mom asked me to go home today. She probably misses me. | met Mr. and Mrs.
March at the supermarket a few days ago. They want to go back to Athana. Did they tell you?" She was talking about Leia's parents. It was probably because they were worried about their daughter when she was in Athana alone. When she went to work at Sapphire City, her entire family moved away. Now, they wanted to come back.
The toaster rang. She stood up. While taking the breakfast out of the toaster and putting it on the color plate, she poured water, feeling bitter in the bottom of her heart. She said, "That's how they are. They are worried | can't look after myself no matter how old I get. | don't know how long I will stay in Athana. If the young man of the Yamin family suddenly wants to inherit the family business, | will return to Sapphire City. | like Sapphire City more. I'm used to it. | can't possibly make them move with me again and again.” Quinn felt that it made sense. "That's true. | also like that you're at Sapphire City. That way, | have company when | go shopping.
I've been shopping with Christina now, but from Christina's analysis, it's unlikely that her brother wants to inherit the business.
When shopping with Christina, | heard her urging her brother to go to the company many times. In the end, | heard Christina complaining every time. He probably hasn't been there.” Leia shook her head as she ate. She could not understand what the young man was thinking. "Kids of some wealthy families are desperate to inherit the family business, but the Yamin family is different. They don't want to inherit it. Stella is the same. She only wants to live an easy life every day. The chairman has so much to be worried about. If that's the case, he'll probably have to hire a professional manager." She couldn't stay in Athana forever. The time she had agreed on with Joseph was three years. Three years later, she would have to return to the Turner Corporation. If the young man of the Yamin family still refused to inherit the family business three years later and Stella could not take on the role, they might have to hire someone.
Within the scope of the contract, she would do her best. But it was not a problem for her to consider when the contract expired.
Joseph would arrange it.
After chatting during breakfast, Leia hung up with Quinn and called her parents. Her parents had already retired, but neither of them wanted to be a burden to their daughter. They talked to Joseph to tell him that they wanted to continue working and did not want to retire.
Joseph saw that they were experienced employees and were conscientious and honest. Coupled with Leia's connections, he agreed. One was arranged to be a guard, and the other to be in the cafeteria. Leia's mother's job was only to supervise the kitchen hygiene. She did not need to do anything else.
The couple's work was easy. This could be considered as Joseph taking care of the old employees.
Leia persuaded her parents for a while to reassure them. She also told them about the house and car that Joseph had prepared for her. The two elders were only relieved after seeing the photos sent by their daughter.
After breakfast, Leia took a down jacket from the wardrobe and put it on. She wrapped a scarf around herself and put on flats.
When she wasn't at work, she always wore flats.
She was prepared to drive to the supermarket to buy ingredients for lunch and dinner. She didn't plan to go out today.
She went downstairs.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmShe started the car and waited until it was warm before stepping on the accelerator. When the car drove out of the courtyard, she realized that the black car that had rudely overtaken her yesterday was in front of her. Moreover, it was moving at a rapid speed.
This license plate was very familiar to her.
Leia stared at the back of the car in front until it was out of sight. Then, she muttered softly, "What a coincidence! This patient also lives in this neighborhood.” She had seen it several times in a row.
At an intersection, they parted ways and turned the steering wheels in different directions. One turned left, and the other turned right. One went to the supermarket, and the other went to the hospital.
Half an hour later, Chris arrived at the hospital and parked the car.
When he pushed open the door and entered the consultation room, he found that Kimble was already in his consultation room.
Chris took off his coat. When he saw that the air conditioner had been turned on, he immediately changed into his white coat.
"Why are you in my place instead of your consultation room so early in the moming?" Kimble said mischievously, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder. | miss you." When he met Chris's gaze, Kimble smiled. "I didn't want to fall in love with you. I'm straight. | want to ask you something." Kimble held Chris's shoulder intimately.
Chris slapped him away and patted his shoulder in disdain. "If you have something to say, say it. Don't move your claws." Kimble was not angry that he was slapped away. He turned around and sat on the corner of the table. Chris patted him a few times with the folder. "Go sit on the stool.” "Alright, alright." When Kimble sat on the stool, Chris's positioning system was very accurate. "There's no need to ask about our Yamin Group employees. Turn your direction, and don't look at Yamin Group's employees. Accumulate some virtue." Kimble was speechless. He hadn't even said anything yet. He couldn't even make a joke.
Chris's guess was accurate enough. No wonder he was so smart.
"Do you have to be like this? | can't even joke around. Look at how you're protecting the employees of Yamin Group like a hen protecting its kids." Kimble sat on the chair casually. Seeing Chris's serious expression, he said, "Could it be that I'm asking about your girlfriend?" Upon hearing this, Chris raised his head and looked at Kimble like he was looking at a fool. 'If | have a girlfriend, why would | go for a morning run?’ Chris thought as he said, "I have a patient later. You need to go and do what you need to do. Don't pollute my eyeballs. Didn't you say you and the model or female celebrity were quite compatible?" Kimble supported himself with one hand on the chair and held his cheek. "I'm still preparing my lines. We're at the edge of breaking up." Chris was not surprised at all. "So fast. Take your time to prepare. You've been dating for a long time with her this year. Didn't you say you were getting married? Why do you want to break up again?" "Well." Kimble sighed. "I originally wanted to get married, but she wanted a villa. I'm just a junior doctor, and my parents aren't miners. Where can | get a villa? It's already good enough to have a house in this big city, right, Mr. Yamin?" Chris threw a folder over. "Don't be so sarcastic. When she was with you, didn't she say she didn't care about the money but only your looks and career? Did she change her mind, or did you become ugly?" "How would | know? Maybe she met someone more handsome than me, so she stuck to me every day to make me buy a villa." When Kimble brought his girlfriend to show Chris, Chris immediately felt it wouldn't last long. However, he didn't expect it to last almost half a year. It was probably because Kimble was willing to spend money and was generous. She would have recognized it long ago if he acted a little stingy. If he had the time to deal with such trivial matters, he might as well think about surgery and cases.
Chris suggested, "You can give her a good way to buy a villa." "What? Tell me about it." Kimble did not want the information of the Yamin Group employees. He was just bored and looking for fun. Recently, his girlfriend had been making a fuss about buying a villa, which made him have a headache.
Chris did not think it was a joke, nor did he think he was messing with others. He lowered his head and wrote something. "Dream on." After hearing this, Kimble laughed out loud, but there was still some depression under his smile. He sighed and sat in Chris's office, nagging about how much he had spent on his girlfriend. He said that he had used up all his savings.
Chris said, "Stop, | don't have money to lend you. | donated my salary last month." Kimble knew Chris was used to donating a third of his salary to charity. "Look how afraid you are. Am | that kind of person?" Chris replied, "Yes." Kimble thought, "There's no way to continue the conversation. He put an end to it. It'll be strange if he has a girlfriend when he is always like this."