Chapter 161 The Weight of Hope
Tit 470
+8 Pearls
The family had long been prepared for the worst. Their child had been living like this for years, and no hospital had ever offered a permanent solution. They came to Cloud Hospital with the last flicker of hope.
They’d already spent every penny they had.
Even if the surgery failed, they had no means to start over.
Ordinary people didn’t get do–overs. They learned to accept life as it came.
Chase had already waived as much of the surgery cost as possible. Knowing the family couldn’t afford a nearby hotel, he had spring cots placed in the private room so the family could rest there and avoid unnecessary expenses.
He’d done all he could. The rest was up to fate.
After finishing his red date tea, Chase refocused and began reviewing paperwork. Melody sat nearby, walking him through the files. He signed each one at the bottom.
“Patrick’s signing ceremony should be over by now. If the paparazzi aren’t camped outside Quinn Group, what are they doing here at Cloud Hospital?” Chase flipped on the TV. Patrick’s face filled the screen instantly.
Melody turned around. “Entertainment’s a whole different beast from what we’re dealing with. Oh, and by the way–Ocean Media has reporters downstairs. From what I’ve heard, they’ve tried to block several hospitals from going public. Their tactics are nasty. We should be careful.”
Chase raised an eyebrow and looked at Melody.
She didn’t even flinch.
Which meant she was already prepared. No matter what Ocean Media tried, she’d be ready.
“Isn’t that what you’re here for?” He handed back the folder.
Their eyes met. Melody nodded. “Wellinges Pharma doesn’t have an official PR department. So I’m filling in. And if it ever gets out of hand, we still have Director Guan.”
“Tonight’s Quinn Group celebration dinner–technically you should attend. But I know you want to keep an eye on the patient. I’ve cleared your schedule for two hours. You can have dinner with Madam Wendy, then return. I’ll monitor everything while you’re gone.”
Signing someone like Patrick was a big deal. Naturally, Quinn Group hosted a private celebration, and Patrick himself was attending.
It was an internal event, so no formalwear required.
dub
The entire second floor of The Watering Hole had been booked out. To ensure privacy, only the manager, Ash, and a few hand–picked staff were allowed in. Even senior execs weren’t allowed to bring family.
Chase was the exception.
At the table, Zynn sat sulking and had already downed two glasses of wine. Her phone vibrated nonstop on the table, loud enough to draw attention.
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Chapter 161 The Weight of Hope
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Sammy, sitting beside her, peeked at the caller ID. “If that thing shakes any harder, it’s gonna crack the table. Can you turn it off?”
Zynn rested her chin in her palm. “Can’t. Might be work. I’ll just block him.”
“Don’t.” Sammy reached out to stop her. “We need him for the Cliff Haven project. If you block him now, how are we supposed to move forward?”
Zynn sighed dramatically and leaned back.
Across the room, Wendy glanced over, confused by the tension. Maggie leaned in and explained quietly, “Ran into her ex on the job.”
Zynn had too many exes to count. No one could remember who was who. But the second Maggie said it, Wendy knew exactly which one.
Back before Zynn joined Quinn Group, she’d been in a serious relationship. She really thought they were going to get married. She was all in.
Then Wendy scouted her. Zynn made the leap to Quinn Group, and her workload skyrocketed. She couldn’t keep the same schedule, couldn’t spend as much time with her boyfriend.
The outcome was predictable: he cheated.
Well, not technically. Not yet. It was emotional infidelity.
He realized he had feelings for someone else and came clean before anything physical happened. Zynn had even wanted to fix things. But Wendy sent her on a business trip. By the time she got back, it was too late.
They broke up amicably.
Years passed. Zynn never imagined she’d run into him again–let alone like this.
“What the hell is Gavin doing on the Cliff Haven project?” Sammy whispered. “I thought he was overseas.”
He was.
Two years ago, Gavin had gone abroad to lead an outdoor design project. It was a huge deal, supposed to last at least three to five years. No way he should be back now.
Yet here he was–walking right up to shake Zynn’s hand, acting like it was just another random run–in. Zynn rubbed her temples and reached for her wine again.
Just before her hand touched the decanter, another hand gently covered it.
“Take it easy,” Patrick said.
His voice was just as smooth as ever. Most of his movies used his real voice–any attempt to dub over it lost something crucial.
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