242 Did Someone Bully You?
At Hope Medical Centre. a
1
The chilly air greeted Evelyn the moment she stepped out of the car.
Lisa, her bodyguard, followed closely behind, with her usual calm posture and sharp eyes scanning everything within a twelve–meter radius.
Evelyn had already told her she needed privacyter, especially once Ste arrived.
Something felt serious. Ste never refused a simple phone conversation unless the matter was personal, heavy, or both.
Evelyn walked toward the entrance while typing a message to Ste.
She focused on her phone, trying to text and simultaneously search for the right hallway.
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242 Did Someone Bully You?
Despite having visited the hospital a few times, theyout felt strangely unfamiliar today.
Lisa stepped up beside her. “Ma’am, may I suggest something?”
Evelyn paused mid–text.
“Sure. Go ahead. Though if it’s a suggestion about me getting lost again, please keep it gentle.”
A tiny smile flickered across Lisa’s face.
“If you n to have a lunch date with Miss Ste, I rmend going to the second floor. They recently opened a small za with plenty of restaurant choices. Much morefortable for
private conversations.”
Evelyn blinked. “Wait. There’s a za there now?”
“Yes, ma’am. Let me lead you there.”
“Good. Because based on how I’m walking, I might end up in the surgical ward instead.”
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242 Did Someone Bully You?
Lisa pressed her lips together, probably fighting augh. “I would prevent that, ma’am.”
They took the elevator up, and as soon as the doors opened, Evelyn’s eyes widened. The second floor looked nothing like the hospital she remembered.
The lighting was warmer, theyout more spacious, and a string of new shops lined the walkways.
“When did this happen?” Evelyn asked, surprised, as she now feels more like she’s in a mall than a
hospital.
“They opened this section two years ago. Have you been here recently? Ah, sorry… I forgot, Boss Axel keeps you hidden and away from the public’s eyes.” She grinned.
Evelyn almost tripped. “Lisa…”
Lisa cleared her throat and pretended she had
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242 Did Someone Bully You?
not spoken at all.
“The Japanese restaurant is on the right, ma’am. I heard from Liam that you like Japanese
restaurants…” she said and walked away without waiting for Evelyn.
Evelynughed, delighted as she followed her, “Well, Lisa… I like this new version of you. Very sassy. Please stay with me forever.”
“I will do my best,” Lisa said, though her ears turned slightly red.
The restaurant was beautiful, clean, and already smelled promising. Evelyn lit up instantly.
“This is it. I’m eating here. Ste can cry, confess, orin in a peaceful, sushi–filled
environment.”
Lisa led her deeper inside until they discovered a VIP room tucked neatly beside the main dining hall.
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242 Did Someone <b>Bully </b>You?
Evelyn gasped. “A VIP room? In a hospital restaurant? This is perfect. Ste can panic privately without traumatizing innocent diners.”
She stepped toward the door, but Lisa walked ahead, opened it, and scanned the room like a professional assassin checking for threats. Only after she nodded did Evelyn enter.
Evelyn stared at her with yful admiration. “Lisa, if I ever be queen, I’m promoting you to my royal knight.”
“Thank you, ma’am,” Lisa replied,pletely
serious.
“Oh, right, you can wait for me in the hall and order anything you like.”
“Yes, ma’am…”
Once Evelyn settled inside, she ordered food and finally rxed. She reached for her phone to call Ste, but her screen lit up with a notification
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242 Did Someone Bully You?
she had somehow missed.
A missed call from Axel.
Huh? When did he call?” Evelyn frowned, ncing at the device as if it had betrayed her personally.
“Was I that distracted?”
Evelyn quickly texted Ste to let her know she was already at the restaurant, then hit Axel’s name to call him back.
The phone barely rang twice before Axel
answered.
“Eve…?”
His voice sounded warm, but she could hear the
hint of concern beneath it.
“I just saw your missed call,” Evelyn said, leaning back in her seat. “Sorry. I think my phone is conspiring against me today.”
“It’s fine. Where are you?” Axel asked.
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242 Did Someone Bully You?
“At Hope Medical Centre. I’m meeting Ste for
lunch.”
There was a brief pause. The kind of pause that made Evelyn imagine his brows pulling closer together.
“With Ryan and Lisa?”
“Lisa is here,” Evelyn replied. “But she’ll wait outside the room. Ste wants to talk privately.”
Another silence.
Evelyn smiled faintly. “Axel, I’m fine. It’s a za inside the hospital. Nothing dangerous here. Unless the sushi fights back.”
His exhale sounded like a mix of amusement and
reluctant eptance. “All right. Just call me when you finish.”
“I will,” she promised softly. “And Axel… did something happen? You sound a little tense.”
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<
242 Did Someone Bully You?
“Nothing you need to worry about right now,” he said gently. “Enjoy your lunch, my wife.”
“I’ll try, but I’m nervous about Ste’s mysterious problem.”
“If she cries,fort her. If she annoys you, call
me.”
Evelynughed. “I’m just kidding. Alright, have lunch too, Axel…”
“I will,” he chuckled from the other end. “Bye, my
love.”
The call ended, leaving Evelyn staring at her screen with a faint smile.
Not long after the waiter served their food, Ste finally appeared.
She looked exhausted, still in her scrub suit with a long ck coat thrown over it. Her hair was tied
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242 Did Someone Bully You?
loosely, strands falling around her face, and she looked like she had sprinted the entire hospital just to get here.
“Sister Eve,” Ste breathed before rushing forward and hugging Evelyn tightly. “I finally see you again. I miss you…”
Evelynughed, the sound soft but amused.
“Are you having amnesia? We literally saw each otherst night.” She patted Ste’s arm gently. “Alright, sit. Sit. Let’s eat. I’m starving.”
Ste dropped into the seat across from her, but she didn’t touch the sushi in front of her. Not even her favorite salmon maki tempted her. She just sat there, shoulders tense, fingers fidgeting with the sleeve of her coat.
That alone made Evelyn freeze mid–bite.
“Why do you look so miserable?” Evelyn asked, lowering her chopsticks. “What happened? Did
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.
<
242 Did Someone Bully You?
someone bully you here?”
Ste didn’t answer immediately. She inhaled slowly, the kind of deep breath people took when they were trying very hard not to explode. Her eyes burned with something close to fury.
Then she finally spoke.
“Sis…” Ste’s voice trembled, “that bitch Lana.
She sent thugs to capture me-”
66
<i>Thank </i>you so much for the <i>Golden </i><i>Ticket </i>& Power <i>Stones</i><i>. </i>Please continue. We need to raise the rank to <i>give </i>this <i>book </i><i>more </i>
opportunities. Xoxo^
PurpleLight
Creator’s Thoughts
10/11
Sara Lili
<strong>Sara Lili</strong> is a daring romance writer who turns icyndscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of d’s breathtaking cold.