Wyatt and his group searched the outpatient and inpatient departments, scouring the entire hospital grounds. They couldn't find Luna anywhere.

"Wyatt, are we still looking for Luna?" Mia gasped, exhausted, her makeup smudged from sweating. She rested her hands on her knees, her gaze fragile as she looked at Wyatt.

Wyatt felt sorry for her. Her face was flushed from running around.

"We'll stop looking. Why don't you take a seat? I'll get you a cup of coffee."

Mia reminded Wyatt of Luna when she first joined their research team. Luna had been a sophomore then, a transfer student from a rural college. Her medical knowledge wasn't as strong as her peers', so Wyatt hadn't initially considered her for his team.

However, Luna was strong-willed and hardworking. She was also docile, a good listener, and flawlessly executed tasks once given instructions. This relieved Wyatt of any worries. Because of this, he cared for her like a sibling.

Initially, he thought they'd simply be teammates, but he was aghast to learn of her crush on him. How dare a "country bumpkin" harbor such feelings?

Mia appeared then. Compared to Luna, she was a better match for Wyatt in terms of background, a campus belle with excellent grades in medical school. Most importantly, she was personable and fun—a far cry from Luna's seriousness.

Though Wyatt never considered Mia as a girlfriend, he didn't mind using her to deflect Luna's advances. He started paying Mia more attention, never expecting this to break Luna, who eventually accused Mia of plagiarism.

Wyatt decided to be firm. Mia was an innocent victim implicated because of him. He hadn't planned to retaliate against Luna even after the medal incident; he would have forgiven her, considering their past relationship. He would have continued caring for her like a sibling as long as she remained a dedicated mentee.

However, Luna had crossed a line. She threatened to quit the team and refused to answer his calls. If so, she shouldn't blame him for being heartless.

Wyatt called everyone back, handing them coffees. "Stop looking for Luna. If she wants to quit, let her be!"

He wondered where Luna would go. Would she join Erin's team, researching a niche topic unlikely to lead to post-graduation employment? Did she want to jeopardize her career?

Russell looked saddened. "Wyatt, aren't you going to ask Luna for her thoughts?"

"Knock yourself out if that's what you want!" Wyatt's patience was thin. He turned and headed back to campus.

Trevor patted Russell's shoulder. "We can't ask Luna anything; we can't find her. If you're worried, talk to her in Professor Hanley's class tomorrow!"

Kevin added, placing an arm around Russell, "She left the group chat and ghosted us. Even if we wanted to talk to her, we can't! I'll help you look for her tomorrow, and I'll teach her a lesson! I can't believe she learned to ghost us!"

Meanwhile, Mia sipped her coffee, lost in thought. Why couldn't they find Luna, who was definitely at Holistic Traditional Medicine Hospital? Was she deliberately hiding? Did she truly want to leave the research team for good?

Mia couldn't decipher Luna's intentions, but this situation worked in her favor. It was only a matter of time before she won over her seniors—as long as Luna stayed away and stopped vying for attention. Once that happened, Mia knew she could claim everything.