Once she moved out of the Scott Family’s house, they wouldn’t have any ties left. She figured they wouldn’t even have opportunities to meet in the future.
“I wanted to ask you to see a patient.”
Seeing that he wasn’t joking, Sophia frowned. “Who’s sick?”
“Elias ’s daughter.”
Elias was the man who had been humiliated by Sophia during a card game at the hotel last time.
“What’s wrong with his daughter?”
“It’s not looking good. Come with me, and you’ll see.”
Even though Sophia was already very tired, she couldn’t refuse Scott Livinus’s request. She couldn’t turn down an urgent case, especially when it involved a child. Children couldn’t articulate their discomfort well, and delays in treatment could worsen their condition.
“All right.”
The driver greeted her with a smile, which Sophia found inexplicably odd.
“Miss Smith, you must be exhausted. I’ll drive slowly so you can rest on the way!”
Sophia nodded, realizing only then how visible her fatigue must have been. The car stopped halfway up the mountain, and as the vehicle bumped along, Sophia, sitting in the backseat, slowly closed her eyes. Somehow, she dozed off.
The night breeze was cool, and Scott Livinus heard the rhythmic sound of breathing beside him. He turned his head.
Sure enough, she had fallen asleep.
She looked utterly exhausted, her eyes slightly red, and her lips dry. It was a side of Sophia he had never seen before.
Unlike other women, Sophia was always energetic and full of life. She would go for a morning jog, work tirelessly all day without a break, and continue until late at night. Even he, a grown man, would find it hard to keep up, let alone someone like her. Yet she persisted, pushing herself to exhaustion.
The cool night breeze blew gently.
Scott Livinus took off his jacket and draped it over her.
He closed his eyes, too, realizing he had been watching her far too intently.
It had reached the point where he couldn’t even deceive himself anymore.
In the end, he had fallen for her.
A faint, bitter smile tugged at his lips.
Some things are truly beyond one’s control. He didn’t believe this before, but now he’s a firm believer.
You’ll know it when you encounter it.
The car suddenly stopped, and Sophia woke up with a start. As she moved, the suit jacket slipped off her shoulders.
It was Scott Livinus’s jacket.
She handed it back to him, trying to sound natural. “Thank you.”
“Hmm.”
Sophia pressed her lips together, avoiding his gaze as much as possible. She glanced around and realized they had arrived at a high-end neighborhood.
“Does Elias live here?”
“Yeah.”
Scott Livinus opened the car door and stepped out, putting his jacket back on as they walked. The two of them went up to the penthouse. Once inside, Sophia realized this was a duplex apartment. Elias had purchased the two units on the top floor and combined them into one residence.
As expected, the people around Scott Livinus were all incredibly wealthy.
The three exchanged greetings. Sophia noticed that Elias looked exhausted, clearly having not slept well in a long time.
“Elias, is the doctor you mentioned here?”
Elias froze for a moment and then turned back. “Yes, Mom! Dr. Smith is here.”
Elias’s mother came out in a hurry and exclaimed, “Where is she? Quickly, bring the doctor in!”
When she saw Scott Livinus and Sophia, she offered a faint smile, though it was evident she didn’t have the energy for formalities. Her voice was filled with weariness as she said:
“Where’s the doctor? If this doesn’t work, we’ll treat the child to Washington. If that doesn’t work, we’ll go to Turkey. We can’t delay this any longer! If we do, I’m afraid it will ruin her completely!”
“Mom, this is Dr. Smith,” Elias said, smiling at Sophia. “Dr. Smith has excellent medical skills and has treated many difficult cases. Let’s have her take a look at Danielle.”
Unexpectedly, when his mom, Abigail, heard this, she completely lost her composure. Her eyes reddened with anger as she yelled:
“She’s the doctor you were talking about? Elias, are you joking? Are you seriously entrusting Danielle, such a young child, to such a young doctor? This isn’t a common cold we’re dealing with—it’s a serious illness involving the brain! You may trust her, but I don’t! This is absurd!”
Under normal circumstances, she would’ve given Scott Livinus a face, but her exhaustion and her worry over her granddaughter’s condition overwhelmed her. She couldn’t hold back her frustration and let out her dissatisfaction.
Elias felt embarrassed. “Mom, Dr. Smith is truly skilled. Even Tony recommended her to me.”
