Isabella shrugged, \u201cI\u2019m so jealous. You get to see living people\u00a0<\/p>\n
every day, unlike me\u2026 never mind, probably not the best topic\u00a0<\/p>\n
for dinner, hehe.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
From a distance, Madeleine suddenly grabbed Rebecca\u2019s arm,\u00a0<\/p>\n
her nails digging into her flesh. \u201cOh my god, isn\u2019t that Bradley\u2019s\u00a0<\/p>\n
sister, Charlotte!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca calmly patted her hand away. \u201cI see her.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine sneakily took out her phone to take a picture and\u00a0<\/p>\n
send it to Roderick.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine\u2019s fingers flew across the screen: [Look!\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bradley\u2019s blind date brought Charlotte with her!\u00a0<\/p>\n
It\u2019s an Underworld! An Underworld!]\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick replied quickly: [?]\u00a0<\/p>\n
Followed by another message: [Stay away. Bradley turns into a\u00a0<\/p>\n
mad dog when he sees his sister.]\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 174\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was afraid his little Madeleine would get caught in the\u00a0<\/p>\n
crossfire.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine pouted and continued to watch them nosily.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy are those two pretending they don\u2019t know each other?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cProbably to avoid making Isabella feel awkward.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca analyzed rationally, \u201cCharlotte is afraid Isabella will\u00a0<\/p>\n
find out that Bradley likes her. If it gets out, how could they\u00a0<\/p>\n
finish this meal?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cTrue.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine sighed, resting her chin on her hand with a pained\u00a0<\/p>\n
expression.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca found it strange and reached out to poke her furrowed\u00a0<\/p>\n
brow.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong with you?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cTell me, is the pseudo\u2013incestuous ship better, or the doctor-\u00a0<\/p>\n
forensic examiner ship?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca narrowed her eyes, studying Madeleine for a moment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 174\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI never would\u2019ve guessed. You\u2019re quite the shipper.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine nodded like a chicken pecking at rice.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, yeah! You and that antiques guy are a great ship too!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cStop.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca shot her a glare.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAdrian and I only have a working relationship. Don\u2019t just ship\u00a0<\/p>\n
us.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine just smiled without a word. So stubborn. She was\u00a0<\/p>\n
just waiting for their fluffy moments.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When they were almost done eating, Isabella got up to go to the\u00a0<\/p>\n
restroom, and the air at the table instantly froze.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen did you get back?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bradley asked in a low voice.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Charlotte cut her steak gracefully. \u201cLast week.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy didn\u2019t you contact me?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 174\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWas there a need to?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She looked up at him, her gaze as calm as if she were looking\u00a0<\/p>\n
at a stranger. \u201cBradley, we have no relationship anymore.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s right. No relationship.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bradley\u2019s eyes held a hint of excitement. \u201cSo you\u2019re not my\u00a0<\/p>\n
sister anymore. Charlotte, we\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLegally, we have no relationship, but I\u2019ve always seen you as\u00a0<\/p>\n
my little brother.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cCharlotte!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bradley was getting angry. \u201cDo you dare to look me in the eye\u00a0<\/p>\n
and say that again?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Charlotte kept her head down, cutting her steak, and didn\u2019t\u00a0<\/p>\n
move.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Isabella\u2019s footsteps approached, and the two of them\u00a0<\/p>\n
immediately reverted to polite, distant expressions.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are you two talking about?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Isabella looked at them curiously. Something seemed off about\u00a0<\/p>\n
their expressions.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 174\u00a0<\/p>\n
Charlotte smiled and wiped the corner of her mouth. \u201cI was\u00a0<\/p>\n
asking Dr. Kline what sports he usually likes.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOh yeah? Dr. Kline looks like he\u2019s in great shape. What sports do you like?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Isabella asked with great interest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bradley looked at Charlotte\u2019s perfect fake smile and suddenly\u00a0<\/p>\n
felt a tightness in his chest. \u201cFencing.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
That used to be Charlotte\u2019s favorite sport.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Charlotte\u2019s eyelashes trembled slightly, but she quickly returned\u00a0<\/p>\n
to normal.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Isabella said, delighted, \u201cCharlotte, don\u2019t you like fencing too?\u00a0<\/p>\n
We could go together. How about we find a fencing club and\u00a0<\/p>\n
have some fun this afternoon?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m afraid not.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Charlotte picked up her phone with an apologetic look. \u201cI just\u00a0<\/p>\n
got a message, there\u2019s an urgent meeting.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Instinctively, Bradley didn\u2019t want her to leave.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll drive you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 174\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s no need.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Charlotte smiled and declined, \u201cMy car is right outside.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She turned to Isabella, \u201cIsabella, have fun.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bradley watched her back as she turned to leave. Three years,\u00a0<\/p>\n
and she was still the same\u2013always elegant and poised.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Always\u2026 keeping him a thousand miles away.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Isabella watched Charlotte\u2019s retreating figure in confusion, then\u00a0<\/p>\n
turned to look at Bradley. \u201cDo you two\u2026 know each other?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bradley pulled his gaze back and said flatly, \u201cWe don\u2019t.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His tone was so calm, he almost believed it himself.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Only he knew that as he said those words, it felt like something\u00a0<\/p>\n
was viciously squeezing his heart.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Outside the restaurant, Charlotte got into her car and finally\u00a0<\/p>\n
dropped all her pretenses.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her hands were shaking uncontrollably, and it took her three\u00a0<\/p>\n
tries to fasten her seatbelt.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In the rearview mirror, she saw her eyes were getting a little red.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 174\u00a0<\/p>\n
Charlotte left, and Madeleine\u2019s disappointment was obvious.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She bit her straw, sipping her sparkling water.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy\u2019d she leave? What happened to the Underworld you\u00a0<\/p>\n
promised?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou really love to watch the drama unfold, don\u2019t you?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca shook her head, leaning back and crossing her arms.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou should probably think about how you\u2019re going to explain this to your mom. This blind date, I don\u2019t think it\u2019s going to work\u00a0<\/p>\n
out.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 175\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella\u2019s storytelling style is immersive and addictive\u2014perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.<\/p>\n
Night Carved Paths Into Silence by Zyrel Ash 174 Isabella shrugged, \u201cI\u2019m so jealous. You get to see living people\u00a0 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[85],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29471","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-heart-surgeons-last-patient-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29471","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29471"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29471\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29471"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29471"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29471"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}