The nurse’s gaze was tinged with uncertainty, but she agreed. nheless.


    Someone tried to reason with Marcia. “Maybe you should let Elissa take a look at your son first-”


    “Would you?” Marcia’s eyes zed with anger. “She’s the one who hurt my boy. Who knows what she’d do if we let her touch him again, even under the guise of treatment…”


    Elissa’s voice was cold. “Call an ambnce.”


    With that, she turned and walked away, her expression like ice.


    She grabbed her bag from her office and, as she passed the nurse’s station, overheard a group of nurses whispering.


    “Do you really think Elissa could have done that to that bratty kid?”


    “Who knows? The thought gives me goosebumps. If she did, I wouldn’t feel safe working with her anymore…”


    “And remember the other night at the restaurant? Elissa came in with Mr. Atwater. Plus, with what that kid/said this morning, maybe Elissa really is the other woman.”


    “No way!” Elfreda, who had always been closest to Elissa, couldn’t take it anymore. “Elissa isn’t like that. Can you stop gossiping behind her back?” “If you’re so sure, why don’t you ask Elissa yourself?”


    Someone snickered. “Go ahead. You’re her best friend.”


    Elfreda bit her tongue and stormed off, unable to stand another second of <ol><li>it. </li></ol>


    She rounded the corner and nearly collided with Elissa herself.


    Elissa gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder. “I’ve got to go. Something


    came up.”


    <b>1/3 </b>


    09:50


    “Elissa,” Elfreda called after her. “You’re just going to let them talk like that about you?”


    Elissa pressed her lips together. “The police will figure out what really happened. As for the rest–they can say whatever they want. I’m not wasting my energy trying to prove myself.”


    She had never believed in defending herself against baseless rumors. The more you exined, the more exhausting it became. Her time and energy were limited, and she refused to spend them on petty talk.


    When she arrived at Murphy Group, Cliff had just received his takeout order, and Elissa managed to snag a quick bite for lunch.


    Cliff had heard about the trouble at the clinic. “What happened?”


    “It wasn’t me.”


    “… Who said it was?” Cliff broke apart a pair of disposable chopsticks and handed them to her. “I know what kind of person you are.”


    “What I want to know is: can you tell if the kid fell by ident or if someone pushed him?”


    “It was probably thetter.” Elissa picked at her food, her voice calm. “If he’d fallen on his own, the injuries wouldn’t have been that severe.”


    Injuries from an outside force always looked different from an idental


    fall.


    “Alright.” Cliff nodded, thoughtful. “Don’t dwell on it. Leave it to the police.” “Yeah.” Elissa was never one to let things like this weigh her down.


    A clear conscience fears no usation.


    If Marcia wanted to <b>pin </b>this on her, she’d need real evidence.


    But before the police could reach a conclusion, Frank showed up, ready to make trouble on behalf of Marcia and her son.


    She workedte in theb, not leaving until hunger gnawed at her. By


    <b>09.50 </b>1


    then, the entire research floor was still aglowte hours were notorious in the R&D department.


    At ten o’clock, the building was still humming with life. Elissa took the elevator straight down to the parking garage. As the doors slid open, she saw Frank waiting, his expression dark as thunder.


    “Come with me. We’re going to the hospital.” Without waiting for a response, he grabbed her arm and started walking..


    His grip was tight, right on the spot she’d injured that morning. The pain. made her gasp involuntarily.


    Frank didn’t even nce at her in concern. Instead, he shot her a cold, fleeting look. “Hurts, doesn’t it? If you’re so sensitive, how could you hurt Hickey like that?”