جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 40

Nikki didn’t look at Stella.Her gaze stayed fixed on one page of the physical exam form. Her fingers pinched the edge of the paper, her knuckles faintly white.“Single,” Stella continued.The exam room went quiet for a moment. It was so quiet that they could hear birds calling from the garden downstairs.Nikki could clearly hear the violent pounding of her own heart. Her fingers still didn’t move. Her eyes remained fixed on the page in front of her.Stella instinctively glanced at the physical exam form in Nikki’s hand. The page was blank. There was nothing on it.The word “Single” kept echoing in Nikki’s mind, refusing to fade.What did that mean?She bit the tip of her tongue and forced herself to ignore it. But after that, she didn’t hear another word Stella read.When Stella finished, Nikki said, “Let’s begin.”Stella looked at Sean.“Mr. Ford, please extend your arm. I’ll take your blood pressure.”Sean didn’t move. He looked at Nikki.“Dr. Sanders, can’t you do thes

He didn’t care.He didn’t care about the result at all.Then what was he doing?Nikki’s expression shifted.She had fallen for it.She had thought she was drawing a clear line, telling him that he had no special privileges with her.But Sean didn’t seem to care about that at all.“Nurse,” Sean said, his tone unnervingly calm, “since Dr. Sanders is recommending a cardiology evaluation, does that mean I might need to be admitted for observation? If I remember correctly, patients can still request a doctor, right?”Stella froze.She didn’t know whether she should answer. She looked at Nikki, then at Sean. Her mouth opened, then closed again.Nikki felt as if the floor had dropped out from under her.Had she just dug her own trap?She set down her pen, but her fingers were still trembling slightly.She was angry at Sean. Even more than that, she was angry at herself.She badly needed a moment to calm down.“Mr. Ford, the finding has already been recorded.” Her voice was cold

Sean seemed to be asking in complete seriousness.Nikki tightened her grip on the pen, furious.What an act.That was her phone number. Of course it wouldn’t work.But she couldn’t say that out loud. Dave and Stella were both right there.“List your spouse or next of kin,” Nikki said, lowering her eyes back to the form. Her voice held back a surge of emotion.“You just reviewed my file, Dr. Sanders,” Sean said. “I’m listed as single.”He stressed the words, as if he were trying hard to explain something.How ridiculous.Nikki set the pen down.The movement was light, but Stella saw it. The pen rolled across the desk, reached the edge, and dropped to the floor with a soft clatter.Nikki didn’t pick it up. She looked at Sean, and Sean looked back at her.A desk stood between them. The form lay open on top of it, the emergency contact field still blank.“I’ve always used this number before,” Sean said clearly. “Why can’t I keep using it now?”Nikki curled her fingers tightly

“Nikki, remember that costumed character role at the spring festival at Jasper Gardens I told you about? I've got some incredible news!”The message was from Luke. He had attached several photos.Nikki opened the images, and her mood immediately lifted. They were all festival costumes, each one more beautiful than the last. They were even prettier than the ones Luke had shown her at the restaurant that day, and every piece was brand-new.There was a pale blue gown embroidered with silver flowers along the hem. Under the light, the thread shimmered softly.There was a soft green dress with flowing sleeves and a pale yellow sash tied at the waist. The colors looked fresh and delicate, like spring sunlight on water.There was also a dramatic crimson queen costume, complete with a gold headdress and a long trailing cape. Gold embroidery curled from the neckline all the way down to the hem, so intricate it hardly looked real.In everyday life, Nikki almost never had the chance to se

“Is she some kind of celebrity? How have I never seen her before?”“She’s not a celebrity. She’s just a regular person. The organizers hired her as one of the costumed NPCs for the festival. Look at this photo. It’s insane.”“Let me see. Oh my God. With that face, it’s a waste she’s not in entertainment.”“That little beauty mark on her collarbone is dangerous. It’s so hot.”Sean’s footsteps paused.He walked over and stood behind the flight attendants, lowering his eyes to the screen.In the photo, Nikki was wearing a pale blue gown and standing on a covered garden bridge. Behind her were the lake and drooping willow branches. The hem of her skirt lifted slightly in the wind.Her profile was turned toward the camera. A few strands of hair had been loosened by the breeze. Her lips were pressed together lightly, and her lashes were lowered, like a half-drawn curtain.The small beauty mark on her collarbone was clearly visible in the sunlight.Sean froze. He stared at the photo