"Mr. Luke, please, come in. I'll make some late-night snacks for you both," Ivy said as she pushed Shawn inside. "Alright!" Luke enthusiastically agreed, but as soon as he saw Shawn's expression, he quickly changed his tune. "No need, I need to go. My girlfriend is waiting for me at home, and you two are busy. I'll take my leave." Before he could finish his sentence, he had already bolted out the door. "He's such a strange guy," Ivy muttered as she pushed Shawn into the dining room. "Rest for a moment, and I'll make you some food. What would you like to eat?" "No, it's not necessary," Shawn instinctively refused. Did she want to feed him instant noodles again? No, thank you. "Ah, I see. Well, it's pretty late, and eating too much at this hour isn't good for your health. I'll make some blanched greens for you instead." Shawn cleared his throat and quickly amended his response. Ivy glanced at the clock on the wall and noticed that it was already 11 PM. She realized that it wasn't a good idea to eat a heavy meal at this hour. Nodding, she smiled and went into the kitchen. Half an hour later, Ivy returned with a bowl of blanched vegetables for Shawn. While he was eating the greens, Ivy retrieved Shawn's medical records and started studying them. After he had finished his meal, she asked, "Are you ready?" His gaze turned deep and intense, devoid of any hesitation. He got straight to the point, "When are we going to schedule the surgery?" Ivy took another moment to think and then replied, "How about in two weeks?" "Sounds good." His prompt agreement caught her off guard, and when she looked up at him, she met his gaze, which seemed to hold a thousand words, making her feel truly trusted. However, inexplicably, she felt nervous and her heart raced due to this newfound trust. She was reminded of an incident from three years ago, where she had helplessly watched a vibrant life wither and die on her operating table. Shawn, just like that incident, had put so much trust in her. She wondered if the outcome would be the same.Thinking about it, her heart ached uncontrollably, and a sense of coldness swept over her, making it difficult to breathe. "For the Stage III surgery, the first and third stages are the most challenging. Failure in either of them would mean a setback and could jeopardize your health, or even..." She averted her gaze, forcing back her fear, and whispered a reminder. "What if we..." She wanted to convince Shawn to give up. "You sitting in a wheelchair is also quite charming, and I won't divorce you. We can live like this for the rest of our lives, which would be just fine." "I want to have this surgery," Shawn said firmly, surprising Ivy. "I've failed too many times, and it doesn't matter if I fail this time." Success was a gift from heaven, while failure meant that the heavens were still sleeping. Shawn, as an investor, understood this well. Accumulating wealth quickly through high-stakes gambling was one thing, but going from being disabled to a normal person was another type of gamble. The former was a gamble of fortune and intelligence, and the latter was a gamble with fate. "I believe in you!" His slender hands cupped her face, and the warmth of his fingertips penetrated her face and reached deep into her heart. Ivy couldn't help but shiver. Ivy looked at him silently and took a deep breath. "Alright, tomorrow, come with me to the clinic, and I'll perform a full-body check-up for you." "Okay." But that night, Ivy couldn't sleep. She kept having recurring nightmares of the medical accident from three years ago, where she dreamt that the deceased patient was coming to claim his life, just like before, writhing and suffering, blaming her for his death. She woke up with a start, sitting up in bed, her hands clutching the sheets, cold sweat pouring from her brow, and her heart pounding so loudly it seemed to reverberate through the entire room. A pair of large hands gently circled her waist, and she was pulled into a warm, firm embrace. "Don't be afraid. I'm here," Shawn's chin rested on her head, and his voice was soothing. Ivy obediently nestled in his arms and turned her face to bury it in his chest. The moonlight outside the window softly illuminated Shawn's determined profile. His tense expression softened for a moment due to her words. After a while, he leaned down and planted a kiss on Ivy's hair. "I promise."The next morning, their assistant drove them to the clinic early. Ivy led Shawn into the clinic, and they found Roland, who was buried in files related to the County Clinic. "Senior, what are you doing here?" When he saw Ivy coming in, Roland's dull eyes immediately lit up, and he began to complain almost reflexively. "Ivy, why are all the files in County Clinic in paper format? It's the era of artificial intelligence, and we don't even use basic computers?" "Sorry, Senior. Dr. Ticko prefers hard copies, but mine are all stored electronically. I'll give you my files," Ivy explained awkwardly. Relieved that she had an electronic version, Roland sighed with relief. "Alright, give them to me. I'll go through the County Clinic's files this weekend to help you out." As soon as Roland mentioned helping her, Shawn instantly smelled danger. With a hostile gaze, he glanced at Roland and made eye contact with him when he handed over the files. His male intuition told him that this man in front of him was quite interested in his wife. "This is..." He smiled at Ivy, took her hand, and Roland’s eyes landed on the two rings on her ring finger. This made Roland's heart ache. "Hello, I'm Ivy's husband, Shawn Tate." "Hello." As their hands shook, it was a contest of strength and grip, a silent power struggle hidden behind two handsome, smiling faces. Ivy, the straightforward woman, didn't notice this undercurrent. In fact, she was very pleased that they got along so well upon their first meeting. The corner of her eye suddenly caught his assistant, who had turned as white as a sheet in the corner. Ivy was startled. "Mr. Luke, why is your face so pale?" "It's... it's nothing. I suddenly got a stomachache," the assistant replied with difficulty. He couldn't believe what had just happened, and he wanted to know where the 200-pound Roland had gone. "Dr. Jones, it's getting late. Let's go and do the full-body check for Shawn," the assistant interrupted, realizing that the two of them seemed reluctant to part. Shawn withdrew his hand and then smiled at Ivy, interlocking their fingers. "Let's go," he said, motioning for the assistant to escort him. Ivy quickly conducted the physical examination for Shawn. The results were excellent, with all of his health indicators in perfect condition, indicating that he was ready for the surgery. She was happy with the results but also concerned. She kept secretly hoping that some aspect of Shawn's health would not meet the criteria, which would delay the surgery further. However, she knew that no matter how much she postponed it, the day would eventually come. "Senior, I've seen the medical research reports you've published abroad. Your contributions in the field of orthopedics are not inferior to mine. Can you please help me?" During a brief moment when the assistant was escorting Shawn to the restroom, Ivy handed over Shawn's medical records to Roland. Roland carefully reviewed Shawn's records and furrowed his brows. "Ivy, this situation is almost identical to the surgery you did three years ago. Are you really prepared for this?" Ivy nodded and then shook her head, covering her face in a defeated manner. She smiled wryly, "I'm afraid he will end up like that young boy, dying on my operating table." Hearing this, Roland immediately sensed that Ivy wasn't in the right state of mind. "If it's like this, I don't recommend that you go through with the surgery. You haven't even sorted out your own mindset. Forcing yourself into something like this, you will face trouble. I think you should see a psychologist first. Only by addressing the emotional blockage in your mind can you be ready for the surgery on Shawn." A psychologist? Ivy suddenly remembered the psychologist, Catherine Lambert, recommended to her by Director Malcom. She found the business card in her drawer. "Take some time for yourself, and I'll be busy for a while. Regardless of whether you go through with the surgery in two weeks or not, I'll support you. I will always be your pillar!" After Roland patted Ivy's shoulder, he left the office. As soon as he closed the door, he saw the assistant pushing Shawn out of the restroom. Roland's smile faded, and he approached Shawn, stopping beside him and sizing him up. Finally, he sighed softly, "You're really annoying." Roland was straightforward. He genuinely believed that Shawn should not have married Ivy, putting her in such a difficult situation. A woman like Ivy deserved to be pampered with the best things in the world. How could this poor disabled man offer her happiness? The more he thought about it, the more he felt heartbroken and blamed himself for not confessing his love to Ivy earlier. If he had, Ivy might have been his wife by now. With these thoughts in mind, Roland's eyes were filled with discomfort. He didn't like the man who had won Ivy's heart. ***