The hospital had everything set up in advance.


    Mirabe headed straight to the ward. The patient on the bed had their eyes shut tight, with only the gently moving lines on the monitors showing any signs of life. Their chest barely moved with each breath.


    Mirabe approached the bedside, gave a quick, cool nce, then pulled up a chair. She reached out, her fingers finding Romero''s pulse.


    James, standing nearby, couldn''t hide his surprise after she finished checking. "I thought you wouldn''t bother," he remarked.


    Without looking up, Mirabe pulled a silver needle from her bag. "Death is just too dull," she replied.


    Isn''t it intriguing to see someone face their own grim fate?


    She had already inserted a needle and, after a moment, added lightly, "Besides, isn''t saving lives a doctor''s duty?"


    James shot her a nce. From anyone else, those words would sound ordinary. But from her, they felt eerie.


    "Is there still hope for him?" James asked.


    Mirabe tilted her head and inserted another needle. "Ever seen someone with severe Alzheimer''s? They can see and hear but can''t react to anything."


    Sometimes, living isn''t necessarily a blessing. In contrast, death might be a release.


    James got the message and didn''t press further, stepping aside to wait.


    About ten minutester, Mirabe removed the needles and checked the monitors again. Some of the readings that had been low were slowly climbing back to normal.


    She massaged her wrist and walked over to James. "Let''s go."


    James nodded and gently took her right wrist, massaging it with just the right pressure as they left the ward.


    They took the elevator down. Stepping outside, the brisk night air cleared away thest traces of alcohol from Mirabe''s system.


    Her wrist no longer ached, but James''s gentle massage continued. Mirabe fluttered hershes, sneaking a sideways nce at him.


    Under his open coat was a ck turtleneck, entuating his sharp features. From any angle, he was wlessly handsome.


    Indeed, good looks have a way of drawing people in, Mirabe thought to herself.


    In the parking lot, James opened the car door for her. After she settled into the passenger seat, he got in and started the engine. That''s when his phone rang.


    He checked the caller ID and answered quickly.


    "Hey, I heard from your uncle that you had dinner with that youngdy today," Emily''s warm voice came through.


    James replied with a nomittal hum, "Did you call just to ask about that?" "Did you drink too much?" Emily asked after a pause.


    Leaning against the door frame, James rubbed his forehead. "What do you take me for?"


    "Oh," Emily sounded a bit disappointed. "You know, I think people shouldn''t be too uptight."


    James: ".


    "1


    "If there''s nothing else, I''ll hang up now." James coughed lightly and ended the call before Emily could respond.


    He tossed the phone into thepartment beside him and drove away from the hospital.


    All the way home, Emily''s words echoed in his mind.


    Meanwhile, Kitty rushed back to the ke family home. The moment she got in, she headed straight to her room and powered up herputer.