?Chapter 1000:


    A moody look lingered on Lucinda’s face before she finally broke the silence. “Did you say something bad about me to Ellis?”


    For weeks, that question had quietly haunted Lucinda, but embarrassment always kept her from bringing it up. She couldn’t stand Elena, and she had gone out of her way to make things difficult for her. If Elena ever figured out she liked Ellis, she was certain Elena would mock her.


    Seeking answers from Elena was thest thing Lucinda wanted to do. She hated the idea of giving Elena the chance to ridicule her. Still, today had forced her hand. After seeing Ellis—someone who usually avoided social gatherings—choose to turn down her invitation and spend time with Elena instead, she couldn’t stay quiet any longer. It surprised her how close the two siblings really were.


    Jealousy churned in Lucinda’s chest. Elena must have said something to Ellis to make him reject her. No doubt about it. With this thought, her eyes burned with resentment as she red at Elena.


    For a split second, Elena looked genuinely confused. Then it dawned on her—Lucinda had feelings for Ellis.


    Sure, Lucinda could be overbearing, but Elena had never bothered to waste time talking about her to Ellis.


    Honestly, Elena doubted Ellis even remembered Lucinda’s name most days.


    A tense silence grew heavier, and Lucinda’s impatience red. “Just tell me—what did you say to him?”


    An eyebrow arched, Elena answered with a question of her own. “Why don’t you tell me what you assumed I said?”


    A sh of unease flickered in Lucinda’s eyes, her mouth opening but no words came out. There was no chance it could have been something good.


    Lucinda’s face grew warm with embarrassment. Frustration getting the better of her, she turned and walked away.


    From behind her, someone called out, “Lucinda, what are you guys talking about?”


    N, fresh from receiving her award, spoke much more confidently than before. Without missing a beat, N turned to Wesley. “Hey, Wesley. My clinic’s on the first floor of the institute. Which floor do you work on?”


    Without so much as a nce, Wesley kept his eyes down, making it clear he had no intention of acknowledging N in front of everyone.


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    A shadow flickered across N’s features, but she quickly masked it, regaining her cool facade. Bitterness filled her heart. No matter how hard she tried, Wesley’s gaze would always drift to Elena, not her. Her resentment toward Elena simmered just beneath the surface.


    When Wesley continued to ignore her, N turned to Elena instead. “Miss Harper, I’m the new medical officer at the institute. We’ll be working side by side now, so I hope you can let go of any misunderstandings between us,” she announced, loud enough for everyone to hear.


    The messages behind N’s carefully chosen words were unmistakable: she wanted to move forward, but Elena was the one holding onto a grudge.


    Setting the stage in front of the crowd, N tried to shape the story so that any future trouble between them wouldnd squarely on Elena’s shoulders.


    Lucinda, always quick to jump to conclusions, assumed Elena intended to make things difficult for N. She bristled and snapped, “Elena, you’re way too much! N takes on the job as medical officer for everyone’s sake, and yet here you are, showing no hint of appreciation at all!”


    Ice crept into Elena’s expression. She hadn’t gone looking for conflict, yet N had stirred things up. She smirked. Perhaps N had begun to believe her own repeated lies, which might have contributed to this righteous demeanor. Elena’s reply came out cold and sharp. “Is that so? How could you be so sure of N’s true intention in bing the medical officer?”


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