"Thank you," Tansy Kelley said, her voice still weak but sincere. She stepped toward Alyssa. "You saved my life. I'm Tansy Kelley."
"Alyssa Clarke," Alyssa replied with a nod. Her tone was distant.
Mrs. Pemberton stood beside them, her face a mask of shame. She bowed deeply to Alyssa. "Miss Clarke, I am so sorry. I was blind and foolish. Please, forgive my rudeness."
Alyssa didn't even look at her. Her focus was on Tansy. "Your condition is only stabilized for now. That was an emergency stopgap. Without a systematic course of gene therapy, the next attack will be fatal."
Tansy's eyes lit up. "You... you can treat me?" she asked, a surge of hope in her voice. "My brother has searched the entire world for a cure! He'll be so happy when he finds out you're here!"
She grabbed Alyssa's hand, her touch surprisingly warm. "I have to call him down here right now! My brother, Dalton Kelley, you must have heard of him. He's the most eligible bachelor on Wall Street! And he doesn't have a girlfriend. I think you two would be perfect for each other!"
Tansy's cheerful, innocent nature was completely oblivious to the way Alyssa's brow tightened at the mention of a setup.
Alyssa gently pulled her hand away. "I'm not interested in your brother," she said, her voice cool. "I saved you because you needed medical attention. That's all."
Tansy's enthusiasm deflated like a popped balloon. She looked crestfallen.
"As for the treatment," Alyssa added, "I can wait for him to come down to discuss the terms. But it will be strictly business."
Tansy stuck out her tongue, realizing she'd been too forward. But her admiration for this mysterious, powerful girl only grew. She quickly sent a text to her brother, telling him the miracle doctor was here, downstairs, and had just saved her life.
Dalton Kelley had just stepped out of the elevator when his phone buzzed. He read the message. The words "miracle doctor found" and "saved my life" sent a jolt through his icy composure.
He immediately quickened his pace, striding toward the hotel entrance with his assistant and bodyguards in tow.
Tansy was trying to convince Alyssa to wait in the hotel café. Alyssa refused. She disliked the stuffy, enclosed space and chose a seat in the open-air lounge area by the entrance.
Mrs. Pemberton, desperate to make amends, immediately ordered the finest tea and pastries and had a waiter bring a cashmere blanket.
Alyssa waved it all away with a single, dismissive gesture. She sat in silence, a solitary figure observing the world around her.
Tansy thought she was the coolest person she had ever met. She sat beside her, chattering away about her brother, trying to build a connection.
Alyssa listened with half an ear, her attention focused on scanning her surroundings.
Dr. Vance hadn't left. He stood a respectful distance away, debating whether to approach her again. He pulled out his phone and sent a coded message to a secure medical research forum he belonged to. Extraordinary incident in LA. Unidentified female practitioner demonstrated a theoretical neuro-stabilization technique with flawless execution. Possible link to the anonymous 'Surgeon' research papers. This could be a major breakthrough.
Tansy, getting no reaction from Alyssa, changed the subject. "That girl who was bullying you earlier, who was she? She was horrible!"
"Someone unimportant," Alyssa said flatly.
"How can she be unimportant?" Tansy said, indignant. "She needs to pay for what she said! When my brother gets here, I'll have him take care of her for you!"
A barely perceptible twitch touched the corner of Alyssa's mouth before vanishing.
Just as Tansy was vowing to get justice for her, the tall, imposing figure of Dalton Kelley appeared in the hotel doorway. His sharp, blue eyes scanned the crowd, searching for his sister and the doctor who had appeared out of nowhere.
