"Mom," Titus Zane called softly, trying her best to make her voice sound normal.
Over the phone, Ariana Evans’s voice soon came through, carrying the concern and urgency of long separation, along with a mother’s reproach for her daughter.
"Titus, why did you only think to call me now? I was almost driven mad by worry. The phone was unreachable, and you didn’t reach out to the family on your own. If you hadn’t called me soon, I was going to report you missing to the police..."
"Mom, it’s not that serious," Titus laughed, realizing for the first time that she too could be so insincere, speaking casually to a once respected and relied upon relative whom she now doubted and wanted to test.
"I just got a job and have been very busy, and I changed my number, so I forgot to contact you." She had been using two phone numbers, but the one she didn’t want to contact, she had blocked.
"You child, you prioritize work even more than your mother, just like your father, always a workaholic!" On the other end of the line, Ariana, standing in front of her office window complained to the phone, her lips curving into an indulgent smile, even her profile softened.
"Mom, I’m sorry, it was negligent of me," Titus apologized, then changed the subject, asking, "Mom, how is Lily recovering?"
"Oh, speaking of Lily, she can now walk on her own. Although slow, thankfully, she no longer needs a wheelchair or crutches."
"Oh, where is she living now?"
Knowing she shouldn’t pry, yet she couldn’t control herself and blurted out the question.
"You child," a voice of reproach sounded, "she’s already married, of course, she’s living in her own home."
For some reason, hearing Ariana say this stirred an inexplicable emotion at the bottom of her heart.
The silence on the phone made Ariana involuntarily sneer secretly, the fleeting coldness at the corner of her lips disappearing quickly, yet her face still maintained a kind smile.
"Titus, tell mom which city you are in now, so I can visit you when I have vacation."
"Mom, I’m in Banyan City." Without hesitation, Titus told the truth.
Ariana tightened her grip on the phone, no wonder Nathan Moore talked to Lily about working in Banyan City for a while, it turned out—
The hint of coldness reappeared at the corner of her lips, fortunately, she stood in front of the window, back to her colleagues, so that mocking chill remained unnoticed; she regained her composure and spoke into the phone.
"Alright, Titus, focus on your work, and I’ll visit you when I have a vacation,"
After a few simple exchanges, Ariana hung up the phone, then turned around to face her colleagues’ envious looks.
"Director Evans, you are truly blessed, a husband who loves you and a daughter who is obedient."
Facing her colleagues’ compliments, Ariana just smiled faintly, showing no pride or superiority because of her family background, which was precisely what her colleagues admired.
The wife of a company president, she could be enjoying a luxurious, comfortable life, yet she insisted on standing at the surgical table, saving lives and aiding the injured. Furthermore, she was kind and amiable, making her reputation at the hospital extremely good.
With both patients and colleagues alike.
"I’ll go make rounds now." After greeting a few colleagues, Ariana briskly walked out of the office, hands tucked into the pockets of her white coat, her slightly raised neck exuding the demeanor of a righteous doctor.
When she reached the emergency exit, the friendly smile disappeared from Ariana’s face. She took out the phone from her coat pocket, dialed a number and pressed it to her ear, her gaze darkening ahead.