Chapter 51
Zoey could outdrink anyone, but around Alexander, she felt a bit tipsy, so at ease in his presence.
"Alex, are you planning to stay with me at the hospital tonight?"
Her tone was casual, but if someone looked closely, there was a hint of anticipation in her eyes.
They arrived at the hospital, and Alexander stood in front of her. "I want to stay with you. Plus, I want to make a good impression on your grandma, show her I'm serious about you."
"Then you should go home."
Zoey turned and walked inside, with Alexander following her at a relaxed pace, each step seemingly echoing in her heart.
Her heart raced as she recalled the scene at the bar, his eyes looking like he wanted to kiss her.
She was afraid he might not be able to resist, but thankfully, he was a gentleman and held back.
She had a bit of a boozy smell on her and didn't want it to affect Rhea, so she went to the VIP room next door to freshen up and change clothes.
Alexander also freshened up in the room next to hers.
He had booked the three most expensive VIP rooms in the hospital. Even Zoey's change of clothes had been personally bought by him, tailored to her size and preferences, which she appreciated.
Alexander finished quickly, and when he came out with his hair dried, Zoey was still in her room.
He knocked on the door. "Zoey, can I come in?"
"Yeah, come in. I'm just drying my hair," Zoey replied.
Alexander walked in and saw Zoey awkwardly trying to dry her long hair with one hand.
He walked up behind her and naturally took the hairdryer from her.
"Here, let me."
Zoey looked down at her phone, typing messages rapidly, encrypted symbols flashing across the screen.
Alexander caught a glimpse of the strange characters out of the corner of his eye. They didn't look like any language he knew, more like... code.
But he didn't ask anything, just gently combed through her hair.
When the hairdryer stopped, Zoey had just hit send on her message.
She looked up and met Alexander's deep eyes in the mirror.
"Let's go, Grandma should be waking up." He put down the hairdryer, his fingers lightly twirling a strand of her hair.
Rhea had just opened her eyes and saw the two of them walking in together, a sparkle lighting up her cloudy eyes.
She weakly moved her fingers, and Zoey immediately stepped forward to hold her hand.
"Don't talk yet," she said gently, as if soothing a child. "Get through tonight, and you can move to a regular room tomorrow."
Rhea blinked to show she understood, but her gaze kept drifting to Alexander.
Alexander got the hint and gently held Rhea's other hand. "Don't worry, I'm here with Zoey."
Just then, Zoey's phone buzzed.
She glanced at it and pointed outside. "I need to take this call."
She walked to the end of the hallway.
"Hawk is awake!" The voice on the other end was excited and urgent. "But Mr. Hamilton insists on knowing who took over 'Herbal Chronicles: The Lost Remedies.' He wants to document it..."
Zoey pinched the bridge of her nose. "Just tell him it was taken over by the higher-ups."
She didn't want any more trouble coming her way. The fewer people who knew about her role in Iron Vanguards, the better.
She hung up and walked back to the room, where Alexander was coming out.
"Grandma's asleep. We should get some rest, too."
Zoey was taken aback. "You're really staying at the hospital?"
Alexander had already pressed the elevator button. He turned back to her. "Yeah, I promised to stay with you. I might have to leave early in the morning for a trip."
"Alright, let's get some rest," Zoey said, a small smile lifting her mood.
The next morning, Rhea was successfully moved to a regular room. Zoey stayed with her for a while before heading out.
She had two exams today, one clinical and one theoretical.
She nailed the clinical exam, finishing fifteen minutes early. Her early departure made the others even more nervous, causing many to make mistakes and the scene to become chaotic.
Zoey didn't care about any of that. After leaving, she met up with Tamsin for lunch, reviewed the material, and prepped for the afternoon's theoretical exam.
The afternoon exam was right up her alley. She breezed through her paper on "Anatomical Observations," finishing early like it was a piece of cake.
When it was all over, everyone returned to the classroom, groaning in despair.
"Why was the theoretical exam on anatomy? That's my weak spot!"
"Same here! It felt like it was beyond our syllabus, using international standards to make it harder for us!"
Tamsin, sitting next to Zoey, slumped over her desk, pretending to be dead. "Zoey, why aren't you upset at all? Did you finish your paper?"
"Yeah," Zoey nodded.
"No way! How much did you write?"
"Three thousand words."
Tamsin's head shot up. "The standard answer is only fifteen hundred words. How did you write three thousand?"
Before Zoey could respond, Zaid walked in and immediately started mocking her.
"Three thousand words of nonsense, I bet. Zoey, don't forget our bet. If you lose, you have to get Mr. Sanchez to sign your withdrawal papers."
"The results aren't out yet, and you're already crowing. Are you afraid you'll look too pathetic crawling out if you lose?" Zoey retorted. "Don't worry, whether I leave or you crawl out, I'll make sure it's live-streamed for everyone to see."
Zaid was fuming. "Fine, whoever doesn't live-stream is a coward!"
"Zoey, are you crazy?" Tamsin pulled Zoey aside, almost in tears. "That exam was nearly impossible. How could you raise the stakes?"
Zoey leaned in close, her voice calm. "Don't worry, I'll be the only one who passes."
"Such big talk," Cleo walked in, a mocking smile on her lips. "I heard you finished early again. Couldn't come up with anything, could you?"
Cleo's arrival immediately made her the center of attention.
"Ms. King, you're here! I heard you also took the final exam. You must have done great."
"Just okay," Cleo said, unable to hide her smug smile.
"Ms. King must have aced it. Who else could become a chief physician at such a young age?"
"Exactly! Cleo is my idol. She's a legend at this medical school—beautiful, kind, and incredibly skilled. I wish I could take a picture with her."
Cleo basked in the adoration of the crowd.
Tamsin, clinging to Zoey, rolled her eyes. "Anyone can become a legend these days."
"What nonsense are you spouting?" Dash had just walked in and immediately scowled at Tamsin's words.
He had finally recovered from his injuries, only to return and hear someone badmouthing Cleo. How could he stand that?
"It's true. Dash, you really have a short memory. Do you want to mess with me again?" Tamsin clung tightly to Zoey.
She had a strong backer. Bring it on!
Dash was still a bit afraid of Zoey, so his tone softened. "Don't get too cocky. I am just not getting serious with you. Anyway, Cleo is the best."
"They're just jealous of Cleo. Ignore them. The last place in the experiment group has no right to speak."
Everyone assumed Zoey was in last place, and by association, Tamsin too. They looked down on both of them.