CHAPTER 39: CHAPTER 39: STAINED BEYOND REDEMPTION

Joel Sutton was at work, so he couldn’t drink much, and I didn’t push him. We just chatted casually.

He said, "Miss Hathaway, last time you lent me twenty thousand, I still have eight thousand left. I’ll pay it back first. As for the remaining twelve thousand, I’ll work part-time to pay you back. I’ll start my internship next semester, and once I find a decent internship, I should be able to save up quickly."

"Internship soon?" I was a bit surprised.

"Yeah, I’ll graduate next June, and Azure will be a senior next year too." Joel Sutton sighed at how time flies, "Time really goes by fast."

I remained silent, as if it was just yesterday I was pretending to bump into Henry Preston on campus, and now I’m almost thirty.

At that moment, three more figures walked towards us, and I immediately spotted Ivan Underwood. Oh no, why are he and Silas Lockwood and Jason Forrest at this bar too?

Damn serendipity.

"Sutton, go do your work." I quickly told Joel Sutton.

"Alright, Miss Hathaway, call me if you need anything." Joel Sutton got up and went back to work.

Ivan Underwood’s gaze followed Joel Sutton’s back for a while before landing back on me.

Silas Lockwood saw me and didn’t know how to address me for a moment. He and Jason Forrest exchanged glances, looking like two monkeys from Mount Eldoria.

Those two don’t know Joel Sutton, so they probably thought I just called a waiter for drinks.

Ivan Underwood sat down next to me, his long legs casually crossed, and he scrutinized me with sharp eyes.

"Brother Evan, this place isn’t great, let’s sit over there?" Silas, feeling guilty, didn’t dare sit with me, considering he’s been scheming for Henry Preston to pursue other women.

"You guys go ahead, I’ll join you later." Ivan responded indifferently.

"Alright then." Silas and Jason immediately found a seat as far away from me as possible.

I found it really amusing; do they think I’ll do something outrageous to them?

"Another coincidence?" Ivan Underwood spoke, and I knew he was talking about me sitting with Joel Sutton earlier.

"Yes, truly a coincidence." I didn’t lie, meeting his gaze confidently.

"Where’s Henry Preston?" Ivan Underwood scanned the area, "Didn’t you leave in his car?"

I shrugged, "Saw him having a serendipitous encounter with his true love at the hotel, felt down, got out halfway to get a drink, and ran into her true love’s boyfriend. Quite the coincidence, don’t you think?"

Ivan Underwood’s eyes flickered, "That girl named Azure Vaughn is at The Apex Hotel?"

I flashed a bright smile showing eight teeth, "Yes, why, are you interested in her?"

"Hah." Ivan gave a somewhat mocking smile, "Not interested, you’re overthinking."

When will he ever be interested? I’m almost growing roots waiting.

But I really had something to discuss with Ivan, so I poured him a drink, pondered for a moment, and said, "Ivan Underwood, about knowing Azure Vaughn and Joel Sutton, please don’t tell anyone, especially Henry Preston, okay?"

I forgot to emphasize this to him last time, and Henry Preston’s call last night made me quite anxious.

It’s not time to reveal my cards yet; I don’t want things to spiral out of control.

"If he asks why I’m so close to you, how should I explain?" Ivan anticipated this issue; he knows Henry Preston well.

"Aren’t you a doctor? What department?" I asked.

"Cardiovascular." Ivan replied.

"Ah! Dr. Underwood, my stomach hurts so much, I might have gastritis. I’ll need your treatment from now on!" I clutched my stomach, putting on an exaggerated act.

Then I saw Ivan Underwood’s usually cold face turn dark, like he was possessed by some spirit.

With a grim face, he said, "Your illness is not within my treatment scope."

"Joel Sutton’s hospitalization wasn’t due to a cardiovascular issue, yet you covered for a colleague then too?" I argued confidently, "Doctors save lives regardless of the patient’s condition; how can you pick and choose? You lack medical ethics."

"Zoe Hathaway, are you an idiot?" Ivan was somewhat speechless.

"Without this, what excuse do we have to interact? How can you explain it to Henry Preston? Fine, my stomach ache you can’t treat, then just say I have arrhythmia, and you’ve treated me before, wouldn’t that work? You’re an adult and can’t tell a little white lie?" I was a bit annoyed; Ivan clearly didn’t want to help me.

Silas and Jason were still glancing over frequently. Driven by alcohol, I sat back down beside Ivan, linking my arm with his, "If you don’t help, I’ll sit on your lap right now, believe it or not? Once you can’t explain it, might as well get caught in The Saffron River scandal."

"Zoe Hathaway, behave yourself!" Ivan retorted angrily, shaking off my arm and standing up.

"If people think we’re involved, wouldn’t that explain why we’re close?" My face flushed, emboldened by the liquor, I started to speak nonsensically, "No ethics, and lacking intelligence..."

Ivan, both ashamed and annoyed, seemed to blush as he angrily glared at me, realized I seemed drunk, then turned towards Silas and Jason’s side.

I slumped back in my seat to sleep for a bit, feeling dizzy.

I thought Ivan had left me alone, but a minute later, he came back, grabbed my arm, and helped me out of the bar.

Too bad my bleary eyes couldn’t make out the looks on Silas and the others, probably similar to when Crystal saw me getting out of Henry’s car.

"I-Ivan, let me tell you..." Sitting in the car, fragmented images of past life surfaced in my mind, and I babbled on, "Actually, Azure’s nothing special, there’s plenty of fish in the sea, why hang onto her? Look at me, I’ve let go..."

These were words I deeply wished to convey to him before my past life’s end; it wasn’t worth doing so much for Azure.

He’s not Henry Preston; he’s always been a clean man and shouldn’t end up that way for such an ordinary woman. Most importantly, he lost to Henry.

Ivan glanced over, eyes complex, and I mumbled until I fell asleep.

To my complete surprise, Ivan didn’t take me back to Maplewood Gardens but instead to a hotel, where he got a room to settle me in; I only discovered this the next morning upon waking.

My phone showed a WeChat friend request from Ivan Underwood, previously he relied on my number to contact me.

With one hand holding my throbbing head, I used the other to accept.

Ivan Underwood: When awake, come to the hospital and book a cardiovascular appointment, choose me.

Completely puzzled, I soon realized, this guy agreed to help me keep it from Henry Preston? And he’s planning on staging the whole act?

I quickly replied: Okay, coming over soon!