Callie didn’t respond to him. She just glanced at the man who couldn’t hide his charm even when drunk and asked calmly, “Where to?”
Jaquan half-closed his eyes. “I only have a few places to visit in Ylosea. Don’t you know them all?”
His words were too intimate, stirring memories of their past hardships together. She asked, “The Sky Pavilion?”
“Let’s go to the hospital.” He leaned over and set the navigation.
Callie’s emotions surged, but she feigned calmness. “Is it appropriate this late?”
Jaquan had a teasing tone. “What do you mean?”
“The procedure.”
“I’ve taken care of the staff.”
Callie said no more and pressed the gas pedal.
The hospital was brightly lit. Jaquan walked ahead with a somewhat casual demeanor. Callie stared at his back, recalling various past events. If he hadn’t chosen this path, they might have become close friends.
There were police officers stationed outside Cyrus’s ward. Technically, visiting hours were over, but Jaquan had no trouble getting through.
“Wait here,” he said as he walked in alone.
The door was left slightly ajar. Callie stood at the entrance and could see Cyrus lying in bed, one hand cuffed and the other receiving an IV drip. He looked to be in his fifties or sixties, not particularly old, but his hair was already gray.
It was clear he had once been a steady and ambitious man.
Jaquan sat beside him and exchanged a few words. During their conversation, Cyrus glanced towards the door. Callie instinctively dodged out of sight.
After a while, Jaquan opened the door and said to her, “Come in.”
Callie frowned but followed him inside. Cyrus had already sat up and was scrutinizing her meticulously.
“Uncle,” Callie greeted.
Cyrus remained silent, his sharp eyes not resembling those of a man who had spent years in prison.
“Dad,” Jaquan called softly. “She was passing by and came to see you.”
Cyrus took a deep breath and looked at Callie. “I know you. You’re Callie.”
She remained calm. “It seems Jaquan has mentioned me to you.”
“More than once,” Cyrus replied, clearly displeased.
“Jaquan and I have shared hardships and can be considered close friends. It’s not been easy for him to get to where he is today,” Callie stated matter-of-factly.
“Old Oconnor passed away, and he couldn’t secure a chance for me to pay my respects. That’s his greatest failing.”
He was hinting at her. If he had really gone, Nelson would have killed him on the spot.
Callie smiled slightly. “It’s good that you have that intention. The rest is up to fate; Old Oconnor will understand.”
Cyrus snorted coldly, his gaze examining her with a strange intensity.
“Since you’re divorced, fully support Jaquan. If you’re sincere, your status doesn’t matter.”
Callie glanced at Jaquan, unsure of what he had told Cyrus to make his attitude so ambiguous.
Jaquan said nothing, pouring himself a glass of water to sober up.
“Support him in smuggling?” Callie’s voice was icy.
Cyrus wasn’t surprised at all. “To achieve great things, the most important quality is courage. If he can’t even do this, he shouldn’t be a man.”
Hearing this, Callie finally understood where Jaquan’s inherent recklessness came from.
“Uncle, at least there should be a bottom line,” she chuckled lightly.
Cyrus was silent for a few seconds before concluding, “You and he are not on the same path.”
He glanced at Jaquan, who was drinking water, seemingly puzzled. “Isn’t Marilyn good enough?”
Jaquan’s lips curled into a smile. “You’ve never seen her wield a gun. We are on the same path.”