Chapter 139
When David returned to the room, Chloe had just been wheeled back from her tests.
The Andersons were hovering around the bed—one peeling an apple, the other tucking in the blankets.
When she saw David, her eyes lit up.
"David!"
David walked over, looking at her pale but happy face, at that pair of smiling wolves, feeling like a fish bone was stuck in his throat.
"Where'd you go?" Chloe asked with a hint of complaint. "I came back and you were gone."
"I..." David opened his mouth just as Leon clapped him on the shoulder.
"David, thanks so much for earlier. Chloe's been close to you since she was little. Makes us parents happy to see. We're family now—don't be a stranger."
It sounded like a warning.
Mrs. Anderson chimed in. "Exactly! Look how skinny you are. Come over for meals from now on. I'll fatten you up."
David lowered his eyes. What a performance.
Seeing David wasn't playing along, Leon didn't mind. He turned to Chloe with a smile. "Sweetie, you chat with your brother. Mom and Dad are going to handle some paperwork and check with the doctor about your treatment plan."
With that, he pulled Mrs. Anderson out. Before closing the door, he gave David one meaningful look.
Finally, just the two of them remained in the room.
Chloe waved him over, gesturing for him to sit by the bed.
"David, look—they're so good to me." She spoke in a conspiratorial whisper. "I used to wonder what my biological parents would be like, if they'd even like me. Now I'm not worried at all."
David looked at her, his heart aching like it was being pricked with needles.
"They said they've got a room all ready for me at home—a pink princess room. And when I'm better, they'll take me traveling around the world." Her eyes sparkled with limitless hope for the future.
Her grip on the blanket tightened, her voice dropping.
"David, do you think... if they'd found me earlier, maybe... maybe the parents who raised me wouldn't have had to struggle so much? Maybe they... wouldn't have gotten sick, wouldn't have died?"
The question was like a dull knife slowly carving into David's heart.
"Don't think like that." His voice was terribly hoarse. "They'd want you to live well."
Chloe's tears spilled over immediately. She grabbed David's hand and buried her face in his palm, crying silently.
The warm tears scalded his palm.
He wanted to tell her this was all fake. These "parents" weren't here to love her—they were here to destroy her.
But watching her trembling shoulders, he couldn't force the words out.
After crying for a long time, Chloe finally calmed down.
She wiped her tears and looked at David seriously. "David, come home with me."
David froze.
"See, I have parents now. I have a home." She tugged at his hand, a touch of childlike pride in her voice. "They're such good people, I'm sure they'd take you in too. Then we can be like before—you'll be my real brother. We'll be a family and never be apart again."
In her eyes, he was just like her—a pitiful soul with nowhere to go.
She'd found a place to belong and wanted to pull him to safety too.
David's heart took a direct hit from that pure kindness, the pain overwhelming.
He knew he couldn't wait any longer.
Better short-term pain than prolonged suffering. He had to shatter this beautiful dream himself, even if she ended up hating him.
He took a deep breath and gripped her hand, looking at her seriously.
"Chloe, listen to me. Things aren't what—"
Before he could finish, the door opened gently from outside.
"Sorry to interrupt."
A cool female voice rang out.
David whipped around.
Standing in the doorway was Juliana.
Juliana stood at the entrance holding a medical file.
The words David had been about to say stuck hard in his throat.
Chloe didn't recognize Juliana. "David, who's this?"
Before David could answer, the door opened again.
Leon and Mrs. Anderson walked in with the hospital director, all smiles.
"Oh, Dr. Wells, you're here! We're counting on you to take care of our Chloe!"
The director quickly made introductions. "Ms. Hale, this is Dr. Juliana Wells, who I mentioned. In oncological surgery, Dr. Wells is an absolute authority."
So this was the doctor they'd brought in.
Chloe's eyes brightened. "Dr. Wells, hello."
"Lie still. Don't move." Juliana's voice carried no warmth, but had an inherent authority that inspired trust.
She picked up the chart hanging at the foot of the bed, flipping through quickly while glancing at the various readings on the monitors.
David stood at the foot of the bed in his mask like a transparent shadow, watching silently.
After reviewing the chart, Juliana bent down to conduct a simple examination. Her movements were gentle, her fingers cool, but somehow reassuring when they touched skin.
"The situation is a bit more complex than I expected, but it's not hopeless." Juliana pulled back and looked into Chloe's eyes, her tone calm. "It's going to be hard going forward, but you need to cooperate with treatment and, more importantly, have confidence. Understand?"
Chloe nodded emphatically, eyes reddening. "Thank you, Dr. Wells. I... I will."
Juliana nodded and turned to leave without another word.
"Dr. Wells, let me walk you out."
A low, hoarse voice came from behind her.
Juliana's steps paused. She looked back at him.
Mrs. Anderson's brow immediately furrowed. She was about to snap at him when Leon stopped her with a look. Not with Dr. Wells present—no complications.
Juliana looked at those exposed eyes. That voice... sounded familiar.
She didn't refuse.
"Alright."
The two walked out one after the other.
The hallway was brightly lit, nurses hurrying past, the smell of disinfectant permeating everything.
They walked in silence, neither speaking first.
When they reached a relatively quiet corner, David stopped.
"Dr. Wells." He turned to face her. "Is Chloe's condition really like you said just now?"