Chapter 738

Olivia Lightfoot blinked at me mischievously and leaned in. "Dr. Carter, stop playing coy. With your credentials, any top hospital overseas would fight to have you. Everyone's thrilled you're coming back."

I was completely baffled.

"I did want to return to OB-GYN, but the hiring process isn't finalized yet. Did the timeline move up this year?" I frowned in confusion.

Her smile froze. "But the director announced it at last week's meeting! The entire department knows you're returning. Were you really going to keep it from me?"

The news hit me like a thunderbolt.

I forced composure. "The exact date isn't set yet—"

"Are you leaving again?" Olivia grabbed my hand urgently.

"No." I shook my head quickly, spotting a patient's family member peering down the hallway. "Go on, someone's waiting for you."

After sending her off, I wandered back to the Burn Department in a daze. The waiting area was empty—Alexander Hamilton had vanished.

The exam room door opened, but it wasn't him who emerged.

"Mr. Hamilton had to leave urgently," the doctor adjusted his glasses. "Didn't he find you?"

I managed a weak smile.

"Dr. Carter," the doctor added suddenly, "the director mentioned you'll give an academic presentation after your return. We're all eager to hear about your grassroots experience."

My pulse jumped. Did the whole hospital know?

The director's office door was slightly ajar. Alexander's deep voice carried through:

"...The lab equipment arrives next week. But regarding Evelyn, please keep it confidential for now."

"But I've already announced it at the meeting," the director said hesitantly. "Should I ask staff not to mention it around her?"

Pressed against the wall, my heart pounded wildly.

"She will return." Alexander's voice was resolute. "I won't use these injuries to trap her. Being a doctor is her dream."

I stumbled back two steps and fled.

All this time, unseen by me, he'd been paving my way home.

Back at the Burn Department entrance, I sat numbly on a bench until the sound of wheelchair wheels approached.

Alexander clearly hadn't expected me here. His fingers tightened slightly on the armrests.

"Where were you?" I asked casually, looking up. "Any later and the doctors would've left."

Sunlight streamed through the far window, casting fractured light across his sharp profile. His lashes trembled, leaving delicate shadows beneath his eyes.

"The restroom," he answered softly, gaze lingering on my faintly flushed ears.

I fiddled with the appointment slip in my hands, the paper whispering. The antiseptic hospital scent suddenly felt overwhelming.

"Hungry?" he asked abruptly. "There's a new Cantonese place across the street."

When I looked up, his dark eyes held mine intently. Sunlight danced in his hair, softening his edges with gold.

"Okay," I heard myself say.

In that moment, I understood—some guardianships need no words. Like everything he'd done for me, always silent.