At the same time, he felt guilty for lying to Melody and bringing Christopher to the ward. When they reached the inpatient department lobby, Christopher glanced at the third floor before departing without looking back.

“I ditched a meeting to come here and receive this treatment?” Christopher growled, his teeth clenched. “What an ungrateful woman! I should have stayed at the meeting!”

In the car, Sheldon texted Melody an apology, and she replied swiftly, stating she didn’t blame him and understood his predicament. Sheldon was so moved he nearly wept. Why couldn’t Christopher appreciate such a kind woman?

After a few minutes of silence, a voice erupted from the backseat. “How dare she not answer my calls? I’ve called her so many times!” Melody, he claimed, neither trusted him nor heeded his explanations. She didn’t care at all!

Sheldon mused, “It’s not a big deal that she didn’t answer. She’s probably too disappointed to bother.” Of course, he didn’t voice this. After a moment’s hesitation, he relayed Melody’s message: “Mr. Fuller, Mrs. Fuller said she won’t try to catch you red-handed or interfere in your relationships with other women. She also won’t tell your grandfather. You can rest assured…”

A loud thud interrupted him; he sat bolt upright. The blow felt as if it had pierced the chair and struck his back.

In the backseat, Christopher’s eyes blazed with rage; he seemed oblivious to the pain in his knuckles. Melody's message, though understanding and discerning, only fueled his anger. He felt even angrier.

“Why didn’t she just tell me directly? Why did she have to play the victim?” Christopher raged. How did Melody contact Sheldon? Why?

Sheldon sat rigidly, his composure visibly shaken. He couldn’t comprehend it. If Christopher truly loved Melody, why was he so deeply affected by sleeping with another woman?

Meanwhile, in the ward, Melody turned down the volume on the television, wanting only to be alone. The message she sent Sheldon was concise: she would be leaving in twenty-five days. If they could reconcile, they could live happily ever after.

In the afternoon, Christopher was completely off. He made careless errors while signing documents. When Sheldon saw another document crumpled in the trash, he silently retrieved and reprinted it. He knew those weren't just documents; they were signed by multiple department heads. Otherwise, there would have been repercussions.

Christopher casually tossed his pen onto the desk, leaning back in his chair and staring blankly at the ceiling. Did Melody tell him about last night? The keycard was still tucked under his collar. How did she spot it? Did she go home? But if she did, why wasn't it Cynthia she saw?

His gaze sharpened, his brow furrowed. He picked up his phone to call. The person answered, exclaiming, “Christopher, why are you calling? Do you…” Before she could finish, he coldly interrupted, “Did you tell Melody about what happened at the hotel last night?”

Cynthia’s grip on her phone tightened. She’d expected an argument between Melody and Christopher; she was prepared. But his fury took her aback.

“I only told Melody to check if the door was unlocked,” Cynthia said cautiously, fear lacing her voice. “Are you angry? I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have…”

Christopher paused, gradually calming down. If Cynthia’s statement was true, there was nothing wrong. He didn’t love Melody; he loved Cynthia.

“I was just… I was just panicking,” Christopher said gently.

Reassured by his return to normalcy, Cynthia deliberately remarked, “You sounded so angry.”

“I’m sorry,” Christopher mumbled, unsure how to apologize. What was wrong with him? Why was he so angry? Why did he lash out at Cynthia? After a moment’s hesitation, he continued, “I just didn’t want the news to spread; it might harm your reputation. Aren’t you planning to join the entertainment industry?”

“Oh, so you’re worried about me. Don’t worry, Melody isn’t the type to post things online and cause trouble,” Cynthia said, smiling. Her words held a double meaning: even if rumors surfaced—even if she spread them herself—she could blame it all on Melody.

A sly smile played on Cynthia’s lips, her eyes manipulative and satisfied. “You didn’t forget about my runway show tonight, right?” she added. “You have to come. If you don’t, I won’t talk to you anymore.”

Christopher agreed, ending the call after a few more casual exchanges. Alone, Cynthia stared at her phone, replaying Christopher’s outburst. She gritted her teeth, muttering, “Melody, you really deserve…”

Meanwhile, Christopher considered the reason for his outburst. Since leaving the hospital, he felt his emotions were beyond his control. But he didn’t understand, and there was no time to dwell on it. Sheldon had returned with the reprinted documents.

“I made no mistakes while signing,” Sheldon said, relieved, examining the perfectly completed documents. “I’m leaving work on time today. Call me if anything arises.”

Christopher took the documents and started to leave, but a chilling question stopped him. “Are you close to Melody?”

The question sent a chill down Sheldon’s spine. His survival instincts told him honesty would be perilous.

“I only interacted with Mrs. Fuller when I picked up documents from your house. We’re acquaintances, at most,” Sheldon replied solemnly.

“Then why does she only answer your calls?” Christopher pressed, his gaze unsettling.

Sheldon suspected Christopher was jealous. He improvised. “I’m your assistant. Mrs. Fuller might have assumed it was work-related, so she didn’t want to interfere.” His mind raced, formulating his answer. “I called Mrs. Fuller several times before she finally picked up. I didn’t want to affect your work,” he added.

His response was flawless. Christopher ceased his questioning, the tense atmosphere dissipating. He dismissed Sheldon with a wave.

After Sheldon left, he breathed a sigh of relief and promptly deleted his chat history with Melody. Considering the messages, especially Melody’s sympathy for his work, he realized he might not survive another such encounter.