Chapter 186: Inquiring About His Schedule
"It's not me, I'm good. I went to the hospital to visit a patient."
Emily felt a warmth in her heart. So this is what it feels like to be cared for.
She hesitated, wondering if she should tell Daniel about Mason's condition. Daniel already knew her pretty well. Or maybe they had already developed a mutual understanding.
He immediately saw that she had something to say, and it might be related to him.
"If you have something to say, just say it. Don't worry about me, I'm fine!"
Emily met Daniel's deep and sincere gaze and decided to tell him.
"There are some things that, as a doctor, I'm not at liberty to say. I can only tell you that if you have time, you should pay more attention to your family."
Emily remembered Daniel telling her about the large age gap between him and his older brother. His biological mother had been young when she had him, but she had suffered severe complications during childbirth. Although she was saved, her health never fully recovered, and she passed away a few years later.
Daniel was doted on by Mason, but being young, he had faced many challenges growing up. The only family he truly recognized was Mason. Veda was his sister, and the family spoiled her. Daniel, seeing her as a younger relative, was more lenient with her. This made Veda think Daniel's coldness was just his nature, but since he never blamed her, it equated to affection.
Emily had once had a confrontation with Veda, so she knew Emily wasn't referring to Veda when she mentioned family. Daniel's first thought was that she was talking about Mason.
"Alright, thanks for the heads-up."
Daniel's face darkened slightly. Since Emily didn't want to elaborate, it was out of professional ethics to protect patient confidentiality. So, the person she visited at the hospital today was likely Mason.
"No need to thank me. By the way, did you come looking for me for something specific?"
Could it be just out of concern?
"I was planning to check on Cloudy and Biscuit, but I'll do that another day." Daniel wasn't truly cold-hearted; he still cared.
"Okay, go ahead then!"
Emily sensed his hidden emotions and nodded understandingly.
Daniel nodded in farewell and quickly walked away. Emily watched his slightly hurried steps.
She knew that she and Daniel might be similar in some ways. They appeared distant and indifferent, but deep down, they longed for familial affection. He had borne too much from a young age, which was unfortunate. Mason, though strict, genuinely cared for Daniel, which made him luckier than herself in some ways.
Emily turned her gaze away and slowly walked home. Her phone rang at the right moment. It was Knox calling. Emily felt a bit guilty, realizing she owed him many meals. In both her past and present lives, she seemed to be indebted to him, never having repaid him even once.
"Knox, what made you think of me?"
Emily's tone was light and teasing.
"Don't play dumb. You haven't forgotten how many meals you owe me, have you?"
Knox's tone was a mix of helplessness and affection.
Emily knew he wasn't really angry. "I'll treat you right away. You pick the time and place."
"What do you feel like eating?"
Knox respectfully asked her first. Emily wasn't picky about food. In her past life, she was always busy with the Johnson family, never having the chance to savor good food. When he asked, she honestly couldn't answer.
"Since I'm treating, you should choose what you want. And honestly, I don't know which places are good, so why don't you recommend one?"
"Alright, a friend recently recommended a restaurant with great food. I'll send you the address. By the way, I heard Hayden got tricked into going abroad, and the kidnappers are demanding a hundred million dollars in ransom. Need any help with that?"
Knox had been saved by Emily before and had looked into her background, knowing she was part of the Johnson family. At the time, she hadn’t been reborn and valued the Johnson family greatly, which he was aware of. Although Emily seemed to have changed recently, familial ties aren't easily severed, so he asked just in case.
"Not for now, but thank you!"
Emily genuinely thanked him. Knox felt a pang of sadness for her, though he didn’t know why.
"If you need anything, just ask. You already owe me a lot, so what’s one more favor?"
"Alright!"
Emily didn’t hesitate this time. "If I need anything, I won’t be shy about asking!"
After they hung up, Emily went to the underground lab and spent an hour researching a new medication before washing up and going to bed. Meanwhile, Knox confirmed the time and address and immediately called his assistant to make a reservation. To avoid any awkwardness, he didn’t book the whole place, so Emily wouldn’t feel pressured about future meals.
Shortly after the assistant secured the reservation, Xavier received the news and quickly passed it to Bianca. Bianca hadn’t expected the opportunity to come so quickly, but it was perfect timing. She only had two days left to deal with Chase, and she had to meet Knox tomorrow. Otherwise, the Johnson family would have to give Emily twenty percent of the shares.
"Thanks, I'll verify the information tomorrow. Don’t worry, you won’t be short on money."
As Bianca was saying this, there was a knock on her door. She quickly told Xavier on the phone and hung up.
"Who is it?"
Bianca frowned and asked. At this hour, who could it be? She had already been discharged from the hospital but was still weak and needed rest. After dinner, she went to her room early.
"Bianca, it’s me, Chase!"
Outside, Chase’s voice sounded tired. Bianca’s eyes flashed with annoyance, but her voice remained gentle.
"Chase, is it important? If not, can we talk another day? I just got out of the hospital, and I’m still very tired and need to rest."
She had a feeling Chase’s visit wouldn’t bring good news. She had also noticed Chase’s growing coldness towards her but pretended not to.
Chase’s eyes darkened. "It’ll just take a few minutes. I won’t keep you long."
His determined tone left Bianca no choice but to let him in.
"Alright, come in, Chase."
Bianca lowered her voice, making it sound like she was struggling to speak. Chase opened the door and walked in. Bianca "weakly" leaned against the headboard, watching Chase approach.
"What do you want to say?" Bianca asked.
"Bianca, has the result of your design competition come out yet? And I saw some negative news about you online. Just be honest with me, can you guarantee first place in the competition?"
Chase frowned and threw several questions at her. Bianca’s prediction was right. He was here because of the plagiarism scandal, proving his selfishness.
"Chase, I’m really not feeling well. If you have something to say, just say it directly."
"What I mean is, you can't be sure you'll get a good result, and there are already negative rumors about you online. Why don't you just admit your mistake and apologize to Emily? I can't hold off any longer, and they only gave me three days."