At that moment, someone outside shouted, “The police are here!”
Everyone snapped back to reality, and sure enough, a group of police officers pushed the door open. A waiter following behind pointed at a few people by the table and said, “It’s them causing trouble.”
The leading officer said, “Take them all in for questioning.”
Alan and his group were taken away. Thelma heard the magnetic voice of the man behind her, “Miss Thelma, are you okay?”
The suffocating ominous aura around him had disappeared. Thelma regained her senses and shook her head, saying, “I’m fine.” Thinking about how he had intervened just in time, she added, “Thank you, Mr. Sam Noah.”
“Miss Thelma, you’re too polite.”
Just as Sam Noah finished speaking, a waiter entered and said to Thelma, “Thelma, it’s your turn to answer questions.”
Thelma turned to Sam Noah and said, “I’m sorry, Mr. Sam Noah. I didn’t expect this to happen. I’ll have to excuse myself for now. Could you let Tyler know for me?”
Sam Noah smiled and graciously replied, “No problem at all.”
He still looked upright and proper, the kind of man born into privilege and nobility, completely different from the ominous and terrifying figure he had been moments ago.
But Thelma didn’t have time to dwell on it and left with the waiter.
Even though Alan’s group had started the trouble, Thelma had indeed hit someone. She had to pay for the medical expenses and offer an apology.
When Thelma and Samantha went to the hospital to apologize to Alan, she still couldn’t believe she had just swung a bottle at someone so naturally. Why had it felt so effortless? She had rarely even argued with people, let alone fought.
At this moment, Alan was lying in a single-patient hospital room. His wound had already been bandaged. His attending doctor came in to discuss his condition, and Alan, after hearing it was only a minor injury, said to the doctor, “Doctor, can you write down that my injury is more serious? Maybe something like a concussion?”
The doctor, expressionless, wrote on the injury report and said in a businesslike tone, “I can only report the injury as it is. I can’t falsify it.”
Alan immediately shot a glance at the short-haired woman next to him, who stuffed a wad of cash into the doctor’s bag and said, “Please help us out, doctor.”
The doctor didn’t even look at it and directly tossed the money back. He frowned, his mood visibly souring, and said coldly, “Sorry, doctors aren’t allowed to accept bribes.”
The short-haired woman cursed under her breath, annoyed by his refusal, calling him ungrateful.
This was when Thelma and Samantha entered. The room contained only Alan, the short-haired woman, and a doctor in a white coat. Alan’s subordinates were nowhere to be seen.
On the way, Thelma had already planned how to apologize. However, when she saw the doctor, she froze.
He was tall and slightly lean, with refined features. The glasses on his stern face made him look even more serious.
He also noticed Thelma, and he seemed to freeze as well.
Thelma had never expected to see Eric under such circumstances. When her sister told her that Eric and Ava had gotten together while she was at her lowest point, it had hurt deeply. She had thought about confronting them, even causing a scene.
But in the end, she did nothing.
It had been five years. Even though it felt like a blank space in her life, five years had still passed.
Not long ago, they had spoken on the phone. Just months ago, he had traveled a long distance to see her in Mapleton City. He had attended a medical university in the south, over a thousand kilometers away. They could only meet during winter and summer vacations, yet he would still save up money and endure over 20 hours of travel to visit her.
In the blink of an eye, he was no longer the bright-eyed medical student but a full-fledged doctor.
Feelings of regret, anger, and many other emotions swirled in her heart. She wanted to loudly question him about his betrayal, but she also knew that time had passed, and it no longer mattered. A sense of helplessness and sadness overcame her.
In the end, she simply averted her gaze as though she hadn’t seen him. She reminded herself of the purpose of her visit and approached Alan’s bedside to sincerely apologize.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. I will cover all your hospital and medical expenses.”
After Thelma spoke, the short-haired woman sneered sharply, “Weren’t you acting all high and mighty earlier? And now you’re bending over and apologizing so obediently?”
Alan snorted coldly and said, “You’ll pay? Can you even afford it? You’ve given me a concussion. I’ll take this to court. You’ll not only have to pay for my medical expenses but also for my emotional distress!”
