The Hidden Empress Stripping Her Secrets After Divorce novel Chapter 282

New York, 3:00 PM.

The plane touched down smoothly. Evelyn followed the crowd out of the terminal, squinting against the harsh afternoon sunlight and raising a hand to shield her eyes.

As she turned on her phone, several notifications popped up on the screen.

From Sebastian: [Did you land?]

She checked the timestamp—it was sent two hours ago, while she was still in the air.

She typed a quick reply: [Just landed. Thank you.]

Send.

He didn't reply immediately; he was probably busy.

Evelyn tucked her phone away and hailed a cab.

"St. Jude's Medical Center, please."

***

St. Jude's Medical Center, Inpatient Department, 12th Floor.

When Evelyn pushed open the door to Room 1217, Arthur was propped up against the pillows, watching television. Hearing the noise, he turned his head, his face immediately lighting up at the sight of his granddaughter.

"Evelyn, you're back!"

Evelyn walked over, sitting by the edge of the bed and taking his hand. Her grandfather's hand was still so warm, his knuckles prominent and his skin speckled with age spots.

"How have you been these past few days, Grandpa?" she asked softly.

"Never better!" Arthur patted the back of her hand. "The nurses check on me constantly, the doctors interrogate me every day—it's driving me crazy. Evelyn, I want to be discharged."

Evelyn just smiled, opting not to argue. She pressed the call button by his bed.

A few minutes later, the on-call physician walked in with a medical chart. He paused when he saw Evelyn, then broke into a grin. "Dr. Sullivan, you're back? Perfect timing. Arthur's test results just came in. Have a look."

Evelyn took the chart and flipped through the pages meticulously. EKG, complete blood count, liver and kidney panels, echocardiogram... She studied every single detail, processing the data in her mind.

"Arthur is recovering beautifully," the doctor noted. "All his vitals are back to normal. He's cleared for discharge."

Evelyn nodded, snapping the folder shut, and turned back to her grandfather.

Arthur's eyes gleamed with triumph. "Did you hear that? Cleared for discharge! Hurry up and get the paperwork done, Evelyn. I don't want to spend another minute in this place!"

Evelyn laughed helplessly. "What's the rush, Grandpa?"

"What do you mean, what's the rush?" Arthur demanded indignantly. "My buddies are waiting for me to go fishing! Old man Adler caught a three-pound carp last week and has been bragging about it nonstop. If I don't get back out there, his ego is going to explode!"

Seeing him so full of life, Evelyn's heart softened.

"Alright," she said, standing up. "I'll go handle the paperwork."

***

Ground Floor, Discharge and Billing Counter.

Evelyn was standing in line when a voice called out from behind her.

"Dr. Sullivan?"

She turned around to see the hospital director, Dr. Miller, walking toward her with a warm smile.

Evelyn signed the form and took the discharge papers.

Dr. Miller stood off to the side, watching her with an amused grin.

"Dr. Sullivan," he suddenly blurted out. "Is that Mr. Thorne... interested in you?"

Evelyn's pen hovered over the clipboard.

"Dr. Miller," she looked up, her tone deadpan. "Since when did you start caring about hospital gossip?"

Dr. Miller burst into a hearty laugh. "It's not gossip, it's genuine concern! Honestly, I think Mr. Thorne is a massive upgrade from your ex-what's-his-name."

Evelyn offered no reply to that.

She merely smiled politely and turned toward the elevators.

"Thank you, Dr. Miller. I'm going to get my grandfather now."

***

New York, Lancaster Group Headquarters.

The black Bentley pulled up to the curb. Christian stepped out and strode purposefully into the skyscraper, Miles jogging to keep up.

They took the private elevator straight to the executive floor.

Christian stepped out, rounded the corner into the main office area, and instantly froze.

Sitting on the plush sofa in the reception area was Lyra, casually flipping through a magazine. Leo was sprawled on the floor beside her, pushing a toy car around.