“Mr. Norman, you haven’t eaten breakfast, have you?” The nurse came in, pushing a small cart and asked. Emily answered for him, “No, he hasn’t. The doctor told us last night that he’d need a blood test today, so he didn’t eat.” The nurse nodded, “Alright then, I’ll take Mr. Norman’s blood now.” The nurse prepared all the medical supplies, kneeling by the bed, carefully inserting the needle into his vein. The dark red blood began to flow through the tube. Emily felt her heart tighten at the sight, frowning without realizing it. The nurse chuckled, “Mr. Norman, you’re really lucky. Your wife is so worried about you, she looks pained just watching you get blood drawn.” Vincent smiled warmly, his gaze settling on Emily with affection. “I’m not… I’m not his wife,” Emily quickly corrected. “Oh?” The nurse blinked in surprise, “You’re not Mrs. Norman?” “No, I’m not,” Emily repeated. “Oh, I’m sorry,” the nurse quickly apologized. “I just assumed since you’ve been by his side the whole time. And when Mr. Norman had an emergency, his phone only had your number saved. I thought you were his wife.” Emily opened her mouth but didn’t know how to respond. From an outsider’s perspective, it really did seem like they were a married couple. Especially with Vincent’s phone only having her number saved, it wasn’t easy to explain away. “We just haven’t had the wedding yet,” Vincent’s hoarse voice interrupted. The nurse’s eyes lit up, “Oh, I see! Well, you both look so close, it won’t be long until the wedding, right? You two seem so happy together—I’m a little jealous.” Vincent’s smile grew a little wider. “But Mr. Norman, try not to talk too much,” the nurse reminded him gently. Vincent nodded, acknowledging her advice. “All done,” the nurse said after finishing the blood draw, pressing a cotton ball against the puncture site. “Mrs. Norman, could you hold this here for five minutes to stop the bleeding?” Emily reluctantly walked over and pressed down on the cotton ball, silently accepting the “Mrs. Norman” title for the moment. She then asked, “When will the blood test results be ready?” “It should take about four hours. Don’t worry, I’ll bring the results as soon as they’re ready,” the nurse reassured her. “Thank you,” Emily said. “You’re welcome,” the nurse said kindly, adding, “By the way, Mrs. Norman, you don’t look too well yourself. Have you eaten? There’s a cafeteria on the 10th floor. Now that Mr. Norman is stable, you should get some breakfast.” Emily thanked her again but didn’t really feel like eating. “Don’t worry,” Vincent said softly after the nurse left. “Dylan is handling everything, Jackson will be fine.” Emily looked at him, “Why did you try to take me to see Jackson?” “You wanted to go, so I took you,” Vincent replied simply. “You weren’t afraid I’d stay and take care of him? That I wouldn’t come back?” she asked. Vincent looked at her calmly, “Would you?” “I…,” Emily hesitated, avoiding his gaze, “I don’t answer hypothetical questions.” Vincent didn’t push her further. After five minutes, Emily saw the bleeding had stopped. She stood up, tossed the cotton ball into the trash, and walked back to the bedside. “Emily.” “Yeah?” she answered. “Go get something to eat.” “I’m not hungry.” “Even if you’re not, you should eat.” “I can’t eat right now,” Emily insisted, “Are you hungry?”Vincent’s face turned slightly red, “No, I just…” “What is it?” Emily asked, curious. “I… need to use the bathroom,” he admitted, a little embarrassed. Emily sighed, “Alright, I’ll give you some privacy.” She walked out of the room, sat down in the chair by the door, and started catching up on some work emails. Ken had updated her on the project, saying it was progressing smoothly and she could focus on resting. Resting? Who said she was sick? Then it clicked—Dylan must’ve said that. Only a few people knew the truth about her situation and relationship with Vincent, and Dylan must have thought it better to stick with that story. It was a smart move. She thanked Ken for handling things while she was away, knowing he had taken on extra work for her. Ken sent a cheerful voice message back, joking that she owed him dinner. Emily smiled and agreed to treat him once she was back. After replying to a few more emails, Emily started browsing the web. The accident on the overpass had already made the news, and with Christmas approaching, the tragedy had cast a shadow over the festive season. Time passed, and the room stayed quiet. Emily glanced at her watch—she had been out here for nearly half an hour, and still no noise from inside. Worried, she knocked on the door. “Vincent?” No answer. She knocked again, a little louder, “Vincent, can you hear me?” Still no response, no sounds at all from inside. “I’m coming in,” she called out, pushing the door open. The room was empty. The bed was made, but the bathroom light was on. She could hear Vincent’s low voice, as if he was on the phone. “… Grandma, Emily’s busy right now, she can’t come to the phone.”“… I’ll bring her to visit, but one of her close friends is in trouble right now…” “… There’s no rush for the wedding. My health isn’t fully recovered, and Emily isn’t ready yet either.” “… I know you’re eager, but having a baby takes time…” “… My throat? It’s nothing, just a little tired. I just need some rest, really… No, I’m not lying, I promise. You can ask Dylan if you don’t believe me. I know, Grandma, don’t worry…” He kept chatting on the phone for a while longer before finally hanging up. Vincent came out of the bathroom, coughing harshly, his voice hoarse and strained from all the talking. He looked up and was surprised to see Emily standing there. “You came in?” he asked. “Was grandma pushing you again?” she asked, concerned. “It’s nothing,” he waved it off, “Grandma’s just in a hurry. She’s getting older and really wants to see her great-grandchild, but don’t worry. I’ll talk to her about it.” “You should’ve let me answer the phone,” Emily scolded gently, “You’re not supposed to be talking so much.” “I’m fine…” “How can you say that?” “I really am fine. You don’t need to worry,” Vincent reassured her, but then smiled softly. “You’re starting to sound just like Grandma, nagging me.”