Chapter 875
“It doesn’t hurt anymore. It’s completely healed,” Lena said, sitting down. “Any new issues or discoveries today?”
“None,” Nate replied, his dark, deep gaze lingering on her with a complex expression.
Lena noticed but pretended not to. She had no intention of asking. When she lowered her head to focus on work, Nate withdrew his gaze. For the rest of the day, he didn’t say another word to her.
This behavior was unusual for him. Ever since he returned to promote his research project, Nate had always carried himself with humility, desperately seeking her forgiveness. But today, he acted like just another colleague, a completely different person from before.
Although this change was what Lena had hoped for, she couldn’t help but feel unsettled. What had brought on this sudden shift? She thought back to the incident yesterday when she had asked Nate and Aaron to leave while her wound was being treated. Could it be that her uncle had said something to Nate?
On the drive back home, Lena couldn’t hold back her curiosity. “Uncle, did you say something to Nate yesterday? He’s been acting strange today.”
Aaron, dressed in a crisp white polo shirt, gripped the steering wheel with ease. The light reflected off the watch on his wrist, flashing momentarily. “Strange how?”
“He’s keeping his distance from me. He doesn’t seem to carry that sense of guilt anymore,” Lena summarized succinctly.
The sleek black steering wheel turned smoothly in Aaron’s hands. “Are you uncomfortable with that, or are you just nervous?”
“Not at all. It’s just… odd,” Lena said, staring at him suspiciously. “Uncle, what exactly did you say to him? You didn’t threaten him, did you?”
Aaron’s lips curled slightly. “Do you think he’s the type to scare easily?”
“Uncle!”
“Why don’t you ask him yourself?”
“He’s not even talking to me. How am I supposed to ask? Besides, I’d feel awkward bringing it up,” Lena grumbled.
Aaron, who had been focused on the road, suddenly glanced at her. His dark eyes sparkled with an enigmatic light. “Does his behavior make you uncomfortable?”
Lena’s heart skipped a beat under his gaze. Flustered, she quickly explained, “No, it’s not that. I’m just curious. We’ve broken up, and I’ve moved on.”
“Then how he behaves has nothing to do with you. Why are you asking?” Aaron’s reply left her speechless.
“I’m just curious, that’s all. Forget it if you won’t say,” Lena muttered under her breath.
Aaron didn’t explain. He had always been this enigmatic.
When they arrived at the Ace family’s old residence, the sound of cheerful laughter could be heard from a distance. The lively atmosphere suggested everyone was in high spirits. Despite the merriment, Lena felt nervous. “Uncle,” she called out, stopping him as he walked ahead. “If my mom gives me a hard time later, you have to back me up.”
In the hospital, she was a composed and authoritative department head. But at home, Lena was entirely at her mother’s mercy, a little girl with no ability to resist.
“That depends on what it is,” Aaron replied without immediately agreeing.
Even he seemed different today.
It had often been said that women were the emotionally unstable ones, but scientific research suggested otherwise. Studies had shown that men experienced emotional fluctuations at a frequency of 125 Hz, three times more than women. Reality, however, often painted women as the irrational, emotionally driven ones, a stereotype that was grossly unfair.
Frustrated by Aaron’s uncooperative attitude, Lena decided to ignore him. She strode ahead of him into the living room, determined to face whatever was coming.
Since she was already here, there was no point in hiding. She might as well confront everything head-on—after all, they wouldn’t eat her alive.
With her head held high, Lena marched into the living room. The lively chatter came to an abrupt halt as soon as she appeared. Everyone in the room turned to look at her in unison.
Lena glanced around and noticed some unfamiliar faces among the crowd. In addition to her parents and grandparents, there were three strangers: two women and one man.