CHAPTER 414: CHAPTER 414: DOCTOR

She pulled out her phone and made a call. "Adeline," she said when the call connected, "you can come in. We’re waiting for you."

From the other end, Adeline’s voice replied, "I’m already outside the private room."

Aurora smiled. "Then enter."

A few seconds later, the door opened, and Adeline walked in. The moment Alex saw her, his eyes widened slightly in surprise. Adeline also froze when she saw Alex sitting there.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The air between them felt a little awkward, but Aurora found it amusing. She almost laughed but managed to keep her expression calm.

Honestly, she had seen this kind of moment in movies many times. But seeing it happen in real life without background music felt even funnier.

She looked at Adeline and said casually, "Do you know Alex?"

Adeline quickly snapped out of her trance and nodded slightly. "Yes," she said softly. "I know him by chance."

Aurora nodded. "I see. Please sit down."

Adeline sat on the sofa beside Alex, her hands resting nervously on her lap.

Aurora smiled under her veil and began the introductions. "Adeline is one of my sponsored students," she said. "She is studying medicine."

Alex looked at Adeline with interest. "That’s impressive," he said kindly.

Aurora turned toward Adeline. "And this is Alex," she continued, "one of the owners of the company I’ve invested in."

Adeline’s eyes widened a little. She nodded politely at Alex, who returned the gesture with a calm but focused gaze.

After a moment, Alex looked at Aurora and said, "Miss Dawn, Adeline seems like a capable person. Would it be possible to have her on my medical team?"

Adeline’s eyes widened in surprise. She turned to look at him, her mouth slightly open.

Aurora looked at Adeline. "Do you have time to work with Alex?" she asked calmly.

Adeline hesitated. "I..." she started to say, unsure how to answer.

Before she could continue, Aurora looked at Alex and said, "She’s been working hard to repay her debt. It would be good if you pay her properly."

Alex immediately understood what she meant. He turned to Adeline and said, "I’ll pay you ten thousand dollars per month."

Adeline froze. "T-ten thousand?" she repeated in disbelief.

Alex nodded. "Yes. That’s one hundred and twenty thousand per year. You deserve it."

Adeline stared at him in shock. Her mind went blank for a few seconds. That much money could change her entire life. She could pay her rent, buy better equipment for her studies, and even save for her future.

The more she thought about it, the more tempted she became. She looked at Alex shyly before finally saying, "I’m ready."

Aurora smirked beneath her veil. Alex looked calm, but she could tell he was pleased.

Inside, Aurora felt a wave of joy. She was watching her brother’s love story unfold right before her eyes. And she was the one helping it happen.

She turned to Adeline and said, "Since you agreed to work for Alex, I’ll cut your debt in half."

Adeline gasped, her eyes going wide. "Really?"

Aurora nodded. "Yes. You’ve earned it."

Adeline truly could not believe her eyes. She blinked several times, thinking that maybe she was dreaming.

Everything seemed too perfect to be real. She had never thought that she would get a chance to work directly under her crush.

She would actually be getting money for it, and at the same time, half of her debt was going to be removed.

Her mind kept replaying the scene over and over, unable to stop thinking about how lucky she had become.

This felt like a fairy tale, something that only happened in stories or movies.

For a moment, Adeline felt a sudden urge to run forward and hug Ms. Dawn.

She wanted to show her gratitude, to express all the thankfulness that was swelling inside her. But she stopped herself. She took a deep breath and calmed down.

She knew that acting out like that might be too forward or make things awkward. Instead, she bowed slightly and nodded to Ms. Dawn, showing respect and her silent thanks.

Aurora noticed the hesitation in her. She smiled beneath her veil, a small smirk playing on her lips.

"You’ve done well. You’ve worked hard. That is enough. Now I have some other work to take care of," she said calmly. "Why don’t you and Alex continue? I’ll leave and let you carry on."

Adeline froze at the words.

Aurora thought in her mind, ’Brother I have handed such a good opportunity don’t forget to grab it!’

Adeline quickly took the opportunity to act. "Actually," he said, looking at Adeline with a kind expression,

"I am really hungry. And you probably have not eaten anything today, right? Why don’t you stay and have something before you leave?"

Adeline nodded slightly, her voice soft. "Yes, I... I haven’t eaten anything yet."

Aurora raised an eyebrow slightly, noticing Alex’s careful handling of the situation.

He had eaten 2 plates of seafood, and yet he was saying he was hungry? Just what kind of hunger it was?

Aurora gave a subtle nod. "Alright," she said softly, keeping her voice calm. "Then I will leave. You two carry on."

With that, she stood up gracefully and walked toward the door. Adeline could feel her heart racing.

She wanted to say something, anything, to thank Ms. Dawn again, but the words got stuck in her throat.

Once Aurora was gone, the room felt quieter, almost serene. Alex turned to Adeline and smiled.

"So," he said, leaning slightly forward, "what would you like to eat? You should eat something before we continue working."

Adeline’s face flushed immediately.

"I... I would like to have fried rice."

Alex nearly laughed at her simple choice, but he quickly held it back. He knew that this was not a time to tease her. Instead, he smiled warmly. "Fried rice it is," he said gently. "I will order it right away."

Alex watched her for a moment, noticing the way she kept shifting her eyes nervously.

He smiled softly to himself, understanding how shy and overwhelmed she must be feeling.

He wanted to make her comfortable. "You don’t need to be nervous," he said kindly. "It is okay to be honest about what you want. Just relax."

Adeline looked up at him briefly. She could see the warmth in his eyes and the calm patience in his expression.

It made her heart flutter, and she felt slightly more at ease. "Thank you," she said softly. "I... I appreciate it."

Alex nodded, giving her a reassuring smile. "You are welcome. Now, just wait for a few minutes. The food will arrive soon."

Adeline shyly nodded.

For a moment, there was a quiet awkwardness, a small pause where neither of them spoke.

She felt her hands twisting nervously in her lap.

Suddenly, Alex broke the silence. "Why did you take a debt?" he asked casually, tilting his head slightly.

Adeline froze. Her mind went blank for a moment as if she had remembered something unpleasant.

Seeing her reaction, Alex quickly changed the topic, realizing he had said something wrong.

"Actually," he added with a smile, "I took a debt because I looked handsome."

Adeline paused, her eyes widening slightly. She looked at him with a strange gaze, unsure if he was joking or serious.

Alex chuckled softly, the sound light and warm. "I thought this would be a good moment for both of us to laugh," he said.

Adeline froze again, this time her thoughts racing. From her perspective, Alex really was handsome.

It was not impossible that someone like him could attract attention, maybe even unwanted attention.

Her mind wandered to the idea that he could have had all kinds of complicated experiences because of how attractive he was.

Alex seemed to notice her thoughts and laughed softly.

"It is not like that," he said gently. "I took the debt because of my father’s constant pressure and my half-brother’s constant pressure. That is why I did it."

Adeline paused, her eyes softening as she looked at him. ’It must have been very difficult for him,’ she thought.

Alex gave a small, sad smile and nodded.

"Yes, it has been very difficult," he said quietly.

Then he looked at her, blinking slowly.

"My life has been very dangerous. I have faced many kinds of assassination attacks. There were many times when I wanted to go to a hospital, but I always worried that the wrong person might be waiting there to end me."

Adeline’s eyes went wide as she listened. Her heart tightened.

She could hardly imagine the kind of life he had lived.

Alex continued speaking, and she could not look away.

"I even thought about hiring a personal medical expert," he said softly, "but the problem is I don’t have anyone I can trust. I have no idea who to hire. That is why... I am asking you. Will you become my personal doctor?"