Chapter 671

At Imperial Heights
Charlotte stepped out of the bathroom, towel-dried hair still a little damp, only to spot Anthony lounging on the bed in his robe, phone in hand. The moment he saw her, he set his phone aside and gave her a little chin tilt. “Come here. Drink your peppermint tea.”
She glanced over and saw the cup waiting for her on the nightstand, steam curling into the air. Charlotte pressed her lips together, crossed the room, and settled herself right in his arms. She cradled the tea, taking slow sips as she scrolled through her family group chat.
Robert’s seventieth birthday dinner was scheduled for the weekend. He was never a fan of big gatherings, but this time, everyone knew the real reason: he wanted to introduce Charlotte, his favorite, to the whole family and all his friends.
Anthony didn’t say a word, just stayed close. Once Charlotte put her phone down, he leaned in, brushed a soft kiss against the corner of her mouth, and spoke quietly. “What does Grandpa like? What should I get him to make him happy?”
Grandpa?
Their relationship wasn’t even public yet, and Anthony was already switching up how he addressed him. When Grandpa first introduced Anthony, he’d told Charlotte to call him uncle.
Charlotte considered this seriously. If Grandpa ever found out about her and
Anthony, she doubted he’d be pleased with any gift Anthony picked, no matter how thoughtful.
“I’ll ask Kenneth tomorrow,” she said, setting her cup aside. Charlotte yawned, nuzzling deeper into Anthony’s arms. “I’m so tired.”
Anthony glanced at her, noticing how red her eyes were. He checked the time. Only eight o’clock. She never went to bed this early. What had her so wiped out tonight?
“Go ahead and sleep.” He pulled the blanket up over her, his hand warm as he gently rubbed her belly.
When Charlotte’s breathing evened out and she fell asleep in his arms, Anthony carefully reached for his phone and sent Kenneth a text.
What does your grandfather like?
Kenneth replied almost immediately. My grandfather likes Lottie the most.
Anthony stared at the screen, at a loss.
***
The weekend rolled around before she knew it.
Charlotte had just left the lab when she bumped into Glenn. “Hi, Glenn,” she greeted him politely.
He looked up, his usual serious expression softening into a rare smile. “Charlotte, have you really been in the lab for five hours?”
She checked the time, a little surprised. “I guess I have.”
She’d gotten stuck on a tricky problem, and it had eaten up more of her day than she realized. That old saying about hard work paying Off was true, but even so, Charlotte knew she might be overdoing it.
“Take care of yourself,” Glenn reminded her gently. He hesitated, then lowered his voice. “Charlotte, I’ve always wondered, why did you choose traditional medicine for your major?”
With her skills, she could easily shine in modern medicine.
“It’s because of my grandmother and my mom. They both worked in traditional medicine. I guess I just grew up influenced by them,” Charlotte said honestly.
Her grandmother had been a
respected traditional healer in their
village, saving countless lives. Her
mother had dedicated her life. to
research that bridged traditional and
modern practices, sacrificing
everything for it.
Glenn nodded, understanding dawning in his eyes. No wonder Charlotte was so talented, especially with anatomy. He looked at her with even more approval giving her shoulder a gentle pat. “Keep working hard. Maybe one day you’ll be someone like Asclepius.”
Charlotte blinked, caught off guard. There was a pause.
“You know who Asclepius is, right?”
She nodded quickly, smiling, “Yeah, I do. Thank you. I’ll do my best.”