Chapter 160

Millie kept a close eye on Ari as she carried on her phone conversation with Rita.

Softly, she remarked, "Dr. Carpenter, I've noticed lately that my symptoms have evened out quite a bit."Memories of Ari and Myron drawing his cat together the night before drifted through her mind.

"Maybe it's timne I let myself consider new opportunities." A wistful tone entered her voice.

For a moment, the line went quiet, which Millie found a little strange.

Meanwhile, in her office at the facility, Rita heard a gentle knock at the door. Brandon stood there,accompanied by Vivian.

Rita, the physician responsible for Millie's care, was already familiar with the history between her patient and Brandon.

Also,given Brandon's reputation in Crobert, she knew who he was,of course.

Curiosity piqued, she wondered what had brought both Brandon and Vivian to her door today.

After pondering for a second, Rita returned her attention to the call. "Something urgent has come up. Mind if I call you back later?"

Without giving it much thought, Millie agreed.

Once the call ended, Rita focused on her unexpected visitors.

"How can I help you both?" she inquired.

A slight crease formed on Brandon's brow. Hadn't he made sure they had the right appointment scheduled?Why did this woman seem completely clueless?

Vivian opened her mouth to clarify, but a flurry of footsteps down the hallway cut her off.

An apologetic voice sounded as a staff member hurried over. "Excuse me for the mix-up. It looks like you received the wrong appointment slip. Here's the right one."

After a quick exchange of paperwork, things made sense to Brandon at last.

"Sorry about that." The staff member dipped his head in apology, including Rita in his gesture, before Brandon guided Vivian toward the proper office just next door.

Out in the hallway, Rita paused to meet the staff member's eyes.

A sigh escaped him as he said, "The new hire messed up again. He can't even handle handing out slips and pointing to the right office. Honestly, I'm at my wits' end. I keep having to sort out his errors."

A gentle smile spread across Rita's face. "Everyone needs time to learn. Let's be patient with him."

Shaking his head, the staff member replied, "That's not going to cut it! I need to report this and see if he can be moved somewhere less important. I can't keep covering for him." He finished before darting away down the corridor.

Rita followed his retreat with her gaze before letting her attention drift back to the office next door.

...

Meanwhile, in the adjacent room, Brandon sat with Vivian as the doctor began the evaluation.

Self-inflicted wounds already marked Vivian's struggle, a sign of just how grave her depression had become.

Medication and the right course of therapy were no longer optional for her.

Worry etched deeper lines across Brandon's face.

A quick,loaded glance passed between Vivian and the physician.

Only the night before had she pressed Oakley for details about this particular facility.

Although the facility prided itself on ironclad discretion, private ownership allowed for certain test results to be conveniently adjusted.

Oakley had made sure this specific doctor would be overseeing Vivian's case.

No one could downplay the seriousness of her situation, considering both the self-harm and her stomach cancer diagnosis.

Trying to put Brandon at ease, Vivian squeezed his hand and mustered a shaky smile. "You don't need to worry about me," she insisted. "Honestly, I'm already at the point where..." Her words faded, and the concern in Brandon's eyes only deepened.

With hope for answers, he turned toward the doctor.there any alternative treatment you'd recommend?"

No matter what was suggested, it was clear Vivian wouldn't consider taking medication.

A gentle sigh escaped the doctor before he spoke. "I'll see what I can do."

Once the assessment wrapped up, Brandon asked Vivian if she could step into the hallway for a bit.

Inside the quiet office, he faced the doctor with a question.there any way she can manage this without medication?"

A shake of the head came in response. "We're talking about depression here, Mr. Watson..And when it comes to cases as severe as hers, medication is a must for stabilization."

Brandon's eyes dropped to the floor as he considered the gravity of the answer.

Their conversation turned to a few other important topics until, at last, the doctor added, "I'll discuss this with my colleagues and prepare a detailed report along with a treatment plan."

A nod from Brandon signaled his understanding.

"Could you leave a mailing address?" the doctor continued. "To ensure confidentiality, we avoid using online systemns. The full report will be sent as a hard copy to the location you specify."

Accepting the precaution, Brandon gave the address for his apartment neighboring the Watson Group offices.

With the details settled, Brandon walked out into the hall and looked over at Vivian.

"It's time to go," he said, gently guiding her out of the building.

From her desk, Rita kept a low profile, quietly witnessing everything that unfolded.

At no point did she press for information about Vivian's health; instead, she contented herself with silent observation.

Just when she assumed the hall had cleared out, and her hand reached for her office door, Vivian reappeared on her own.

A slight frown touched Rita's lips, the odd timing not lost on her, yet she remained calm, never letting on that anything was amiss.

This time, the neighboring office door sat partly open, and snatches of Vivian's words drifted through the gap. "Yes... That's it... Please update it to my address... Vivian Floral Design..."

0

More words followed, blurred by distance, until V/ivian left the office and departed down the corridor in a hurry.

Suspicion nagged at Rita, the situation not quite adding up, but the details stayed just out of reach.

Professional instincts kept her from voicing any of her concerns, though.

Instead, Rita figured she needed to speak with her colleague to coordinate the schedule so Millie wouldn't bump into Brandon or Vivian should she visit next time.

···

Out in the parking lot, Brandon sat behind the wheel, waiting while Vivian ducked inside the building,mentioning she needed a quick stop at the restroom.

With nothing else to do, he lazily scrolled through his phone,killing time.

An unexpected tidbit of gossip flashed across his screen. Darden's name appeared-this time with a voice message.

Excitement charged through Darden's words. "Big news on the grapevine! The Elliott heir, Myron,has been busy-drone and firework displays, candlelit dinners, lavish gifts, cruise getaways, you name it. Sounds like he's gearing up for an engagement and possibly even a marriage alliance!"

Upon hearing that, Brandon's thoughts drifted to the conversation he'd overheard at the Heavenly Melody finals between Myron, Jayceon, and Adriana.

From what he learnt that night, it was clear Myron meant to move forward with something significant.He remembered catching that the woman in question hadn't agreed to anything just yet.

Given Darden's report about all the over-the-top plans, Myron seemed determined to win her over.

As the situation replayed in his mind, Brandon typed out a message-"Which family is Myron targeting for this marriage alliance?"

A powerhouse like Elliott Group-one of Crobert's biggest-would turn any alliance into headline news, and such a move could change the business landscape for both families.

A response from Darden came quickly. "Beats me. The Elliotts are playing things close to the vest. Not even Jayceon could slip up and say a word, so we'll just have to wait for the reveal."

A faint frown flickered across Brandon's face.

A burst of voices suddenly drew his attention-an argument had broken out at the reception, though he couldn't tell what sparked it.

Before long, Vivian-made her way back to the car.

"Hope I didn't keep you waiting, Brandon." She offered an apologetic smile.

Setting his phone aside, Brandon turned the ignition and eased the car out of the lot.

Meanwhile, inside Crobert Hospital, Giffard strolled through a quiet corridor and caught snatches of a conversation as he passed.

"Yeah,you heard me-Vivian Simpson. There's something off about her,"someone remarked.

Confusion lingered in another voice. "Seriously, I don't get why she'd go about her treatment this way. None "Yeah, you heard me-Vivian Simpson. There's something off about hsomeone remarked.

Confusion lingered in another voice. "Seriously, I don't get why she'd go about her treatment this way.None of it adds up."