Chapter 214
What I'd worried about ultimately didn't happen.
Aside from that earlier loss of control, Leopold remained calm throughout.
Back at Pansea Heights, I felt sticky all over and very uncomfortable. "I'm going back to my room first."
"Wait." Leopold suddenly stopped me. "Tomorrow is your third day taking the medication. You need to see Dr. Moore."
I didn't dare look him in the eyes and said quietly, "I have an appointment tomorrow morning. How about the afternoon?"
Leopold's brows moved slightly. "An appointment with whom?"
I struggled between telling the truth and lying.
In the end, I decided on the truth. "Ethan asked to meet me at the hospital."
Leopold had said before to let me decide for myself. He wouldn't go back on that now, would he?
Not hearing his response, I sneaked a glance at him, just as our eyes met.
His gaze was dark and obscure, leaving me unsettled.
"Is that all?"
I nodded.
"Then go."
I misheard, thinking he'd refused, and hurried to explain. "Ethan just wants to discuss the new drug with me. If you're worried, you can..."
Getting to this point, I suddenly realized he'd said "then go."
That meant he agreed!
I looked at him in surprise. "You're agreeing?"
Leopold extended his hand to me. "Come here."
I hesitantly moved closer.
Leopold raised his hand, his fingers gently threading through my hair as he pulled me before him.
The air grew inexplicably sultry.
"Next time you tell the truth, look into my eyes. Otherwise, it seems insincere."
I nodded instinctively.
Leopold's thin lips curved slightly as he released me. "Rest well."
I returned to my room somewhat incredulously.
Only after sitting on the edge of the bed did I pinch the back of my hand.
It hurt.
So I wasn't dreaming.
Leopold had really agreed to let me meet with Ethan.
Why was he being so reasonable this time?
Unexpectedly, what Ada had told me this afternoon surfaced in my mind.
Leopold really seemed to be changing.
Though he'd taken care of me before, he'd never been this meticulous.
And he'd always viewed Ethan as a threat, never willing to let me see him.
But this time he'd agreed.
Realizing I was wavering, I quickly slapped my cheeks to clear my head.
Leopold had been immersed in the business world for years. His grasp of human nature far exceeded everyone else's.
What if all of this was just his tactic?
What if all of this was his trap?
However, just as these two thoughts emerged, Leopold's genuine passion in the car surged back into my mind.
Mouths could lie. But could bodily instinct... lie?
A battle raged within me, with no clear victor.
I decisively gave up thinking about this question.
I'd leave everything to time.
The next day, Leopold dropped me off at the hospital entrance.
As I was getting out, he deliberately pulled me back and kissed my lips lightly. "I won't go in with you. Once you're done talking, I'll come pick you up."
Though it was just a brief touch, this was the hospital entrance with people coming and going. I still felt very uncomfortable. "Okay, I'll contact you ahead of time."
After speaking, I suddenly noticed someone watching us.
I turned around, looking all around.
The surroundings were filled with hurried patients and family members.
No suspicious individuals.
"Are you looking for Ethan?" Seeing me looking around, Leopold asked in a low voice.
"No." I withdrew my gaze and looked at him. "I just felt like someone was watching us."
Leopold's expression didn't change. "I didn't feel anything. Are you being oversensitive?"
Hearing this, I became uncertain. "Maybe."
But I didn't dwell on it. "I'll head in first."
"Go ahead."
Leopold watched me walk inside.
Just arriving at the terrace, I saw Ethan had already arrived.
Seeing me, his warm eyes immediately filled with a smile. "Cindy, long time no see."
Looking at his gentle, jade-like appearance, I returned a polite smile. "Ethan."
"You seem much thinner than before," Ethan said, his gaze sweeping over my lower abdomen. "Has your body recovered now?"
The heartache I'd deliberately forgotten surged back.
My smile faded somewhat. "Much better. As long as it's not high-intensity exercise, I can do it."
"That's good." Ethan nodded. "By the way, this is the report I had Arnold compile. Take a look and see if there are any discrepancies with Dr. Moore's test results."
I quickly took it and opened it to look.
Ignoring some specialized medical terminology, I found Arnold's results were more detailed than Christian's. They even listed the proportional composition of many drugs.
"Ethan, according to this report, has Arnold already developed an antidote?"
But Ethan shook his head. "No. Although the report lists the drug components, there's still one component that hasn't been identified."
With his reminder, I focused my attention back on the components.
I indeed saw that there was a 0.3% drug component with no name displayed. "I see its proportion isn't high. If we don't have it, how much would the antidote's efficacy be affected?"
"Though this drug's proportion isn't high, it's the linchpin maintaining the balance between all the drugs. Without it, even the antidote would become poison."
I couldn't help being startled. "So it's that important."
"But don't be discouraged." Ethan actively walked toward me, reaching out to flip to the third page. "Although we don't know what this final 0.3% is, based on the reactions between drugs, Arnold has deduced several of the most likely candidates."
I glanced over—it was all incomprehensible chemical reaction formulas. "How long will it take to identify the specific drug?"
"That's why I asked you here." Ethan released his hand and continued, "Don't let the fact that there are only a few drugs fool you. Different numbers trigger different reactions—it's very time-consuming. If you can convince Dr. Moore to test together, it would significantly shorten the time."
I thought briefly, then said, "Alright, I'll do my best to persuade Dr. Moore."
Ethan's gaze dimmed slightly. "Don't feel pressured. This isn't a task. If Dr. Moore doesn't agree, that's fine. I'll have Arnold accelerate the experiments. I absolutely won't let anything happen to you."
"Thank you very much, then." I put away the report. "If there's nothing else, I'll be going."
"Cindy." Ethan stopped me. "I saw you arrive with Leopold earlier. Have you two reconciled?"
My gaze darkened. Was he the one whose surveillance I'd sensed earlier? "Not exactly reconciled, but I'm living with him now."
"Why? Is he using something to threaten you again, forcing you to live with him?" Ethan's expression changed dramatically. "If that's the case, you must tell me. I'll help you."
Seeing his misunderstanding, I hurried to explain. "I'm not being threatened. It's because Pansea Heights is very close to Dr. Moore's research center. If anything comes up, I can consult him anytime."
"But you don't need to live with him..."
Ethan wanted to continue persuading me, but I interrupted. "Ethan, I know you mean well, but please don't interfere in my affairs."
Ethan's gaze instantly dimmed.