Searching For A Doctor.

Maverick didn’t even try to hide the disbelief on his face.

He followed Rex across the hall, passing through the crowd, his brows raised in exaggerated curiosity.

“Hold on,” Maverick said, catching up to him. “You’re leaving? Now?”

Rex didn’t slow down. “Yes.”

Maverick didn’t think what he had said earlier in the hall was true.

He thought he was joking.

But then, he remembered, Rexander Sinclair does not joke.

Maverick let out a short laugh. “Wait, you are really serious about this? You? The same man who couldn’t wait to escape this place an hour ago so you could get back to your ‘peaceful, productive office environment’? Now, you don’t even want to be here or in the office.”

Rex adjusted his cufflinks, his expression flat. “I changed my mind.”

“That’s not suspicious at all,” Maverick muttered.

Rex shot him a look. “What is that supposed to mean?”

Maverick smirked, folding his hands behind his back as he walked alongside him. “It means that the timing is interesting.”

Rex exhaled slowly. “You think too much.”

“No,” Maverick corrected. “I observe too well, and I know what I’m saying.”

Rex stopped abruptly, turning to face him. “If you’re trying to make a point, make it clear.”

Maverick didn’t miss a beat.

“This is about Gracelyn.”

Rex’s jaw tightened instantly. “No, it isn’t.”

“It is,” Maverick said, nodding like he had just solved a puzzle. “She leaves, and suddenly you’re done with the event. You don’t even pretend to stay a little longer. That’s not a coincidence.”

Rex shook his head, already walking again. “You’re going crazy.”

“Am I?” Maverick pressed, easily keeping up. “Because from where I’m standing, it looks like—”

“I don’t care whether she’s there or not,” Rex cut in sharply.

Maverick raised a brow. “Oh?”

“I’m going home because of my son,” Rex added, his tone cold.

That stopped Maverick.

For a second, the teasing faded.

“…Nicole?” he said, almost questionably.

Rex nodded once. “Who else?”

Maverick studied him, the playful expression softening just a little. “You didn’t mention anything earlier.”

“I don’t have to explain myself to you,” Rex replied.

Maverick lifted his hands in surrender. “Alright. Alright. No interrogation.”

Rex didn’t respond, but his silence said enough.

“…Just get the car,” he added after a second.

Maverick chuckled under his breath. “Yes, boss.”

This time, he didn’t push any further, even though he still felt like he made that decision because of Gracelyn.

The ride home was quiet.

For once, Maverick didn’t fill the silence with commentary or teasing. He drove steadily, occasionally glancing at Rex through the rearview mirror.

Rex, on the other hand, sat back with his eyes half-closed. He was not asleep, but not fully present either.

His mind was divided.

Part of it replayed the event.

Gracelyn’s voice. Her confidence. The way she handled that question.

The way she didn’t need a Prince Charming to save her—the princess in distress.

And then there was the other part.

The bigger part.

Nicole.

The moment the car pulled into the driveway, Rex was already reaching for the door.

“The document will be ready soon,” Maverick said as Rex stepped out.

Rex paused briefly. “Okay.”

The house was quiet as though there was no living thing inside.

Rex stepped inside, loosening his tie slightly as his eyes instinctively moved toward the staircase.

“Sir,” a soft voice greeted.

He turned to see the housekeeper, a middle-aged woman with a calm presence.

“Good evening,” she said.

Rex nodded. “Where is he?”

“In his room,” she replied gently. “He’s been there for a while.”

Rex didn’t waste another second.

The door to Nicole’s room was slightly ajar.

Rex pushed it open slowly.

Inside, the glow of a laptop screen illuminated the small figure sitting on the bed.

Nicole.

Rex’s chest tightened.

“Hey, buddy,” he said softly.

Nicole turned at the sound of his voice.

Those big, observant eyes met his.

For a second, nothing happened.

Then, just slightly, Nicole nodded.

Rex stepped closer, sitting on the edge of the bed.

“How are you?” he asked gently.

No response.

Just those eyes watching him.

Rex forced a smile, reaching out to pat his head lightly. “Missed me?”

Nicole didn’t answer.

But he didn’t look away either.

Rex swallowed the lump in his throat.

“Can I see what you’re working on?” he asked, nodding toward the laptop.

Nicole hesitated for a second… then turned the screen toward him.

Rex leaned in.

His brows furrowed slightly as he studied it.

“…What is this?”

Lines of code filled the screen.

Nicole had opened a terminal window and was running what looked like a basic password brute-force simulation, cycling through combinations to break into a locked test file.

There were also scripts running in the background; simple Python-based automation tools.

Rex blinked.

“…You wrote this?”

Nicole didn’t speak.

But he nodded.

Rex leaned back slightly, genuinely impressed.

“At your age?”

He let out a quiet breath, shaking his head.

“This is… advanced.”

Even though he had seen Nicole do some tech stuff..breaking and assembling things, he was still amazed by the things he can do at his age.

Nicole watched him carefully, as if waiting for approval.

Rex smiled.

“You’re trying to crack the encryption, aren’t you?”

Nicole nodded again, a bit quicker this time.

Rex leaned forward, pointing at the screen. “Your logic is good. But you’re missing a step here.”

He tapped lightly.

“If you optimize the loop, you won’t waste time repeating failed combinations.”

Nicole’s eyes followed his finger closely.

Rex softened.

“I trust you’ll figure it out,” he said, sitting back again. “You always do.”

Nicole’s shoulders relaxed slightly.

Rex glanced at him again. “Have you eaten?”

He gave a nod.

“Good.”

There was a little pause. Rex wanted to say more, but the words never came.

So instead, he patted Nicole’s shoulder gently and stood up.

“Finish what you’re doing, then we can play a game together,” he said quietly. “I’ll be downstairs.”

Nicole watched him leave, silently.

Rex stepped out, closing the door halfway before turning, and nearly walking into the housekeeper.

“Sorry, sir” she said quickly.

“It’s fine,” Rex replied. “How has he been?”

She gave a polite smile. “He’s been alright, sir. The last time I checked on him, he was playing with his phone.”

Rex nodded. “That’s normal.”

“And…” she hesitated slightly, “he was smiling.”

Rex froze.

“…Smiling?”

“Yes,” she said gently.

Something in Rex’s mind shifted.

A fragile kind of hope.

He nodded slowly. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, sir.”

He didn’t say anything else as he walked past her.

By the time Rex reached his study, the weight of the day had settled fully on his shoulders.

He loosened his tie completely this time, tossing it onto the chair before heading into the bathroom.

The water hit his skin, hot and relaxing.

For a few minutes, he allowed himself to just stand there in silence.

But even then, his mind didn’t rest.

Nicole. Treatment. And.. Gracelyn.

He shut his eyes tightly, exhaling.

“This is not the time,” he muttered to himself.

Freshened up and dressed in something more comfortable, Rex returned to his desk.

The glow of the computer screen reflected in his eyes as he sat down.

He opened multiple tabs.

Search after search.

Speech specialists.

Child neurologists.

Speech-language pathologists.

Names. Clinics. Reviews.

They all led to nothing, but dead ends.

Promises that led nowhere.

Treatments that didn’t work.

He had tried everything.

Different cities. Different experts.

Nothing.

They all failed!

His jaw clenched.

“There has to be something…” he muttered under his breath.

A knock on the door interrupted him.

“Come in.”

Maverick stepped in, holding a file.

“I figured you’d still be working,” he said.

Rex didn’t look up immediately. “What is it?”

“I did some digging,” Maverick said, stepping closer. “About Nicole.”

That got his attention.

Rex’s gaze snapped to him.

“What did you find?”

Maverick placed the file on the desk.

“There’s a doctor,” he began carefully. “Not well-known publicly. No big hospital affiliations. But…”

Rex’s eyes narrowed. “But what?” He asked, as though he was already losing his cool.

“The results,” Maverick said. “The cases linked to her, they’re… unusual. Kids with severe speech trauma. Cases other doctors gave up on.”

Rex leaned forward slightly. “And?”

“They improved.”

“Where is she? Who is she?” Rex asked.

“In the countryside,” Maverick replied. “She keeps a low profile. No public appearances.”

Rex frowned. “Why?”

“No one knows,” Maverick admitted. “Some say she doesn’t like attention. Others say she only takes cases she personally believes in.”

Rex leaned back slowly.

“That’s not reassuring.”

“No,” Maverick agreed. “But the reviews are consistent, and strong.”

Rex tapped his fingers lightly against the desk.

“What’s her name?” he finally asked.

Maverick hesitated for a but of a second.

Then, he replied. “Dr. M. Grae.”

The room went silent.

Rex’s fingers stopped tapping.

“…What?”

Maverick slid the file slightly closer. “That’s all the name she uses. No full identity. Just that.”

Rex stared at the file.

Something about it felt off.

Or maybe…Familiar.

He couldn’t tell.

“…Anonymous, you say,” he muttered.

“Completely,” Maverick confirmed.

Rex exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair.

“This could be a risk.”

“It could,” Maverick said. “But doing nothing is also a risk.”

Maverick was right.

Rex closed his eyes briefly.

Nicole’s face flashed in his mind.

The boy who kept the house alive with his voice.

He needed his son back.

When he opened his eyes again, the hesitation was gone.

“Set it up,” he said.

Maverick nodded once. “I’ll reach out.”

Rex’s gaze lingered on the file. The name, particularly.

Dr. M. Grae.

He didn’t know why; but something about the name made him think of one woman.

Gracelyn.