After receiving the order from Zack, Bryan drove straight to the hospital. He made an immediate appointment to see the doctor in charge of Edmond’s treatment.
As Bryan stepped into the office, he was welcomed with a warm smile from the doctor.
“Good to see you, Mr. Bryan,” the doctor greeted, extending his hand for a handshake.
Bryan shook his hand without responding, his expression serious.
The doctor noticed the solemn countenance, his mind hinted at the possible reason for his visit. For this man to pay him an urgent visit, he very well knew it was an order from his boss.
“How may I help you today?” he asked with a wry smile.
Bryan still didn’t respond and graciously took his seat, his gaze solely fixed on the doctor.
After a few seconds, Bryan’s silence became distressing, and the doctor broke the tacitness. “Is anything the matter?” he asked, his smile never faltered.
“Yes, I’m simply curious, doctor. You informed me Edmond was stable two days ago, so I came here regarding the cause of Edmond Lewis’s sudden death,” he replied, his gaze still piercing.
Bryan reply confirm the doctor’s thoughts. “I understand your concern, Mr. Bryan,” he said sympathetically. “Like I said before, there was an unexpected complication… I’m sorry for your loss…”
“Make me understand, doctor,” Bryan cut him off curtly, his voice a bit demanding.
The doctor hesitated, his smile fading as he understood the allusion. “Well… There was a glitch, I’m not really sure about the main cause, Mr. Bryan.”
Bryan listened intently, expecting him to explain more, but the doctor remained silent. Just as Zack had said, pressuring the doctor for an answer was the best option, as he observed the doctor was hesitant to explain in detail. “What glitch… doctor?” he inquired earnestly.
The doctor let out a silent sigh in defeat. “I can’t tell without confirmation. I need to be sure, but I want to assure you that we are looking into every aspect of his care to understand what really happened. However, I need more time to gather more information before I can provide a detailed explanation.”
Bryan exhaled in satisfaction, his face brightening a bit. He was impressed by the way he pressed him for answers because if he hadn’t, maybe the doctor wouldn’t have been honest about it, or even if he was honest, he would have informed him late. They needed to understand what’s going on so it could help the detective determine the best course of action for his investigation. The sooner, the better.
“I just needed you to be more transparent,” he confessed as he gave the doctor a subtle nod. His true intentions regarding his visit became more palpable.
The doctor’s eyes flashed with compunction. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you in time. I wanted to maintain your trust in our service.”
“It’s understandable,” Bryan remarked with a subtle smile.
The doctor returned the smile, thinking the discussion was over, not knowing Bryan wasn’t done inquiring yet.
“So, doctor, tell me what you suspect as the cause of his death. I know you said you haven’t confirmed, and I understand you don’t want to jump to conclusions yet, but I want to know.”
The doctor decided to spill the beans. “We have some concerns about the life-supporting equipment, and we are investigating whether there was any malfunction or issue with the machine. I want to emphasize that we are taking this very seriously and will do everything to determine what happened.”
The underlying cause of Edmond’s death became clear. Bryan nodded, satisfied by the doctor’s honesty, even though he was given a push first before spilling it out.
“Thank you, doctor. Please do well to inform me of your progress as soon as possible,” he said, rising from his seat.
“Yes, of course, Mr. Bryan.”
Currently at the penthouse, Zack just received feedback from Bryan. He had suspected foul play, and the doctor’s words only confirmed his suspicion.
After their conversation on the phone, he explained to Ivy the details of Bryan’s visit to the hospital.
“The hospital has a high level of security. Who is the person that always seems to get away with his crime, leaving no trace? Sometimes my intuition moves towards Jake, and sometimes I feel it’s Irene,” Ivy said, her frustration palpable.
At the mention of her sister’s name, Zack’s curiosity to find out the reason for Irene’s vendetta was aroused. “Why does your sister hate you so much, to the extent she drugged your food? God knows what she intended to do with you at the restaurant at that time.”
Ivy hesitated; the non-valid reason behind Irene’s vendetta has always been a soft spot. “We had our disagreements when we were younger. She is just channeling hatred towards me because I trusted our dad.”
“She hates her father? And she hates you too because you trusted him?” Zack asked, amazed by the cause of their disagreement.
Ivy nodded, her expression turned somber.
Zack saw the sudden change in her demeanor, beginning to wonder what really happened in the past; it seemed they had a very serious clash. Her father also seemed to be in the middle of everything. “Care to tell me?”
Ivy shook her head. “No, not now, at least. I don’t want you to see me… break down,” she chuckled in between her words. “Maybe some other time, I’m not ready to dive back into the most painful moment of my life.”
Zack let out a soft chuckle, patting her on the head. “Always remember I’m here for you. You have my shoulder to cry on when you feel like it.”
Ivy’s lips curled up in a smile, slapping his hands off her head, feeling a bit embarrassed. “I’m not a child…”
“I know; I can see that. Being an adult makes you think you can solve all your problems yourself, shouldering all challenges that come your way. I have felt that way before. Now that we are partners together in the name of marriage, we can support each other,” Zack said in a serious tone.
Ivy couldn’t explain why she was feeling a flutter in her chest. This man by her side was making her emotional. She couldn’t ignore how her heart gradually gave in to the sense of fervor each time he comforted her.
“You know, I kind of regret why I fell in love at the early stage of my life, why I fell in love with that jerk of a nephew you have, but now I feel it is meant to be, maybe I wouldn’t have met you.”
A smirk tugged on Zack’s lips. “So you are implying I’m a godsend.”
The smug look on Zack’s face made her chortle. “Yeah, I shouldn’t have said that.”