In the room, Darcy and Ione had said all they needed to. Their eyes were both red-rimmed when they saw the man re-enter. Ione leaned back slightly, looking at her daughter questioningly. "And this is?" "This is my boss, Mr. Blackwood," Darcy explained. "He brought me here this afternoon." Jethro set the thermos down and gave Ione a respectful nod. "Hello, Mrs. Gale. I'm Jethro Blackwood. Please, call me Jethro." His manner was humble, but Ione could tell from his clothes and bearing that he was someone important. She smiled, "Thank you for your trouble, Mr. Blackwood." "Not at all. It's the least I could do." Ione observed him discreetly, a sigh forming in her heart. After Jethro left, she pulled her daughter closer. "Tell me the truth. Does he have feelings for you?"Darcy's mind went blank for a second. Her ears instantly grew hot. "Mom, what are you talking about? I told you, he's my boss." "What boss goes out of his way to drive a subordinate to the hospital?" Ione raised her chin slightly. "And brought a thermos up. Even Zane at his best wouldn't have done that." She stayed quiet for a second, then went on. "But it's a shame—he's from a fancy family. The gap between you two is way too big. Regular folks like us should find someone from the same kind of background. Being a rich man's wife ain't easy." Darcy knew her mother was thinking of her failed past relationship again. Though she'd explained many times that she and Zane broke up because his heart was with someone else, her mother remained convinced it was due to the class difference. Darcy sighed, "Mom, you're overthinking it. Mr. Blackwood really is just my boss." If someone asked if she had any feelings for Jethro... she'd admit there was a little spark.But relationships can't just be built on a spark. Her past experiences made her have to be smart about love stuff. Just then, a nurse entered. "Ione, someone has arranged a VIP room for you. Please gather your things and we'll move you." Darcy was stunned. "I didn't request that. Who arranged it?" The nurse didn't look up. "Your boyfriend. The tall, handsome one. He was just here." Jethro. A warm, complicated feeling flooded Darcy's chest. Ione, lying in bed, sighed again, "See? I told you he likes you. And you didn't believe me." Outside the window, the sun was setting, painting half the sky pink and orange. Darcy looked out, her usually calm face showing a little confusion. The next day, Darcy went downstairs to pick up her mother's medication and unexpectedly ran into Hugo. They hadn't seen each other in a while, mostly because Darcy had been avoiding him. But now, face-to-face, she couldn't escape. "Hi," she said, forcing a smile. "Long time no see." Hugo raised a brow. "Yeah, long time. Mostly because someone keeps dodging me." The complaint left Darcy at a loss for words. She lowered her head, playing dumb. "I've just been really busy. Sorry, I have to go." Watching her head toward the inpatient building, Hugo frowned. He thought for a moment, then pulled out his phone. "Uncle? I need a favor. A big one. It's about your nephew's lifelong happiness." Back in the room, Darcy poured a glass of water and helped her mother take her pills. "It's nice out today. Let's go for a short walk downstairs later," Ione said after taking her medication."Okay," Darcy agreed. Just then, the door opened. A bunch of doctors and nurses walked in. The head doctor—who was Ione's attending physician—was reporting to the man in the middle, super respectful. The man in the center listened, nodded now and then, and chipped in a comment or two. He was obviously the senior one, a big shot. Darcy found him somewhat familiar. "Dr. Carter?" Ione recognized him immediately. He was the senior consultant who had handled her follow-ups before. Darcy remembered who he was. She'd just bumped into Hugo downstairs, and soon after, Liam Carter showed up. She didn't need three guesses to figure it out. She let out a quiet sigh. She'd never wanted to owe Hugo another favor—yet here she was, in debt again. A nurse handed over a stack of test reports. Liam reviewed them, then said thoughtfully, "The reports look fine. At the very least, her recovery from the last surgery is good." Darcy bit her lip and explained, "Her collapse this time was due to other reasons." Liam looked up at her, his gaze clear and encouraging. "She had an argument with someone she hasn't had contact with for a long time..." Darcy tried to explain calmly, but failed. Mentioning John always stirred up anger. From her few words, Liam seemed to understand. He reassured her. "It's good it wasn't a post-op complication."