Chapter 46

She had no intention of wasting her time on people who didn’t matter.
But she was still a step too late.
The restaurant staff told her that Dean Grayson and his party had already left – just ten minutes earlier.
She could have accepted being half an hour late, or even twenty minutes, but ten minutes? That was the worst. She’d missed them by such a narrow margin–if only she’d hurried just a bit more, she would’ve seen them.
The cruel reality sapped every ounce of strength from Noreen. Drained and
defeated, she walked out of the restaurant.
Outside, Seth and Bianca were already gone.
Only Dylan was still waiting for her.
His persistence was unwavering. “Can we go to the hospital now?”
Noreen hadn’t lied; the injury really wasn’t serious, but the cut looked nasty. Especially the one on her knee–every step tugged at the wound, sending a sharp pain straight through her.
“I’ll take you home,” Dylan insisted, only relaxing after she’d let him clean and bandage her knee.
“No, there’s something I still need to do.” This update ıs available on.net
Noreen wasn’t ready to give up. She wanted to try one more time.
“What’s so important that you’re this anxious?” Dylan’s patience wore thin; his ice was cold.
It was a personal matter–Noreen saw no reason to tell him. She just wanted him
gone.
But then her phone buzzed, It was Larson.
Afraid she’d miss any news, Noreen answered right away.
Larson sounded apologetic. The selection committee had already made their decision; he suggested she start considering other options.
A wave of heat stung her eyes, her nose prickling as she pressed her thumb hard against her index finger joint, as if that could steady her.
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But her voice still trembled. “ Didn’t the committee just arrive in Rivercrest City thr afternoon? They haven’t even been to the hospital–how could they already have picked someone? ”
“ It was Dean Grayson’s arrangement. I don’t know the details,” Larson replied, helpless.
He was just a department doctor. There wasn’t much he could do.
When the call ended, it felt as though Noreen had fallen into a frozen lake, icy water closing in from every side.
“What happened?” Dylan noticed the color draining from her face and couldn’t help but ask.
Noreen didn’t even know where to begin.
“I know Dean Grayson pretty well,” Dylan offered. “Maybe I can help.”
His words were like a sliver of light, giving her hope once again.
That night, Noreen didn’t stay at the hospital but hired someone to sit with her
mother instead.
Partly, she didn’t want Rosalind to find out about her injury and worry. And after days in the hospital, she needed a break.
Dylan drove her home himself, stopping at her building. “I’ll see you at the hospital
tomorrow at ten.”
“Alright.”
“Don’t put so much pressure on yourself. Things have a way of working out.”
He’d seen how much she was struggling.
Noreen nodded quietly.
Dylan couldn’t resist reaching out to ruffle her hair. “Go on, it’s late. Get some rest.”
As she got out of the car, he added, “Keep the wound dry and remember to put on the ointment. It’ll scar if you don’t.”
“I know. You should get home too. And… thank you. For everything today.”
For the first time, Dylan’s frown relaxed. “That’s rare–hearing you thank me.”
Noreen shooed him off, and he finally drove away.
Thanks to Dylan’s comfort, her anxiety eased–if only a little, enough to let her
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breathe.
Night winds gusted, cold air biting.
Noreen pulled her coat tighter and started for home, but stopped short when she saw the man standing under the streetlamp, his face cold and forbidding.
It was Seth–someone who shouldn’t have been there at all.