Leanna steadied herself and rose to her feet, leaning forward slightly in a polite gesture. "Hello, Ms. Willis."
Averie grinned warmly. "There's no need to be so formal. We're not in a work setting right now."
Leanna managed a smile.
Shane glanced up at Averie. "You know her?"
"Leanna is the project leader for Ethereal Recall. I've been following that project for quite a while now," Averie replied, her tone filled with open admiration. "Shane, how much longer will you be? I brought you lunch. You need to eat on time, or your gastritis will act up again."
Then she turned to Leanna with an apologetic smile. "He's extremely devoted to his work. I'm always reminding him to eat properly."
The intimacy and softness in Averie's voice sent a dull ache through Leanna's chest.
The printer hummed as it finished printing the medical records. Leanna reached out and took the documents.
Her voice was low and restrained. "Dr. Lloyd, I'll be leaving now. Ms. Willis, I won't take up any more of your time."
She left, hurrying toward the elevator.
As Leanna rode the elevator, memories from the past crept in uninvited.
Shane had always struggled with stomach issues. Yet whenever she urged him to eat regularly, it only irritated him. Bringing meals to his place had never even been an option.
She had convinced herself that he was simply worried about their relationship being exposed and the complications that might follow.
Now she understood she had been making excuses for him all along. She had never been someone he intended to acknowledge openly.
The elevator doors slid open with a soft ding.
Emerging, Leanna immediately saw Jeff among the people nearby.
She quickly turned a corner, blending in with a group of patients as she left.
Although no one from her past could recognize her, she still feared being noticed.
Shane's sudden reappearance in her life had turned what was once carefree into something cautious.
After leaving the hospital, Leanna took the subway back to the office. She had barely settled in after clocking in when Matthew called her into his office.
Matthew sipped slowly at his coffee before speaking. "Leanna, the project has been officially finalized. This is your first assignment during your probation period. If everything moves forward smoothly, I'll recommend you for a permanent position."
The weight that had been on Leanna's heart the whole lunch break finally eased a little. "Thank you, Mr. Wallace. I'll continue to give it my best."
Matthew nodded. "Among all the probation employees, you're the most promising. Today, Ms. Willis specifically requested that you take charge of the coordination. You're articulate, capable, and reliable. I trust you wholeheartedly."
Leanna clasped her hands together. "I appreciate the confidence, but I don't think my experience is quite enough to handle direct coordination with L&W Group all by myself. L&W Group is a big company, and Ethereal Recall is currently one of our company's top-priority projects. I'm concerned that I may not be the most suitable person to take on this responsibility alone."
It felt almost cruel that such a valuable opportunity was tied to Shane and that the person overseeing it was Shane's woman.
In comparison with someone as outstanding as Averie, Leanna couldn't help but feel diminished.
Matthew continued firmly, "You'll be working with Corinne. The two of you will handle it together. Don't turn it down again; chances like this don't come around often."
Leanna didn't dare to refuse any further.
...
After finishing his night shift, Shane returned home to find his mother, Regina Lloyd, waiting for him in the living room.
"I had the maid organize a pile of things you left behind from your school days," Regina said. "You should look through them and get rid of whatever you don't need anymore."
Shane brushed past her instruction and said instead, "You were the one who told Averie to come over today."
It had been his scheduled day off, yet Averie had known he was at the hospital.
"As a man, you should learn to take initiative," Regina replied before turning and heading upstairs.
Shane went after her and opened the door to the storage room. As expected, it was filled with old books and various forgotten belongings.
One item immediately drew his attention—a violin case.
It was the last gift Melinda had ever given him. The violin inside had been broken.
After that day, she disappeared completely, going abroad for study.
She stopped answering calls, deleted her social media account, and cut ties abruptly.
It was as though the years they had spent together had never existed.
The maid walked over and asked, "Mr. Lloyd, is there anything here you'd like to keep?"
"Throw everything away," Shane replied indifferently.
The maid's eyes landed on the violin case. "My grandson wants to learn the violin. Would it be alright if I kept this one for him?"
Shane felt his throat tighten. "That violin is broken. I'll buy him a new one."
The maid's face lit up with surprise. "Thank you so much, Mr. Lloyd. Then I'll take this violin and discard it. It's already late; you should rest."
Just as she turned to leave, Shane stopped her. "Give me the violin. I'll take care of it myself."
He carried the violin case into his study and placed it on the lowest shelf of the bookcase.
When he returned to his bedroom, he noticed a black wallet resting on the nightstand. Drained from the night shift, he didn't give it much thought and slipped it into the drawer.
He had no idea he was now carrying two identical black wallets.
Picking up his phone, he saw a message from Averie, reminding him that he had something important to tell Leanna today.
As he scrolled through his contacts, his eyes lingered on the name "Leanna," even as his finger tapped on "Melinda."
He was just about to hang up when the call connected.
A woman spoke from the other end. "Hello?"
