Chapter 4
"Miss," Vanessa suddenly called out to Joyce.
Joyce paused.
Vanessa walked over to her with a polite smile on her face, but her words carried a clear warning. "Didn't Dr. Carter tell you?
"We're getting engaged next month.
"You might want to keep any inappropriate thoughts to yourself."
She paused, her gaze sweeping over Selina in the hospital bed, and added with a meaningful look, "And please, stay away from my fiancé from now on."
Joyce's expression didn't change in the slightest. She didn't even bother to react.
She just looked at Vanessa, cool and indifferent, as if Vanessa was nothing more than a ridiculous clown performing for her own amusement.
"Are you done?" Joyce said. "If so, you can leave now.
"My daughter needs to rest. She needs a quiet environment, not to be suffocated by your overpowering perfume."
Vanessa's expression soured in an instant.
She couldn't believe this woman, who looked so down and out, actually dared to stand up to her. "You..."
"Vanessa." Charles's voice carried a warning.
He pulled Vanessa behind him, putting himself between her and Joyce. "This is a hospital room, not a place for you to throw a tantrum."
His tone was icy.
Vanessa's eyes welled up with tears, and she felt wronged. "Charles, I just want her to know her place and stop having any unrealistic fantasies about you."
"She doesn't need you to remind her," Charles retorted. "She's the family of my patient, and I'm her daughter's attending doctor. That's all there is between us."
His words left no room for argument.
But both women in the room felt a chill run through them.
Joyce couldn't help but feel the irony. 'Right, just a patient's family and her doctor. All that remains between us is this.'
Vanessa was unwilling to accept it.
She could tell that Charles was defending Joyce.
His words were polite enough, but his body was like a wall, shielding Joyce from her.
Vanessa glanced again at Selina lying in the hospital bed.
The more she looked, the more she felt that Selina looked like Charles.
A terrifying thought was growing wild in her mind.
She wasn't clueless.
Seeing Joyce, Selina, and the way Charles was acting, she knew there was definitely something going on here that she wasn't in on.
"Charles, don't be mad," Vanessa said, taking a deep breath and pulling herself together.
She flashed a soft smile. "I guess I was a little too worried about you.
"I'll let you get back to work."
She placed the lunchbox on the bedside table. "The breakfast is still warm. Make sure you eat it."
With that, she fixed Joyce with a look. Her eyes were like daggers laced with venom.
Then, with her heels clicking against the floor, she turned and walked out gracefully.
The room went quiet, but the tension in the air was even thicker than before.
"Sorry," Charles said, his voice hoarse. "She's always like that."
Joyce didn't spare him a glance.
She went to Selina's bedside and tucked her in. "There's no need for you to apologize, Dr. Carter.
"Your fiancée's warning made perfect sense.
"It's true that we should keep our distance."
Her voice was icy cold, and every word hit Charles like a punch to the gut.
He stared at her back. Her figure looked so fragile, yet her posture was unyielding.
His heart twisted with pain.
He wanted to explain. He wanted to tell her that things between him and Vanessa weren't what she thought.
It was just a family-arranged marriage alliance, nothing but a transaction.
But he didn't have the right to explain.
Ten years ago, he was the one who gave up on Joyce.
Now, ten years later, there was another woman by his side.
Any explanation he could offer now would sound empty and pointless.
"Selina's EEG results are back," Charles finally said, choosing to focus on work.
It was the only safe connection left between them.
Joyce turned around, just as Charles expected.
Her expression was tense with worry. "What are the results?"
"There's abnormal electrical activity, and based on her symptoms, we can confirm it's viral encephalitis."
Charles looked serious.
Joyce's heart sank.
Even though she'd been bracing herself for it, hearing the diagnosis out loud sent a chill through her, making her limbs go numb. "So, what's the treatment?"
"I've already adjusted her treatment plan and put her on the best antiviral drugs.
"But this illness takes a long time to run its course, and recovery will be slow.
"The most crucial thing is, there might be aftereffects."
"What kind of aftereffects are we talking about?" Joyce's voice was shaking.
"It could mess with Selina's mental development, or she might end up struggling with epilepsy."
Charles's words hit Joyce like a ton of bricks, leaving her reeling.
Her vision darkened, and she swayed unsteadily.
At that moment, a hand caught her arm just in time. It was warm and steady, full of reassurance.
"It's alright," Charles said, his voice deep and reassuring right in Joyce's ear. "I got you.
"I won't let anything happen to Selina. I promise you."
Joyce jerked her hand away from his, like it was burning hot. "You don't need to promise anything for my daughter."
She braced herself against the wall, forcing herself to stay upright.
Her face was still pale, but her eyes were clear and icy. "You're a doctor. Saving lives is your responsibility.
"There's nothing else left to say between us."