CHAPTER 980: CHAPTER 980 COINCIDENCE?

"I’m sure..." Leo replied, then instinctively lifted his gaze toward Hera. Seeing the worry etched on her face, he couldn’t help but soften. A gentle, reassuring smile tugged at his lips.

Hera blinked in surprise, taken aback. For a moment, she wondered if she was hallucinating; that smile was so unlike the aloof Leo she had grown used to these days.

Since the amnesia, Leo had gone back to his older self—aloof, reserved, almost like a tsundere whenever Hera was around. That was why seeing him smile so gently now, so much like the Leo from before, left her stunned.

Then a thought struck her. ’Is he... recovering his memories? Or... is he falling for me all over again?’

Hera wasn’t the narcissistic type, but she couldn’t find another explanation. The realization thrilled her, and she responded with a radiant smile, as warm and dazzling as sunlight.

Leo’s heartbeat, which had just steadied, turned erratic again. Hera’s smile was so bright, so innocent, she looked like an angel before him. Flustered, he tore his gaze away and cleared his throat.

"Ehem. Let’s go." His voice wavered slightly as he straightened in his wheelchair, trying to mask his racing emotions.

Rafael didn’t miss the subtle exchanges of glances between Hera and Leo. From his angle, he had the clearest view of both, and suspicion flickered in his eyes as he looked down at Leo. Still, he chose silence and simply pushed Leo’s wheelchair forward, while Zhane returned to guide Hera’s.

They reached a bench tucked beneath the shade, settling the patients to soak up some gentle sunlight. Rafael, Zhane, and the nurse positioned themselves behind, keeping watch.

The nurse, however, felt awkward standing among them. She inched away little by little, but her fingers couldn’t resist flying over her phone. In the hospital’s staff group chat, she was already fangirling after taking a secret photo.

...

[Nurse_Analys: OMG! Look at this picture! Don’t you think Director Zhane and that girl look perfect together? They’re screaming power couple! But the other two aren’t bad either, ahhh!! I can’t choose! ]

[Nurse_Analys(੭⩾﹏⩽)੭]

[BettyFromFloor3: @Nurse_Analys, you’re so out of the loop in the entertainment circle! That girl is Hera, a rich celebrity. Director Zhane? Just one of the fish in her pond. And that man standing beside him, looking like a domineering CEO straight out of a mafia drama?]

[BettyFromFloor3: Another one of Sister Hera’s "fish." And the guy in front, yep, that’s Leo. Wait... Leo’s really in our hospital?! I just got back from vacation, only heard rumors about his injuries, but dang, it’s true?!]

[BorryFromNextDoor: @BettyFromFloor3 ...hold up, what do you mean fish in her pond?]

[BettyFromFloor3: It means they’re her lovers, her harem, whatever you wanna call it. And don’t get it twisted, they’re all living in harmony. They even attend events together, rolling up in a limousine like it’s nothing.]

[BorryFromNextDoor: Daaang! But don’t you think that she’s kinda... slutty?!]

[BorryFromNextDoor: (」ﾟДﾟ)」]

[Nurse_Analys: @BorryFromNextDoor duh!!! When men do it, you all act like it’s a sport and even pat each other on the back. But when it’s a woman, suddenly she’s "slutty"? Double standards much?! ]

[Nurse_Analys: (⚆ _ ⚆)]

[ClarryFromHR: Exactly! I follow Hera’s activities; I’m a fan. Honestly, I see no reason to hate on her. And @BorryFromNextDoor, it’s not even like this arrangement was 100% her choice. From what I’ve heard, it was her men who pursued her relentlessly and refused to let go. In the end, they all agreed to this setup rather than break their hearts.]

[ClarryFromHR: Fun fact, apparently, this is the first time all of them (including our Director 😏) have actually fallen in love. Sure, women flock to them all the time, but they only see Hera. Just imagine how much it would hurt to walk away from that. So yeah, I get why they chose this arrangement instead.]

[ClarryFromHR: And btw, that’s insider info. So yeah, you can believe it’s true. ]

[FattyAnna: Right! Why is it that when a woman has more than one man, she’s instantly hated and called vile names, but when men do it, it’s totally fine? Why?]

[FattyAnna: Because a man’s ego got bruised? Because men still can’t accept women as equals and think they’re superior? And if what @ClarryFromHR said is true, then isn’t Hera actually the one carrying the biggest burden here?]

[FattyAnna: (⚆ _ ⚆)]

[FattyAnna: Think about it, she has to keep the peace, balance everyone’s feelings, and avoid favoritism, or it’ll cause fights and jealousy. That’s a lot of responsibility on her shoulders.]

[Dr.BlytheFromNeurology: @FattyAnna wow... sounds like you’ve been binging way too many palace romance novels to break it down like this. Got a lot of free time, huh?]

[Dr.BlytheFromNeurology: ｡:ﾟﾟ(´∀｀❀)･｡]

[FattyAnna: @Dr.BlytheFromNeurology Doc, don’t be mad! I was just pointing out how unfair it is that women get judged harsher just because some men’s egos can’t handle it...]

[FattyAnna: (⌒_⌒;)]

[FattyAnna: I’ll go back to work.]

[FattyAnna: ヾ(◎o◎ ,,;)ﾉ]

[Dr.BlytheFromNeurology: Fair point... Actually, there are studies showing that men who verbally attack women often struggle with low self-confidence. Putting women down gives them a false sense of superiority and temporarily boosts their ego.

[Dr.BlytheFromNeurology: Historically, women had the lowest social status, seen as burdens, bargaining chips in marriage, basically treated as commodities. So men never viewed them as equals.]

[Dr.BlytheFromNeurology: That mindset stuck around: if men cheat or keep multiple women, it’s called power. But if a woman has more than one man, she’s branded "slutty" because some men can’t accept women being on the same level, or living independently without attaching themselves to men. Honestly, guys like Director Everett are rare these days. Sigh...]

[Dr.BlytheFromNeurology: ლ(´• 0 •`ლ)]

[FattyAnna: @Dr.BlytheFromNeurology +1]

[Bettyfromfloor3: @Dr.BlytheFromNeurology +10]

[Nurse_Analys: @Dr.BlytheFromNeurology +50]

[ClarryFromHR: @Dr.BlytheFromNeurology +349]

[BorryfromNextDoor: I just misspoke, okay? Was it really necessary to roast me in front of everyone in the staff chatroom?]

[BorryfromNextDoor: (p〒д〒q)]

[FreddythePlumber: Yeah, cut him some slack. @BorryfromNextDoor just has a sewer for a mouth sometimes, that’s all. No need to turn it into "all men are trash." That’s kinda unfair...]

[FreddythePlumber: (p〒д〒q)]

[CarlostheDeliveryGuy: +1]

...

While the Providence Everett Medical Center staff group chat buzzed with talk of Hera’s love life, what began as idle gossip spiraled into a heated debate on the differences between men and women, branching off into all sorts of tangents.

Not long after, just as Zhane and Rafael were about to wheel Leo and Hera out of the sun, a crisp female voice cut through the air.

"Oh! Sir Leo, you’re here too? What a coincidence!"

But it wasn’t a coincidence at all. She had seen the group chat, spotted Leo’s face in the photo, and even picked up on the comments mentioning his connection with Hera. As soon as her eyes landed on Hera, she shot her a barely perceptible look of disdain.

In her mind, Hera was nothing more than the kind of woman who clawed her way upward by sleeping with men. The glamorous, wealthy image Hera had in the entertainment industry? To her, it could only be the result of affairs with multiple men.

With that belief firmly in place, she gave Hera no respect whatsoever, treating her as if she were invisible while directing all her attention toward Leo.

As the female doctor approached, Zhane’s eyes narrowed, his suspicion toward her only deepening. His gaze swept across the garden and landed on a nurse whose head was buried in her phone.

One quick glance at the glowing screen was enough; he caught sight of the staff group chat still open. In that instant, Zhane pieced everything together and understood exactly how the doctor had shown up here.

"Oh? Was it really a coincidence?" Zhane’s tone was calm but laced with authority. "As far as I recall, Miss Sophia, you weren’t assigned to the high-profile ward. Only the hospital’s executives and high-profile patients are permitted here. So tell me, what business do you have in this garden?"

His words struck like a whip. Sophia had already ignored his directives and was openly circling Leo, a blatant challenge to his authority. Zhane had every right to demand an explanation.

The nurse, however, was stunned. Zhane was known to be stern and aloof, but never arrogant. He treated his colleagues with respect and never spoke harshly to anyone, until now. Her head jerked up, eyes wide, glancing from Zhane to Sophia in disbelief. She quickly noticed Rafael scowling as well, and even Leo and Hera wore cold, displeased expressions.

Terry turned his head at the sound of the familiar voice, but when his eyes fell on Leo and Hera’s cold expressions, he immediately understood, something must have happened while he’d been out of commission.

Just like before, when Sophia had been sent away, Terry quickly pieced it together: Doctor Sophia must have crossed a line and managed to offend not only the amnesiac Leo, but Hera as well.

But Sophia remained unfazed, stepping even closer with a gentle smile fixed on her face. "Director Everett, please don’t be upset. It’s true I wasn’t assigned to the high-profile ward, but I happened to run into an old high school classmate who’s admitted there."