Chapter 48 Went Too Far
Wentworth immediately got up.
He quickly washed, changed into his uniform, and organized his documents and gear.
Before leaving his room, he glanced at Matilda's bedroom.
The door was closed.
He gently gripped the handle and pushed it open just a crack.
Matilda was curled up in bed, hugging her blanket and sleeping peacefully, breathing evenly with a serene expression that made him reluctant to disturb her.
So he quietly retreated and sent a brief message on his phone:
"Emergency military mission. Reporting for duty. Return date uncertain. Take care of yourself."
Shouldering his tactical bag, he headed straight to the rooftop.
Soon, a military helicopter thundered through the night sky.
Since one corner of the rooftop had several wooden boxes filled with vegetables, the helicopter couldn't land completely and had to drop a rope ladder instead.
Wentworth nimbly grabbed the ladder, quickly climbed up, and entered the cabin.
The helicopter's lights flashed once before disappearing into the depths of the night.
...
When Matilda woke up, it was already daylight.
As usual, she went to wash up first, then headed to the dining room.
Normally at this time, Wentworth would have either prepared breakfast or brought back takeout—she just had to sit down and wait to eat.
But today, the dining room was empty.
She walked to the kitchen to find the stove cold with no signs of preparation.
Frowning, she went to Wentworth's bedroom door and found it open.
In all the time she'd lived here, she could count on one hand the times she'd entered his room.
The space was neat to almost military standards—the comforter folded into perfect squares, items on the desk arranged precisely, the overall color scheme dark and carrying a calm atmosphere.
Wentworth wasn't there. She had no idea where he'd gone.
It wasn't until before leaving that she saw the message on her phone.
So it was an emergency military mission.
He'd left in such a hurry... She remembered being woken up for assembly in the middle of the night during college military training.
But she didn't know which unit he belonged to.
She tried calling his phone, but it was unreachable.
Matilda's heart suddenly felt empty, like something important had temporarily left her.
She wasn't sure if he'd left with mixed feelings.
Last night, meeting Ethan had put her in a low mood. Would he overthink it? Would he misunderstand her?
Either way, with Wentworth gone, her heart had followed him.
...
"Did you guys hear? Dr. Stewart's daughter went too far last night. They rushed her to the ER in the early hours, and Dr. Morris performed her surgery."
"Too far? What did she do?"
"I heard the police detained two men. You can figure it out."
"Something like that happened?"
"Dr. Stewart looks like he aged ten years today. He always thought his daughter just liked to party, never imagined she was this out of control in private."
...
The hospital cleaning staff gossiped in the hallways, and soon the story spread throughout the building.
Irene from the same department told Dr. Tim with lingering fear, "Addie called me to come over last night too. Thank God I didn't go. Otherwise who knows what state I'd be in now."
Tim shook his head. "You shouldn't associate with people like her."
Irene lowered her voice. "Do you think she can still have children?"
Tim shrugged. "Who knows? Depends on how the surgery went. Besides, with her lifestyle, she's not suitable for raising kids anyway."
...
These past few days, the hospital atmosphere had been oppressive because of Adalyn's incident.
Probably because Francis was in low spirits, it affected the entire team.
Adalyn's surgery was successful—she just needed observation at the hospital before discharge. Knowing she'd become the talk of the entire hospital, she proactively resigned.
She had family connections anyway, so job opportunities weren't a concern. Even without working, her family's money would last her lifetime.
...
Matilda occasionally ran into Reuben.
Because of Jenny, when Reuben saw Matilda he'd take detours, not daring to pester her anymore.
After several conversations with Jenny, he felt Wentworth wasn't simple—even suspected he might be dangerous.
...
This week, Matilda's mind was constantly on Wentworth.
While driving, she'd remember he'd bought this car; coming home, she'd miss the dinners he made.
Without him, she could only cook some pasta, scramble an egg, and get by.
Before bed, she'd wonder—how was he sleeping in the military? Without her hugs, could he fall asleep?
...
A week later, Wesley approached Matilda about an external training opportunity for someone from their department.
Not only because she'd brought in that phototherapy equipment, but also for her contributions in outpatient care.
Matilda was the department's star doctor and needed to continuously improve her skills, otherwise patients would just see her as a pretty face.
However, taking the training would require signing another two-year contract with the hospital.
Matilda saw no problem with that and agreed immediately. She hadn't planned to change jobs anyway, so why not take advantage of a training opportunity?
...
The training location was Brookford City, not far from Phoenix City—just over an hour by Amtrak intercity train.
When booking tickets, coach seats were sold out, so she had to buy first class.
While boarding with her luggage, the wheels got stuck. Just as she was about to lift it forcefully, a pair of hands helped from behind.
The luggage made it onto the train smoothly, and she turned to thank the person.
When she looked—it was Ethan.
Ethan smiled at her, his teeth still brilliantly white.
Matilda froze for a moment, then smiled back and pulled her luggage toward her seat.
Ethan followed. "Matty, you're taking this train too? Going to Brookford City?"
She nodded. "Yes."
"What a coincidence, me too. Want me to help put your luggage up there?"
"No need." Matilda tried to lift her suitcase herself, but it was too heavy—packed with over ten medical textbooks. She got it halfway up before stopping.
Ethan helped support it at just the right moment, and the luggage made it to the overhead rack.
"Thank you," she said again.
"You're welcome." Ethan looked at her as if he had something to say.
But Matilda sat down, pulled out her phone and earphones, and started listening to music.
Ethan had to return to his seat—two rows away across the aisle, where he could easily see her.
...
Over an hour later, the train arrived in Brookford City.
Matilda and the woman beside her helped each other with their luggage.
She dragged her suitcase out of the station, and through the reflective glass columns in the main hall, she saw Ethan still behind her—just like years ago, silently following.
Unable to read his intentions, Matilda called a taxi immediately upon exiting, hoping to avoid him quickly.
The training location was Brookford Medical Center, a nationally renowned comprehensive teaching hospital where top doctors from around the country came to lecture. After courses, students could also do clinical rotations.
The hospital provided dormitories where visiting students could stay.
Matilda had just finished checking in when she turned around—only to see Ethan standing behind her.