Soon, it was Ione's turn. Darcy helped her mother into the consultation room. The chief physician and an intern sat attentively. Darcy handed over the completed test reports. The chief physician glanced at Ione, then looked up at Darcy. His gaze held a hint of curiosity when it landed on Darcy. Darcy's heart sank. "Doctor, what's wrong? Is it..." Not a good result? The chief physician chuckled and quickly waved his hand. "No, no. Post-op healing is progressing well. There's still some inflammation, so I'll prescribe more anti-inflammatory medication. Lifestyle adjustments are also needed. Here, add me on WhatsApp. You can message me anytime if your mother feels unwell." Darcy was taken aback for a moment, then pulled out her phone. She expected to add the intern, but the chief physician himself was offering his personal contact. Darcy felt overwhelmed by the unexpected favor. Appointments with this particular chief physician were insanely hard to get. She hadn't expected him to be so approachable. After leaving the consultation room to pick up the medication downstairs, Darcy realized she'd left the medical record booklet behind. Ione said, "You go back upstairs to get the booklet. I'll wait in line for the medicine." Darcy hurried back upstairs. Just outside the door, she overheard the chief physician on the phone. "Yeah, Hugo. I took care of that patient you mentioned. Added her personally. You put in a good word for me with your grandparents, okay?" So, it was because of Hugo. That explained it. This connection genuinely benefited her mother's health. Darcy wasn't foolishly proud enough to reject it outright. After thinking for a moment, she sent Hugo a message, "Thank you." She didn't elaborate. Just those two words. Hugo would understand. Sure enough, he replied shortly after, "No problem. Happy to help." Still, Darcy felt uneasy about taking a favor for free. As a token of thanks, she said, "If you ever need my help with anything, feel free to contact me." Hugo replied, "Okay." Turning off her phone screen, Darcy sighed inwardly.She owed Hugo a favor now. Seeing Darcy's serious expression, Ione sensed something was wrong. "What's the matter?" "Nothing," Darcy said, forcing a smile. Ione didn't buy it. She stopped walking and asked, "How is the engagement prep going? You always tell me not to worry, but the date is getting closer. I haven't seen Zane or his family around. It makes me uneasy. "And Kaia... What's up with that girl lately? I've messaged her asking her to visit when she's free, but she always says she's busy. Tsk!" Given the positive checkup results and her mother's stable health, Darcy felt it was no longer necessary to keep hiding the truth. After getting into the car, Darcy didn't start the engine immediately. She turned and helped her mother fasten the seatbelt, then said softly, "Kaia has been pretty busy recently. She got a promotion, so her workload is heavier. I'll remind her to visit you when she can."As for the engagement... Mom, Zane and I broke up. The engagement is off." It was like a bolt from the blue. Ione was utterly stunned, unable to process the words for a long time. Her lips trembled. "Really?" "Yeah. It's true." "Why? Did the Vances look down on your background? I always knew a family like that would..." Darcy patted her mother's hand. "No, it's not about the Vances. It was a problem between Zane and me." Ione was still dazed. A problem between them? A thought seemed to strike her, making her voice quiver. "Did he... cheat on you?" "No, not that either." Darcy thought about it. Zane hadn't technically cheated. After all, nothing physical had happened with Zora. He just didn't love her.Darcy lowered her eyes. "I realized Zane doesn't love me. He just saw me as a capable partner who could help his career. But I wanted more than that. I wanted love, pure love, without all the business interests mixed in." Ione fell silent. After a long pause, she looked at her daughter. "Darcy, you're 27. You're not a child anymore. You should know pure love in this world is like a ghost—everyone's heard of it, but who's actually seen it? "Your father and I were deeply in love, truly devoted to each other. But what good did that do? After you were born, he couldn't handle the financial strain. He'd rather be a rich woman's live-in husband than stay with us. "Zane might be a bit aloof, but he's a good man. He's never treated you poorly all these years. And with the Vance family behind him, your future would be secure." Darcy was also silent for a moment. "Mom, I don't want to spend the rest of my life with a man who doesn't love me. I can earn my own money. I can give myself a comfortable life." Ione knew her daughter's stubborn nature. Once Darcy made up her mind, no one could change it. She sighed. She needed a different approach. Maybe she should talk to Zane directly.