In Wendy’s eyes, Elias wasn’t in the same league as that scoundrel Simon.Callie and Elias had displayed their affection for each other openly.How could he so easily claim he didn’t love her?She couldn’t believe Elias didn’t care about Callie.Elias remained silent but clenched his lips even harder.‘Callie’s running a slight fever, but she’s still working. No matter how hard I tried to convince her...’ Wendy sighed, ‘I wanted to tell you to talk to her, to ask her to take better care of herself, but it seems unnecessary now.’Wendy concluded her words and walked away, not looking back.She knew she had partially fabricated that story, but if Elias truly cared about Callie, he would definitely make some inquiries about her.As Wendy left, Elias stood rooted in place, clenching his fists.He had wanted to keep their distance, to ensure Callie’s safety, and prevent her from being caught up in the Shadowfire matter.He was determined to stay away from her.Each time he encountered Call

In the infirmary, Callie sat in an armchair with an IV drip in the back of her hand.A series of coughs racked her body, her face flushed with fever.Wendy helped Callie hang the IV bag, silently berating herself for what she’d said earlier.Callie had been perfectly fine, but Wendy had instigated this situation by falsely claiming Callie’s temperature was on the rise.Now, the lie had become a harsh reality, and Callie was truly unwell.Callie’s head throbbed, and dizziness washed over her.Her sore throat felt like it had been sliced by a knife, causing her immense pain.She had no desire to speak, so she leaned her head back against the chair, tears slipping from the corners of her eyes.Watching Callie’s silent suffering, Wendy’s self-blame transformed into deep concern.She immediately knelt beside Callie and asked, ‘Callie, what’s wrong? Are you in pain?’It hurt—her head ached, her throat throbbed, but nothing compared to the pain in her heart.In the past, she’d never been one

Wendy was concerned that Callie was putting on a brave face to mask the inner turmoil.‘I’m truly fine,’ Callie assured her.She adjusted her blanket, adding, ‘Even though my fever is gone, I’m still a bit dizzy. I want to sleep for a while. Wendy, you can go. No need to worry about me.’Wendy nodded and said, ‘Okay.’As Wendy left, Callie descended into a deep sleep.This time, she didn’t dream of Elias.***Callie’s recovery was swift, and she returned to work, but her interaction with Elias had dwindled.Initially, Wendy worried about Callie’s emotional state, but she soon noticed that Callie was handling things quite normally.However, just as the days were passing uneventfully, they received shocking news.Angelia was rescued by the army.Her body was battered, covered in bruises and bleeding wounds, and she was swathed in a dark green military coat.Callie sprang into action, ready to provide immediate care upon her return.Angelia lay on a hospital bed, her once beautiful and s

Callie chose to stay silent, not entirely sure what to make of this enigmatic figure.She wasn’t in the mood for a conversation with this man, so she offered a polite excuse, ‘I’ve still got work to finish. Excuse me...’However, the man didn’t seem too pleased with her dismissal.He stepped in her path and insisted, ‘Dr Hawthorne, I’ve come to see a doctor. Would you please spare a moment to take a look at me?’Callie side-eyed him, noting his jovial demeanour that didn’t quite match someone in need of medical attention.Nevertheless, she cautiously examined his body.But when he removed his uniform, revealing well-defined muscles, Callie’s eyes widened as she noticed a bullet wound. ‘The wound appears to have been treated but has torn open again. I think it needs stitches.’‘I’m all yours.’ Despite the obvious seriousness of the injury, the man spoke as if it were a minor inconvenience and showed no signs of discomfort.This left Callie perplexed.As Callie carefully tended to the m

Harriet, taken aback by Elias’s furious tone, stared at him in surprise.‘Harriet, tell me,’ Elias continued, his voice filled with impatience. ‘What did Dylan do to Callie?’Harriet had intended to tell him that Dylan had been flirting with Callie, but she hesitated.She didn’t want to provoke Elias’s anger further.While Dylan held a similar rank to Elias, Harriet feared that if she mentioned the word ‘flirting,’ Elias might take it as a challenge and confront Dylan, possibly resulting in violence.Nervously, Harriet stammered, ‘Dylan was just fooling around. You know what he’s like. He wasn’t flirting with Callie. Absolutely not.’Harriet had entered the military straight after high school, so her combat skills were exceptional, but her social skills were lacking.Her current situation was a prime example.She thought her words would have placated Elias, but he clearly interpreted her statement differently.He was so furious that it triggered another fit of violent coughing.Elias’