âDo I need to be with her during the treatment process?â Weston asked.
Dr. Hayden nodded, but his brows furrowed into a frown when he looked at Guinevere. âGiven her current situation, she needs someone she can trust by her side, or itâll be hard for me to keep her under control. If she were to hurt herself, it wouldnât be goodâ¦â
Weston sat down by the bed.
Guinevere immediately grabbed his hands. âDonât go. Stay with me, all right?â
Haydenâs eyes glinted as his gaze deepened. âMs. Cohen appears to be very dependent on you.â
Weston remained silent. âPlease begin,â he said after a while.
He looked up at Hayden. âDo whatever it takes to get her back to normal.â
On the other side of the hospital.
Stella finally felt rest assured upon confirming that Roger was fine.
Her face turned solemn when she saw Roger hemming and hawing. âWhat is it that you find so difficult to confess even to me?â
âI donât mean thatâ¦â
Both of them settled down on the chairs along the corridor.
Riley had gone to the washroom, so they decided to wait for her there.
Anger simmered in Stellaâs heart at Rogerâs silence. âAfter you did something so dangerous last night, youâre still unwilling to tell me why? Do you still treat me as your sister?â
âOf course I do! Youâre my only family, I justâ¦â
Roger stammered for a long while before saying, âStella, I donât really want to pursue my studies overseas.â
âWhat did you say?!â Stella raised her voice. âEverything has been prepared, and youâre telling me you donât want to study overseas?â
Disappointment filled her eyes, causing Rogerâs head to hang down low. âIâm sorry, it was just a random remarkâ¦â
Stella sensed that she had overreacted, and she took a deep breath to calm herself down. âCan you tell me the reason for that sudden thought? Havenât we agreed on this previously? Are you in some sort of trouble?â
âNone of the above.â
Roger shook his head, struggling over whether he should come clean.
Upon seeing the look on Stellaâs face, he gathered his courage and said, âStella, I realized that one of the institutions sponsoring me overseas is related to Weston Ford ⦠although he might be clueless about which student he actually sponsors, I canât stand the thought of him sponsoring even part of the trip.â
The air around them turned silent the moment he explained himself.
Stella remained quiet for a long time.
Roger snuck a peek at her face, trying to guess what she was feeling.
However, Stella didnât have much of a reaction. âOh, I see,â was all she said after a moment of spacing out.
Her reaction was so calm it made Roger feel lost. âStella, we had agreed previously that weâll never have any connection with that man. If it makes you feel uncomfortable, I can choose not to study overseas. Itâs not like I was desperate for this chance in the first placeâ¦â
âDonât say such things,â Stella cut him off. âI know that you really like Compassvale University. To be honest, what you are concerned about doesnât really affect me.â
âStella, havenât we agreed to never let that person affect our lives anymore?â
âYouâre not the only student heâs sponsoring. Itâs very normal that a big company does some corporate social responsibility. They are obliged to do so, to enhance their corporate image and reputation.. and you earned this scholarship based on your merit, not some underhanded means. It is a chance you deserve. As long as you hold your head up high and be honest, the sponsor doesnât matter.â
âI knowâ¦â Roger said, âBut I just donât feel good about it.â
Stella was about to say more when Riley came out of the washroom âSorry for making you guys wait!â
âWhat took you so long?â Roger furrowed his brows.
Riley stuck out her tongue playfully. âIâm sorry. I saw a famous celebrity over there and went to check things outâ¦â
âDid you know? Guinevere Cohen is here at the hospital too!â