Chapter 280 A Medical Miracle

Chapter 280 A Medical Miracle

"Ungrateful wretches, all of them!" Victoria paced her bedroom, breathing heavily as rage clouded her mind.

She wanted to storm into the Sterling Group offices and demand William tell her about her brothers' whereabouts, but she didn't dare. 

Victoria felt trapped, desperate to make William suffer, yet utterly powerless against him.

Meanwhile, completely unaware of Victoria's fury, William waited outside the Design Department, only to learn that Anna had suddenly left on a business trip.

The unexpected news left William momentarily stunned. When had this happened? How could he not have known?

"Mr. Sterling, Ms. Rice just left. She was in quite a hurry," the receptionist explained nervously, watching his face for any sign of anger. "She asked me to tell you she'd contact you as soon as her plane lands."

William's expression remained impassive, but internally, his emotions churned. He felt hurt that Anna had left without even calling him.

He turned his wheelchair and departed without a word. Ivan dismissed the receptionist with a wave and hurried after his employer.

"Mr. Sterling, would you like me to look into this?" Ivan asked.

William cut him off before he could finish. "Look into what? Anna's working, not doing anything else."

Yet it stung that she'd gotten so busy she'd forgotten about him, her boyfriend. 

William sighed deeply. "Ivan, did I make a mistake? Perhaps I shouldn't have established this collaboration agreement with Anna. Without it, she wouldn't be working so hard."

Ivan remained silent, knowing William would work through his thoughts on his own.

Sure enough, after a moment, William murmured, "Without our professional partnership, I probably wouldn't even see Anna regularly, let alone be with her." He sighed again. "It's fine. Let her work. I'll wait for her."

Five days later, Anna returned with excellent news. The sample clothing designs had gone into mass production and were being shipped to specialty stores. All the Sterling Group's clothing brands were now operational. Only Anna's "Encounter" collection remained to complete her major responsibilities.

The Design Department had exceeded expectations, and Anna offered to treat everyone to dinner from her own pocket. Her announcement was met with cheers from the staff.

"Join us, Ms. Rice," one employee called as they were leaving.

Anna shook her head. "You go ahead."

"Alright, see you later then, Ms. Rice."

Once everyone had gone, Anna finally relaxed with a sigh of relief.

"Ms. Rice is so busy. When will you find time to have dinner with me?" A plaintive voice came from the doorway. Anna looked up to see William.

She smiled. "I was just about to call you."

"I thought perhaps Ms. Rice had forgotten about me after being gone so many days."

William embraced Anna firmly. She leaned down and gave him a light kiss.

"How could I forget you of all people?" she said softly.

Such a gentle kiss couldn't possibly satisfy William's longing. He pulled her closer and kissed her deeply until Anna's knees weakened, causing her to fall onto his lap.

"William, we're at the office," Anna protested.

William silenced her with another kiss. All the employees had left, and even if anyone approached, Ivan would intercept them.

His kiss was fierce and hungry, as if only this intensity could make up for days of separation.

When he finally released her, Anna remained breathless against his shoulder, her cheeks flushed and her eyes filled with passion.

"Anna," William whispered hoarsely in her ear, "will you comfort my loneliness tonight?"

Anna's face reddened further at his suggestion.

Seeing her silence, William placed his warm hand on the soft curve of her waist.

The heat of his palm against her waist made William's breathing quicken, his touch growing more insistent.

Anna shifted uncomfortably, fearing William might lose control.

"I promise," she finally said.

Hearing her agreement, William's desire subsided slightly. He continued to caress her waist unhurriedly. "Good, but just so we're clear, once won't be enough. You'll have to hold out until I say we're done."

His explicit words made Anna blush. She'd originally thought him a perfect gentleman, but after their intimate experiences, he'd changed completely.

The warm pressure at her waist reminded her that if she didn't agree, they might not leave this office today.

Anna bit her lip lightly and replied tremulously, "Alright, I promise."

At her words, William lowered his head and placed a firm kiss on her waist, releasing her just as she was about to gasp. When he looked up again, his previous melancholy had vanished, replaced by radiant satisfaction.

"Let's go. First, I'll treat you to dinner, and then I'll feast on you," he said, taking her hand before she could object and leading her from the office.

After dinner, at Anna's insistence, they went to the Sterling International Medical Center for William's check-up.

The examination results thrilled everyone. William's legs showed slight responsiveness, but a tremendous achievement nonetheless.

"This is extraordinary! A genuine medical miracle!" Richard exclaimed excitedly. "I must share this wonderful news with Mrs. Sterling. She'll be delighted!"

Richard immediately called Irene, who was overjoyed.

"Dr. Thompson, tell William to bring Anna home tonight," Irene instructed. "You and Dr. Collins should come too. We'll have dinner together and celebrate properly."

"Yes, Mrs. Sterling," Richard replied.

He hung up and announced cheerfully, "Mrs. Sterling wants you both to come home for dinner. I'm invited to join the celebration too."

William had planned a romantic candlelit evening with Anna, but those plans were now ruined. He nodded resignedly. "Very well. We'll go together."

"Excellent! This is momentous news, and Anna deserves the most credit!" Richard smiled warmly at Anna. "We should all thank you. Without you, we don't know when William's condition would have improved."

"You're too kind, Dr. Thompson. Atticus deserves credit too," Anna replied modestly.

Richard nodded. "Indeed, Dr. Collins has also contributed greatly."

Atticus shook his head awkwardly. "Not at all. I've been learning from Anna. Without her, I couldn't have managed alone."

Suddenly, Atticus suggested, "Since Mr. Sterling is here, shall we do another treatment session today?"