Evadne''s heart skipped a beat as she locked eyes with Thaddeus'' deep gaze, feeling her heart thump heavily against her chest.


    At this moment, Thaddeus'' muscles were coiled tight beneath his crisp suit, visible even without him shedding ayer.


    "Ahem, Thaddeus."


    Chad coughed weakly, his face pale, breaking the silence as if to cover for Evadne, as though they were hiding something from him, "Don''t overthink it. I just ran into Ms. Evadne outside the hospital. I wasn''t feeling well, so she kindly


    offered to wheel me up."


    "Chad, overthink what?"


    A faint smile tugged at Thaddeus'' lips, not quite warm, but still a smile, "You''re my big brother, Evadne is your sister-inw; we''re family. It''s only natural for her to help."


    With that, he strode over to Evadne, eyes softening as he took over the wheelchair from her, "I''ll take it from here."


    "Thanks, Thad." Chad''s lips curled slightly, his eyes deepening in color.


    Thaddeus bent down and whispered in his ear, his voice low, restraining his emotions, "You''re my big brother; it''s the least I can do."


    Outside the hospital room, Frederic was anxiously discussing Mari''s condition with the attending physician.


    "Dad!"


    Chad called out frantically, seated in the wheelchair yet seemingly desperate to stand and walk over.


    "Chad! You''re not well; why did youe out sote?" Frederic''s heart lurched upon seeing his son''s pallor.


    "I''m worried about Mari, so I came to check on her. I ran into Thaddeus and Ms. Evadne downstairs, and we came up together."


    Chad''s expression was filled with concern, "Dad, how is Mari doing?"


    Evadne''s face was also ghostly white with worry, while Thaddeus tightly gripped her cold hand.


    "Jareth is in there with your sister. Thank God for Jareth, otherwise."


    Frederic sighed heavily, his heart aching, "But this can''t go on. Mari has depression, and this has been such a shock; I''m afraid she might break down."


    Thaddeus felt a stab of pain in his chest and after a moment''s hesitation, said, "If ites to it, we might have to consider ECT, electroconvulsive therapy."


    Frederic and Dennis exchanged nces, "Electroconvulsive therapy?"


    "It''s a treatment for mental illness using controlled electric currents."


    "I saw many soldiers in the peacekeeping forces develop PTSD after being traumatized on the battlefield. They couldn''t function normally after discharge and had to resort to this treatment."


    Evadne felt a sharp pang as she gazed at his resolute profile.


    Frederic asked, "Are there any side effects?"


    Thaddeus replied honestly, "Initially, there may be dizziness and nausea. Later on, some memory loss is possible, along with some ongoing memory difficulties."


    "I don''t rmend it," Chad interjected, frowning, "Is the only way to heal to forget, to kill off a part of oneself?"


    Evadne stared at him in shock. She never expected such empathy from him. The air seemed to freeze as the brothers locked eyes, an invisible sh of wills between them.


    "I''ve been through electroconvulsive therapy, over and over. No one understands better the feeling of having your soul ripped from your body, just recing one pain with another."


    Chad''s expression was somber, "Moreover, this method just treats the symptoms, not the cause. That girl Lily means a lot to Mari. Even if forgets Lily for a while, any reminder will bring it all back. What then? Do we shock her into forgetting again?"


    His heartfelt words left Frederic with tears in his eyes, "Chad, I never knew you suffered so much."


    Thaddeus'' lips were pressed tight, a thorn in his throat.


    The kidnapping had left deep scars on Chad, and his choice of treatment was born of desperation.


    "It''s in the past, Dad, it''s okay."


    Chad forced a smile, catching his breath, "I''m saying all this because I don''t want Mari to suffer like that."


    Evadne asked earnestly, "Mr. Chad, do you have a better solution?"


    Chad looked at her, his gaze warm and honest, "Medication."


    Thaddeus saw the look in his eyes.


    Suddenly, a bitter taste rose in his throat, as if his insides were steeped in the bitterest concoction, too bitter for words.


    "As far as I know, no medicine can truly cure mental illness; at best, they suppress symptoms. Overuse leads to lethargy and dullness."


    Evadne shook her head nomittally, "If it worked, Mari''s autism would have been cured long ago."


    "Ms. Evadne, you are right, but that''s in this country."


    Chad exined patiently, his eyes warm, "In M Country, a new drug has been developed in recent years that suppresses mental illness. Although it''s still supportive, it''s much more effective than traditional medicine. Then, if Mr. Jareth could spend more time patiently with Mari, surround her with love, I believe her condition will improve significantly, much more than with ECT. After all, what mental illness patients need most is to feel loved, the more, the better."


    Frederic agreed, "Chad, you make a lot of sense!"


    But Evadne was skeptical, her gaze cool and discerning,


    "Mr. Chad, forgive my bluntness, but I am skeptical about medication, especially imported drugs. They''re ingested, and any small error could cause irreversible damage. My father recently suffered a stroke. Conservative treatment could have seen him through, but after taking dubious medication brought by someone with a hidden agenda, he suffered severe side effects, even incontinence. I didn''t want the same tragedy that befell others to happen to Mari. She was like a sister to me, and that''s a bet I couldn''t afford to lose."


    "Ms. Evadne, I get your concerns," he murmured.


    Chad gave a small, gentle smile, his gaze softening as he looked into Evadne''s eyes. "That''s why I''ll take the medication with Mari. Whatever dose she takes, I''ll take too. Will that make you feel better?"


    The others in the room gasped in shock.


    "Chad, what on earth are you thinking?" Frederic eximed, his face crinkling with worry. "Medicine always has its risks, and you''re not even sick. How can you just recklessly take meds? No, absolutely not!"


    Even Evadne was taken aback.


    Evadne hadn''t expected Chad to be so bold, to put himself on the line just to ease her fears.


    "Over the years, I''ve taken more pills than I can count-it won''t hurt to add one more to the list," Chad said without a hint of annoyance. "I can understand Ms. Evadne''s concerns. After all, with her father''s history, it''s natural for her to be extra cautious. Let''s settle this. Within three days, I''ll have Alexia deliver the medication. As Mari''s brother, all I want is for my little sister to be safe and sound."


    After their conversation, Chad didn''t want to intrude on the young couple any longer, and soon Alexia arrived, and the two left the hospital.


    On the way back to Windermere Estate, Chad recounted the hospital events to Alexia with a detached tone.


    Alexia''s heart skipped a beat, and her voice rose in rm, "Sir! How can you do this to yourself? You can''t just ruin your health like that!"


    "Enough," Chad''s handsome brow furrowed slightly.


    People really shouldn''t bepared.


    Again, Evadne''s stunning eyes shed before him, her noble and steady temperament, the unique charm that made men willingly submit to her overwhelming allure.


    Byparison, the more he looked at Alexia, whom he had groomed meticulously, the more she seemed like a poorly crafted doll.


    Alexia shrank back, her eyes downcast, "I''m just worried about your health. The medicine you mentioned hasn''t passed the final clinical trials at our research institute. While it has shown promise, the side effects are unpredictable. You taking it so rashly, I fear..."


    "If I hadn''t made this offer, they wouldn''t appreciate my gesture. But by doing so, I double my credit, both with Mr. Frederic and Ms. Evadne," Chad said with a calm and collected smile.


    "But it''s still too risky."


    "In order to seed, one must take risks. Haven''t I told you that long ago?"


    Chad''s enigmatic smile lingered as he gazed out the window, "This time, consider


    it a clinical trial. If Mari and I are lucky, we''ll bothe out unscathed. If not, at least she''ll have her brother by her side, won''t she?"


    Alexia bit her lower lip, still visibly worried.


    "Ms. Evadne is different from the adversaries we''ve faced before."


    Chad closed his eyes, his lips curling mysteriously, "She''s smart, resilient, brave, cautious. All schemese with risks. The best weapon to win her over is sincerity and a genuine heart."