By the time it was Adele Horne's turn for her injection, it was already half-past ten in the morning.

It seems like I won't be able to go to the company this morning; I'll have to wait until the afternoon, Julia Bluen thought after checking the time.

"I... hey, I'm scared," Adele Horne said as she watched the nurse preparing the needle, her scalp tingling, and she quickly tugged at Julia Bluen.

The nurse glanced at her, and the look made Adele Horne feel distinctly uncomfortable.

Is it wrong to be afraid of injections?

"What's there to be afraid of? It's just like an ant bite; it doesn't hurt much," Julia Bluen reassured her, without a hint of mockery in her heart.

"I've never been bitten by an ant," muttered Adele Horne.

"It won't hurt. You're an adult now. Do adults still fear injections? It will be over in a moment," Julia Bluen patiently soothed the tense Adele Horne. Julia Bluen knew Adele Horne's weakness, of course. However, if Adele Horne didn't get the injection right now, it would be difficult for her fever to subside.

Once the nurse had prepared the medication, she signaled Adele Horne to make a fist. Preoccupied with her argument with Julia Bluen, Adele Horne instinctively followed the nurse's direction and clenched her hand.

"Who made the rule that adults can't be afraid of injections?"

"Have you ever seen an adult afraid of injections? Only little girls who still cry over every little thing are scared." Julia Bluen noticed the nurse was about to administer the injection while Adele Horne was still engrossed in their verbal spar. A cunning smile flashed in Julia Bluen's eyes.

Adele Horne is young and impulsive, after all, making her easy to deal with, Julia Bluen mused.

"You're the little girl... My hand feels a bit sore!" Adele Horne exclaimed as she snapped back to reality, only then realizing the nurse had already inserted the needle.

Startled, she glanced at Julia Bluen. Upon seeing the playful and cunning smile in Julia Bluen's eyes, she immediately averted her gaze.

For the first time, I didn't scream while getting an injection.

Well, at least I saved a bit of face in front of Julia Bluen, Adele Horne thought with a touch of pride.

The infusion area was crowded. Julia Bluen noticed a few quiet wards nearby, each with two empty beds. She guided Adele Horne into one of them so Adele could lie down for the infusion, making it less uncomfortable for her.

As soon as Adele Horne lay down, she took out her phone and called Orlando Evans, asking him to come and keep her company.

Orlando Evans sounded delighted to hear she was genuinely sick, remarking that she finally wouldn't have to go to the office.

Hearing Orlando Evans' cheerful laughter over the phone, Adele Horne's heart suddenly felt a pang, though the feeling passed in an instant.

She only ended the call after Orlando Evans promised to come to the hospital right away.

Julia Bluen chose to ignore Adele Horne calling Orlando Evans to keep her company. In Adele Horne's heart right now, I, Julia Bluen, am the annoying one, while Orlando Evans is a paragon of virtue, she mused.

However...

A cold smirk flashed in Julia Bluen's eyes. One day, I'll make Adele Horne completely lose trust in Orlando Evans and expose his true colors.

"Pleasant Goat, Pretty Goat..."

Julia Bluen's phone rang. It was Glades Horne.

"And you say I'm like a little girl! You're the one who's like a little girl. With so many ringtones to choose from, you actually picked a children's song!" Adele Horne finally seized the opportunity to properly mock Julia Bluen.

"I like it," Julia Bluen responded, throwing Adele Horne a look that clearly said, 'What can you do about it?' This frustrated Adele Horne immensely, and she instantly recalled that her current predicament—lying in a hospital bed receiving IV fluids—was entirely due to falling for Julia Bluen's trick.

Why didn't I throw those words back at Julia Bluen then? 'I like it, what can you do about it?' It's all because of this impulsive, fiery temper of mine! The moment I see Julia Bluen, I get so infuriated that I inevitably fall into her traps! she fumed internally. I'll never fall for Julia Bluen's tricks again!

Although Adele Horne knew Julia Bluen was actually trying to help her, the deep resentment she harbored towards her couldn't be erased by just one or two instances of concern.

Julia Bluen pressed the answer button.

"Julia speaking."

"Why did you take so long to answer?" On the other end, Glades Horne was at his desk, flipping through documents with his left hand while holding his phone with his right, his gaze fixed intently on the text. His voice, though tinged with a hint of sternness, was laden with profound tenderness.

Not far from the desk, Hansen Ruiz was perched on the armrest of a sofa. He held a box of fancy chocolates, opened it for a look, and, deciding he didn't care for them, placed the box back on the coffee table. Then, he casually picked up a bag of premium pistachios from the table. He'd tried them before and found the taste acceptable.

Glades Horne shot him a sidelong glance but didn't seem to mind as Hansen Ruiz continued to munch on the snacks Glades Horne had prepared for Julia Bluen.

"I answered as soon as it rang. How is that late? I don't have the gift of foresight, you know, to pick up the phone the moment you merely think about calling me," Julia Bluen's amused voice came through, clear and sweet with a hint of playful petulance. Hearing it, Glades Horne's heart melted, feeling like a spring stream flowing only for her.

"Has Adele's fever gone down?" Glades Horne asked in a warm, mellow voice, a faint, almost imperceptible smile touching his lips. Only the slight upward curve was visible; someone not paying close attention wouldn't even notice he was smiling. His mood at that moment was genuinely excellent.

Julia Bluen glanced at Adele Horne, who was glaring at her. She stepped forward, felt Adele Horne's forehead with her hand, and then replied to Glades Horne, "Her fever is starting to break."

"You two didn't fight, did you?" Hearing that his sister's fever was subsiding, Glades Horne knew his wife must have pacified his sister. My dear Julia certainly managed to handle Adele, he thought, internally cheering for Julia Bluen. It's true that knowing your 'opponent' and yourself makes it easier to achieve victory. However, he still couldn't resist asking. Considering his sister's willful nature and his own absence, the two might very well have argued.

"Are you hoping we fought?" Julia Bluen retorted playfully with a laugh, indirectly assuring Glades Horne that she and Adele Horne had not argued.

Even if we really did fight, I wouldn't necessarily lose, Julia Bluen thought. As long as I'm in the right, I'll definitely win. Of course, if I'm in the wrong, I wouldn't argue with anyone. That's just the kind of person I, Julia Bluen, am. I always stand by reason.

Glades Horne chuckled softly, his mood evidently even more cheerful.

"How much longer will it take?"