Chapter 426 Long Time No See
“Actually, you look very stylish.” The saleswoman enthusiastically came over. “Others don’t look as good as you when they wear this. You’re the only one who can bring out the elegance of it.”
“Really?” Angie scratched her head as she started feeling a little embarrassed by the compliment. “Let’s buy it then.”
At the checkout, Tina looked at the price of the hangtag and secretly thought to herself that it was only because of the exorbitant price that had motivated the saleswoman to praise Angie.
“I’m done. Now it’s my turn to buy you a new outfit,” Angie said while grabbing Tina’s little arm.
“Don’t think you can get away without doing it. Through me, you’ll know today what a total makeover means.”
Tina felt helpless. However, her phone suddenly rang and a young woman’s voice rang out. “Hey! It’s you.”
Angie and Tina both raised their heads; however, they did not recognize who it was even after squeezing their brain for some time. The young girl was similar in age to Angie. She was wearing a white T-shirt and denim shorts while carrying a small black backpack; her hair was tied up in a ponytail at the back of her head, and she looked very youthful and energetic. With a surprised look, she said to Angie, “It’s me. Don’t you remember me from yesterday at the airport?”
At that, Angie was reminded of her and came back to her senses. “Oh, it’s you! I remember.”
This girl was the victim she had helped yesterday at the airport. But as the situation was too chaotic, Angie had let the girl go first, leaving herself to bring the rogue to the airport security office.
“I went to the airport security office to look for you yesterday after meeting the person who was in charge of picking me up, but they said you had left. I wanted to thank you, but I didn’t expect to meet you here today.” The ponytailed girl smiled and stretched out her hand. “My name is Hannah Duncan.”
“I’m Angie. Angie Grant.”
“Is this your sister?” Hannah smilingly looked at the little girl beside Angie. Suddenly, the smile on her face stiffened. “Tina?”
Tina froze when she first saw Hannah. However, she was even more stunned when she heard Hannah introduce herself to Angie. Now, she wasn’t sure how to respond, but she had already been recognized by the other girl.
“You guys know each other?” Angie looked confused. “How do you two know each other?”
Tina tugged the corner of her mouth and forced a smile. “Not only do we know each other, but she is also my great-aunt.”
“What?” Angie’s face changed—she couldn’t believe her ears.
Then, the three of them went to a Korean restaurant in the shopping mall and sat together in a booth. Angie was the one who was most out of the loop and had no idea what was going on. So, she just listened to Tina and Hannah talk.
“So, Courtney has come back long ago?”
“Not really. It was pretty recent. When my illness is cured, we will still have to go back to America. So, don’t tell your family about seeing me today, Hannah.”
“Wait a minute,” Angie interrupted the conversation between the two. “Hannah, you refer to Courtney by her first name, and Tina, you refer to Hannah by her first name too. But you told me that Hannah is your great-aunt earlier. What are the generational relationships between all of you? Why does it sound so confusing?”
“You call my mommy by her first name too!”
Tina gave her a look and explained, “I refer to Hannah by her first name because there isn’t much difference between our ages, but she is my great-grandfather’s adopted daughter. Therefore, she is my real daddy’s aunt. So, isn’t she my great-aunt?”
Hannah nodded in agreement and looked at Angie before reminding, “So, actually I’m also your great-aunt. Yesterday was a fateful encounter at the airport. We’re actually family.”
Angie tugged the corners of her mouth with force. “You have not heard of Tina’s father—which means that Courtney doesn’t like to mention this person. So, don’t use the family card on me. I don’t have many relatives.”
“I’m just kidding.” Hannah was good-tempered and only smiled at Angie’s sharp words.
“I haven’t seen Courtney for a long time. Where are you staying?”
Tina was about to speak when Angie stuffed a chicken wing in her mouth and spoke first. “We live not far from here. If an opportunity arises, we’ll definitely invite you over.”
Hearing that, Hannah shifted her gaze and then smiled complacently. “Okay.”
After the incident at the airport that day, Hannah had escaped as fast as she could. So, it was evident that she was the kind of girl who had lots of tricks up her sleeves. Now, she was looking for an opportunity to talk about the past and take advantage of Tina’s youthful innocence. As Tina was young and still had fond memories of her own father, she did not think much about it, but Angie felt that Hannah was somehow up to no good.
She knew she had to tell Courtney about this back home so that the latter could prepare herself for what was coming next.
Meanwhile, at the Melrose City Hospital, Courtney had been on the night shift in the emergency department. When it was almost time to change shifts, the computer beeped to signal that a patient had just registered and was on the way to be consulted. Soon, there was a knock on the door outside.
“Come in.” Courtney yawned and pulled herself together, but when she looked up, her tired expression froze on her face.
Alexander’s neatly-pressed suit was still the same as 5 years ago, and he still carried the same aloof aura. When he saw her, he did not look surprised at all but simply sat down opposite her desk. Clearly, he came prepared.
“Long time no see.” His voice was much huskier and sexier than 5 years ago. Courtney’s heart trembled as she forced herself to calm down. Then, she glanced at the information on the computer and asked, “Eric Reynolds. Are you Eric?”
Alexander’s face did not change as he answered, “Eric is Josh’s cousin. He was the one who registered at the front desk.”
“Sorry, sir, we are a proper hospital with standard procedures. In order to prevent scalping and selling hospital registrations, patients must only register with their legal names.”
“I can go and register again, but it won’t take long. The emergency department has more doctors than patients at this time, so are you sure you want me to waste time?”
“It’s not a matter of wasting time; it’s the standard procedure.”
“Or are you planning to run away once I leave to get a new registration?”
“You…” Courtney couldn’t continue pretending, so she wrinkled her brow and stared at him for a moment. Then, she started flipping open the medical records.
“Speak then. Which part of you is injured?”
At that moment, Alexander stood up. As he stood opposite the desk, his tall figure caused the overhead fluorescent light to bounce upon the desk. When Courtney saw him undressing, her face changed.
“What are you doing?” Courtney asked while Alexander laid his suit jacket on the chair, ignoring her words, and unbuttoned his shirt to reveal his robust chest.
At that, Courtney’s face flushed red; she immediately stood up and said sharply, “The security room is not far from the emergency department. They will hear me when I shout.”
Alexander looked puzzled as he rolled up his sleeve and exposed his injured arm. “What do you want to call security for?”
He had just removed part of his black shirt, revealing the left half of his shoulder as well as the arm heavily wrapped in gauze.
