Chapter 99 ~ Suspicious
ALEX
"There is something | need to tell you." lann grabs a cigarette and throws himself on my couch.
“I don't think doctors are supposed to be smoking.” | sarcastically comment.
"Yeah, well, | don't think engaged men are supposed to fall in love with their ex- wives either, yet here we are"
he counters, his voice low and bitter as he sticks the cigarette between his lips.
My hand stills mid-pour.
The glass clinks against the bottle.
I glance back at him slowly. "What the hell are you talking about?"
lann doesn't look at me. He strikes a match and lights the cigarette with a stupid smirk.
"I'm here for serious business, and | know you care about Athena, so | thought | could ask you before | proceed."
"I don't care about her." | snarl as | sit across from him.
I think | need a break from work. I'm so exhausted.
"Hmmm yeah. Anyway, so | heard you stopped by during the little get-together we had."
"To pick up my son." | emphasize.
His brows shoot to his hairline as he eyeswhile his Asian eyes shut from laughing.
Like anything is funny.
"Yes. To pick up your son. So, that gathering was for a drug formula my family has been searching for for around
ten years. The files on who was in charge of it were sealed shut, and even after using all the money and
resources, | used to cup empty untill now." excitement is evident in his voice as he speaks. "The drug is
rumored to be so powerful it heals heart problems with just one shot, man."
| freeze.
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But lan doesn't seem to notice because he continues, "I was starting to think dad is makingchase a ghost,
you know. I've never even seen the shot, and all | have are rumors with zero witnesses." He laughs. "Fuck, | even
thought that maybe | should shut the whole institution alto-"
"I've seen it before." | cut him off.
"What?"
"The drug. I've seen...well not seen it exactly but it has been used onbefore."
My mind is trying to put two and two together.
"You have? How?"
"It was used on me... well Leah did use it on me." | clear my throat. Feeling confused as fuck.
lan's eyes widen. "You mean when you said she saved you that was the shot she used? But wasn't that five years
ago? Where did she get the shot because if I'm correct she hadn't made it to resident yet. And her family has
been shanned so she had zero power to make anyone give it to her."
My mind drifts back to that night when | had an attack that almost took my life. It was my twenty-seventh
birthday when we had a party that | didn't even want. | don't remember well what triggered it, but Leah gave me
a shot and | was up with no signs of an attack within fifteen minutes.
Till now, my parents don't even know about that night. Only Luca does.
"I never stopped to think of how possible it was that | wasn't even admitted." | mumble to myself.
"But why do you still have the defects? Is it a lie that it heals completely?" lan asks, his eyes focused onas
he tries to analyze all the details.
"Last night she toldwhat she gavewasn't complete."
"Last night? Man, what the fuck am | your bestfriend for if you can't even tellthis?"
"I didn't think of it this way till you brought it up."
He's angry but his eyes tellhe understands | didn't hide it on purpose. | just didn't think it was important.
"Do you even understand what this means?"
"I'm still trying to," | mutter, rubbing
my temple. My brain feels like it's
been shoved into a blender. “I
was
half Conscious, man. | don't know what the fuck happened."
"Well, did you know Leah well enough for her to know you had a heart condition?"
He asks, suspicion rising in his voice.
"I didn't know her till that night." Sounding even more stupid now that | think about
i)
"And you just promised her marriage? Couldn't you have given her a yacht or
something?" He stands up and starts pacing.
"I wanted to marry her, lan. She's been through a lot."
lann shakes his head like I'm being Ridiculous,
"Something doesn't add up, you didn't tell anyone about your condition, yet you passed out in the passage and
Leah just... happened to be there like a goddamn genie?"
He stops pacing. "Do you know what Athena has to do with any of this?"
| clench my jaw.
"No."
lan walks to the window, staring out into the city. "Her parents made it That's why | want her to lead the
program. | was going to ask you if you knew that but | can see that clearly you're as clueless as shit."
What?
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Her parents?
| don't respond to him as my mind goes wild from trying to put one and two together.
Does Nana know this?
Is that why she insisted on taking up the rest of her university fees and makingmarry her?
Why is everyone so full of secrets?
Just then, my phone vibrates showing a text.
Leah: [I'm sorry, I'll do better. Can | please join you for dinner? If we are going to
get married, then maybe | should try harder to make your family like me.]
| hover around my text pad thinking of what to say after lan just dropped a fucking puzzle.
Me: [Sure. I'll send Ryan to pick you up.]
The best way to confirm certain things, is by reading how their body responds to certain questions.
| do have a few questions for Leah.
After pressing send, | look up at lan.
"Can you share withdetails of your findings? | need to confirm something."
"I will even add confidential ones because it seems like you need to get your head
out of your ass." He retorts as he grabs his phone and the keys.
He's walking out when I call to him, "Hey lann,"
He doesn't respond, he just turns to face me,
"Keep Athena out of the program and don't tell anyone her parents were the ones
behind the drug."
"She's my friend, Alex. | won't throw her to the wolves, but as a doctor | understand what this would mean for
her, so I'll give her the choice to decide on her own