Chapter 203

Ivy’s heart skipped a beat. Instinctively, she covered her face, the irritation in her voice growing sharper. “You’ve got some nerve! In this heat, you’re standing there with the car door wide open, trying to look cool—what, you think that’s attractive? It’s boiling out here!”

Jamison’s mouth twitched; he couldn’t help looking awkward. But she wasn’t wrong—it really was stifling. He managed a rueful smile, realizing that if he kept teasing her, Ivy would probably storm off. Reluctantly, he dropped his arm, stepped back, and shut the car door.

Finally, Ivy let out a breath, quietly wrangling her emotions back under control. She pressed the back of her hand to her cheek. It really was a bit hot. Through the windshield, she watched Jamison walk around the front of the car. She deliberately looked away, but the image of him leaning on the doorframe, grinning at her with that flirtatious confidence, lingered in her mind.

What the hell was wrong with her? That kind of cheesy move should have made her cringe… So why was she still replaying it in her head?

“We should go.” Jamison slid into the driver’s seat, started the engine, and pulled onto the road.

Traffic was light, and after half an hour, they reached St. Aurelia’s Mercy Hospital.

“Your skin shouldn’t be exposed to sunlight. I’ll drop you at the entrance to the inpatient wing—wait for me in the lobby, and I’ll park the car.” Jamison’s tone was careful, almost gentle, as he pulled up beneath the covered entryway.

Ivy got out first. She didn’t say a word, but inside she was a bundle of restless, conflicting emotions. He actually remembered that her skin couldn’t handle UV exposure after her recovery. Was this really the same Jamison—biting, sarcastic, emotionally distant? This sudden sweetness felt like a sneak attack, and she wasn’t sure how to defend herself.

Soon enough, Jamison joined her inside. Ivy waited in the lobby, watching as he stepped in from outside—tall, impeccably dressed, strikingly handsome. Two young women nearby couldn’t seem to take their eyes off him, and Ivy couldn’t help feeling a twinge of curiosity.

“Let’s go.” Jamison came over and called to her.

She fell in step beside him and, unable to resist, blurted out, “So, tell me, at your age, you’ve never had women chasing after you?”

Jamison stopped in his tracks, his expression darkening.

“What?” Ivy turned, not understanding.

“At my age?” He repeated her words, obvious annoyance etched across his face. “I’m only six years older than you. Is that ancient now? Is this why you keep turning me down?”

Seriously, couples with much bigger age gaps aren’t exactly rare these days. A difference of six years was nothing. Ivy realized she’d been a bit too blunt and felt a wave of awkwardness. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, biting her lip before explaining, “Six years isn’t that much, I know… but it feels like a whole generation apart.”

Jamison’s scowl deepened. Did she just manage to make him sound even older?

Seeing his mood sour, Ivy scrambled for a way to fix it. “No, wait—I’m not saying you’re old. Honestly, I think maturity is a good thing in a man, but the whole generation thing…”

She trailed off, at a loss for how to patch over the truth. It wasn’t like she could change that fact.

Jamison fixed his gaze on her. “So you really care that I’m supposedly a whole generation older? I’m not pushing eighty, you know. We’re basically the same age.”

“But the generation thing—” She tried to press the point, but when she caught sight of Jamison’s thunderous expression, she bit her tongue and forced out a compliment she barely believed. “Right, right, we’re basically the same age. You take really good care of yourself—no one would guess you’re almost thirty. I mean… Jamison!”

Ivy was never good at smoothing things over, especially not with men. Before she could finish, Jamison—sick of her clumsy attempts—turned and strode off. She hurried after him, calling his name, but he didn’t slow down.

When they reached the elevator, a fuming Dr. Ludwig forgot his usual manners and didn’t even hold the door for her. As the doors started to close, Ivy rushed forward. “Wait!”

Someone pressed the ‘open’ button just in time, and Ivy slipped inside. “Thank you,” she said to the person who’d helped, but then shot an annoyed look at Jamison. “Honestly, for someone your age, you can be pretty childish.”

Jamison shot her a glare that could freeze water. But Ivy wasn’t intimidated; she even lifted her chin a fraction. “It’s true. You’re petty, and you don’t want to face facts.”

Everything she’d said was the truth—if he didn’t like it, that was his problem. Jamison stayed silent, his jaw tight, lips pressed in a thin line.

It wasn’t until they reached Professor Brown’s office that Jamison finally broke his silence, tossing out curtly, “Please take a good look at her, Professor. Treat her however you see fit.”

Professor Brown had already known they’d be coming—Jamison had called ahead to arrange everything. He’d even teased Jamison on the phone, joking that he’d finally won the heart of a beautiful woman. Yet, looking at them now, you’d think they were sworn enemies.

Ivy took a seat, greeting Professor Brown politely. He remembered her and smiled kindly, taking her wrist to check her pulse as he asked, “You two… have a fight?”

“No, just focus on the exam, Professor,” Jamison cut in from the side, voice clipped.

Ivy shot him a sharp look—this was a respected physician, and he was acting this aloof and cold? Feeling embarrassed on Jamison’s behalf, Ivy smiled apologetically. “We’re just joking around, Professor.”

She meant to reassure him that Jamison’s attitude wasn’t directed at him—she didn’t want the older man to misunderstand. But Professor Brown took it in stride, chuckling, “If a little joke gets him riled up, maybe it’s a liver issue. Or perhaps his kidneys are the problem.”

Chapter 204