Jim immediately said, “You said it yourself. This has nothing to do with me


    Rachel didn’t even want to think about it. She just walked over and pulled the nket up for lim


    “Dad, I really hope you won’t take things too far<i>.</i><i>” </i>


    “How is this taking things too far? Isn’t this just human nature? I need to know <i>you’ll </i>hav someone to take care of you. That’s the only way I’ll be at peace.”


    Jim did have his reasons.


    Rachel was different from Yvette. Yvette still had her grandfather, but Rachel had no one but him.


    With how weak his body had be, Jim knew there woulde a day when he wouldn’t br around anymore. When that day came, Rachel would be left with no family in this world.


    He couldn’t even help Rachel find her birth mother,


    Suddenly remembering something, Jim reached under his pillow and pulled out a ne. He handed it to Rachel.


    “Rachel, if one day I’m no longer here and you want to find your birth mother, this ne might help. I waspletely out of it that night, but when I woke up, this ne was by my bed. She must’ve left in a rush and forgot to take it.”


    Rachel took it; she could tell right away it was quite old, though its color hadn’t faded at all.


    It still had a sheen to it despite its age. She didn’t know much about jewelry, but even she could tell it wasn’t cheap. There was no way something of poor quality couldst that long and still look like


    this.


    That meant her birth mother probably wasn’t doing too badly financially back then. That, or someone had gifted it to her.


    Rachel didn’t me Jim. He had already married Mnie by then. This was probably the best oue they could have hoped for.


    What she hadn’t expected was that the woman had ended up pregnant.


    She tucked the ne away safely.


    “Don’t worry, Dad. I understand.”


    In the ward next door…


    Xavier finished a quick checkup on Tyler and said bluntly, “Your condition is pretty serious. Just when the old issue was finally showing some improvement, Rachel went and left. These five years, your sleep’s been a disaster. On top of that, you’ve been burning yourself out physically. If it weren’t for your consistent workouts, your body would’ve broken down a long time ago.”


    Xavier nced over Tyler’s charts and shook his head.


    “I’m not joking. If you don’t get your sleep under control, it’s going to be a serious problem. You’d better hold on to Ms. Lloyd, even if it’s just for the sake of your health.”


    Tyler’s case wasn’t unfamiliar to him. They had tried therapy before, but nothing worked.


    Some patients were just wired differently. Only somethingpletely unexpected could help with


    treatment.


    They had tried physical therapy, acupuncture, and even alternative medicine. None of it worked.


    But the moment Rachel sang, Tyler could actually fall asleep. The connection between the two of them was almost uncanny.


    Thinking about what Rachel had said in the car, Tyler rubbed his temples. “That’s not really up to


    me.”


    Xavier couldn’t help butugh at his rare look of helplessness. “What, you can’t win her over? She looks like she could bolt at any second. Her heart’s not settled.”


    Tyler had the same feeling. It felt like Rachel was secretly nning something behind his back. For now, he couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was.