Chapter 5

"Alright, sit down. I already ordered your favorites. You must be starving after such a long day," Ivy said, pulling Charlotte into a seat before plopping down beside her. Charlotte nodded and quickly dug into the food. "I am starving. I even skipped lunch because of that surgery!" Even though putting Susan in her place had felt good, Charlotte felt tense throughout the entire surgery. It had dragged on for hours, and there had been no way to switch surgeons midway. Lunch wasn't even an option. Ivy felt her heart ache upon hearing that. "You poor thing. Eat more," she said, piling Charlotte's favorite dishes onto her plate. Charlotte devoured the food heartily. It wasn't until she had eaten her fill that they settled in for a proper conversation. They had met four years ago while studying abroad and had been inseparable ever since. Ivy asked, "How long do you think you'll stay in Marindale for that project?" Charlotte shook her head. "I'm not sure. Maybe two or three months if I'm lucky. If not, maybe half to a year." Projects like these were highly unpredictable. Besides, the new drug they were developing this time was quite tricky. Ivy perked up at that. "Good! That means I'll have you around for a while. By the way, I'm taking you to meet a few of my friends after dinner. Remember those two rare herbs you asked me about? I tracked them down through the Lambert family here in Marindale. Mr. Lambert will be there too. You should talk to him." Charlotte was exhausted. She planned to head home after dinner and rest, but Ivy's words changed her mind. "Definitely. I've been searching for so long. I can't miss this chance." So, after dinner, Charlotte and Ivy went to a private club. As they pulled up, another car happened to stop at the entrance. It was Brian, who was there to meet a client for business talks. But just as he exited the car, he caught a flash of a familiar silhouette. It was Charlotte again. He wondered if he might've been mistaken once more. Henry got out after him and noticed Brian standing still. "Mr. Norman, are you okay? Is something wrong with your eyes?" Brian shook his head and said calmly, "No. Let's go." "Yes, Mr. Norman," Henry replied and quickly hurried after him. Charlotte, unaware of any of this, followed Ivy into a private room where several people were already waiting. Judging by their refined manners and tailored clothes, it was clear they all came from impressive backgrounds. Ivy called out to them. Upon seeing her, they greeted her warmly, "You're late! We've been waiting for a while!" "You'll have to drink in compensation!" someone teased. "No problem!" Ivy laughed, grabbing a cocktail and downing it in one go like a champ. After setting the glass down, she waved a hand toward Charlotte. "Almost forgot! Let me introduce you. This is my best friend, Charlotte. She's a doctor." No one there knew Charlotte's true identity, but everyone was more than welcoming once they heard she was Ivy's friend. "Wow! She's gorgeous!" "Hi, Charlotte! Mind if I get your phone number?" "Relax, we're all friends here. You don't have to be so polite!" They greeted her enthusiastically, and Charlotte smiled and responded kindly in return. "Alright, you guys keep doing your thing. I have some stuff to talk about with Char," Ivy said, waving her friends off before hooking her arm through Charlotte's and dragging her to sit beside a refined-looking man. "Matthias, this is the miracle doctor I told you about!" Ivy said. Charlotte looked at the handsome and soft-spoken man in front of her. He must be the man from the Lambert family Ivy mentioned. She smiled politely and greeted him, "Nice to meet you, Mr. Lambert." Matthias Lambert smiled warmly and said, "Nice to meet you, too. I've heard a lot about you. I read your paper on Ancient Acupuncture Therapy. It was truly refreshing. Plus, your reputation as a doctor precedes you. I never imagined you would be so young." Charlotte remained modest and replied, "You're too kind, Mr. Lambert." Matthias chuckled. "Ivy mentioned you're looking for some rare herbs. As it happens, our family's herb garden cultivated a few rare strains a few years back. They're quite priceless, but meeting someone like you feels like a fair trade. Let's set a time, and you can come pick them up. You can give me your number so we can keep in touch." "Of course. Thank you very much," Charlotte said, pulling out her phone to exchange numbers with him. Once the business talk was over, the atmosphere relaxed, and everyone started mingling comfortably. Since it was mostly a casual gathering of friends, drinking games naturally became involved. The room buzzed with laughter, and under the cheerful vibe, Charlotte also found herself having a few drinks. But she wasn't great at holding alcohol. Even though the drinks were light, it didn't take long before she started feeling a little dizzy. "Char, do you want another?" Ivy asked as she was about to pour Charlotte another glass of whiskey. Charlotte quickly waved her off. "No way. I'm already feeling tipsy. I need to hit the bathroom." "You're drunk already? Want me to come with you?" Ivy asked, worried that she was actually drunk. Charlotte shrugged. "It's fine. You stay here. I know the way. I'll be right back." "Alright, but be careful!" Ivy called after her with a wave. Charlotte left the room but did not head to the bathroom. Instead, she went toward the emergency stairwell to get some air. The noise faded behind her, and the quietness of the stairwell was a welcome relief. While leaning against the wall, she pulled out her phone, planning to call Amber. Just as she unlocked her screen, the door slammed open. Two drunken young men stumbled through, supporting each other as they laughed loudly. When they saw Charlotte there, they both jumped slightly, clearly surprised. "Huh? I didn't think anyone would be here," one of them mumbled. But the second he got a good look at Charlotte's face, he froze—Charlotte was stunning. Their eyes lit up, and their gazes were practically glued to her. "Well, you're gorgeous." "Hey, beautiful. Hanging out here all by yourself? Why don't you have a drink with us? Maybe later, we can have some real fun," the other added in a sleazy tone. Their eyes roamed over Charlotte's body. It was clear their intentions were filthy. Charlotte caught sight of them and cursed under her breath. What terrible luck. Of all places, she had to run into two drunk creeps here. She had no intention of engaging. She put away her phone and turned to leave. But the two men quickly moved to block her way. "Hey, gorgeous, we're talking to you!" As they leaned in, the stench of alcohol coming off them hit her like a wave, making her stomach churn. Charlotte frowned, her patience wearing thin. "Move! I'm not interested," she said sharply. But these two drunken idiots either did not understand or simply did not care, for they advanced forward. … Meanwhile, just outside the stairwell, Brian had just wrapped up a business meeting and was making his way down the hall when he caught the sound of a voice. He never expected to hear this voice here. He had already caught a glimpse of a familiar figure at the hospital and again outside the club entrance earlier tonight, and now he's hearing her voice. Everything was too much of a coincidence. Brian's gaze turned sharp as he stared at the closed door before him. It had to be Charlotte. She had finally shown herself.