Chapter 70
Chapter 70
The two men went to the stairwell.
Jackson brought out a pack of cigarettes from his white coat pocket and offered one to Shane.
Shane took a cigarette and held it between his fingers. “Find another doctor for me. Stanley won’t do!”
“Why?” Jackson paused as he was trying to light his cigarette. “I’ve already contacted him. He will be reporting at the hospital soon. It’s too late to get a replacement.”
“He’s not as simple as he seems. I cannot entrust Jacqueline to him!” Shane caught the lighter Jackson threw to him but had no intention of lighting his cigarette.
“If we do not use Stanley, Jacqueline will not get well. It’s not that there are no brain surgeons who are better than Stanley, but these other surgeons are ageing and not suited to perform surgery. Are you certain you want to replace him?” Jackson dragged on his cigarette.
Shane knitted his brows but remained silent.
Puffing out a ring of smoke, Jackson looked at him and asked, “Shane, tell me honestly why you are unwilling to use Stanley. Is it really about Jacqueline’s well-being?”
“What do you mean?” The corners of Shane’s lips turned downwards.
Jackson flicked the ashes from his cigarette and smiled. “Isn’t it clear? Natalie was originally your fiancée but she was unfaithful and eloped with Stanley. It’s only natural that you’re annoyed.”
“You’re wrong. I’m not annoyed!” Shane squeezed the lighter and lit his own cigarette. “Stanley is not her husband.”
Jackson choked on the smoke and coughed for a while. With bloodshot eyes, he asked, “What are you saying? Natalie’s husband is not Stanley? But that was what she just said…”
“A smokescreen,” Shane replied nonchalantly.
Jackson ran his fingers through his curly hair. “Who’s her husband, then?”
“Who knows?” Lost in thought, Shane shifted his gaze onto the sparks at the tip of his cigarette. Property © NôvelDrama.Org.
Jackson curled his lips. “Okay, it’s irrelevant whether Stanley is her husband or not; this won’t affect me when I work with him in the future. However, I heard Silas say that there’s something going on between you and Natalie recently. This is very inconsistent with your personality. Don’t tell me that you have…”
“Do you think it’s possible?” Shane eyed him coldly.
Jackson rubbed the tip of his nose. “Well, I may be thinking too far but I still hope you’ll stay away from her. She has a family while you have a fiancée. You shouldn’t have any more to do with her other than work; otherwise, it’s easy to get carried away.”
“You don’t have to remind me about such things!” Shane said in a low voice.
“Fine. Good that you are aware. Oh, and with respect to Stanley, you should decide as soon as possible whether or not you want him to perform the surgery. If you delay it any longer, Jacqueline really won’t be able to wake up.”
After saying that, Jackson patted Shane’s shoulder, turned around, and left.
Shane was left alone in the dimly lit stairwell.
Holding the cigarette between his fingers, Shane thought about what Jackson had just said and he realized that it was true. Recently, he had indeed done many things for Natalie and her kids that were totally out of his character.
These things had changed him. If these were to continue, he really did not know how he would turn out. Indeed, he had always hated the feeling of not being in control.
At this point, Shane closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, he seemed to have made a decision. His eyes were cold and distant.
He dropped the cigarette onto the floor and extinguished it with the sole of his shoe.
Two days later, Connor had recovered enough to leave the hospital.
Natalie bought a lot of food and was ready to celebrate the happy occasion that evening.
After she prepared the dishes, she called Shane but he declined the invitation.
While drinking some fruit juice, Connor asked, “Mommy, isn’t Mr. Shane coming?”
Natalie put down the phone. “No, he’s not.”
“Hmph, Mr. Shane isn’t keeping his promise.” Sharon, too, had a glass of fruit juice in her hand. She did not sound pleased. “He promised to send me to kindergarten these few days but he only did so on the first day.”
Natalie chuckled. “Didn’t he? Mr. Shane did arrange for a driver to send you, didn’t he?”
“That’s not the same. I want him to do it personally.” Sharon pouted.