Chapter


    502


    Jack was so startled he nearly wet himself when he realized Vanessa was standing right behind him. He scrambled to exin, his voice full of nervousughter.


    "Nessa, honey, I was just joking with Felix! Come on, everything here-inside and out- runs by your word. You know that, right?"


    But Vanessa wasn''t one to let things slide easily. She crossed her arms, a sly smirk on her


    face.


    "Whatever. I heard it all. You can exin all you want, but as punishment, don''t expect me to wear ck stockings or sleep with you for the next week!"


    Her tone was yful but firm, and before Jack could respond, she turned her attention to Felix, her expression brightening.


    "Felix! What a coincidence running into you here! Cici and I were just having a few drinks and chatting, and here you are!"


    Without waiting for Felix''s agreement, Vanessa waved enthusiastically. "Cici,e on! Let''s share a table."


    Felix sighed inwardly. While it seemed like Jack genuinely hadn''t nned this meeting, Felix was certain Jack had reported his whereabouts to Vanessa, leading to this convenient "coincidence".


    Vanessa quickly slid into the seat beside Jack, leaving Felix with no choice but to share the booth with a slightly bashful Nancy.


    "Fancy running into you here, Felix."


    "Yeah, quite the coincidence."


    Half an hourter, Felix excused himself to the restroom. When he returned, he said, Sorry, something urgent came up. I have to go.


    After everything he had been through, Felix was determined not to let anyone get hurt because of him-not even someone as kind as Nancy. Whether or not she might fall for him someday didn''t matter; he needed to stop anything from starting in the first ce. "That Felix! He deserves a good p!" Vanessa snapped.


    Jack quickly defended him. "Don''t be like that. I''m sure Felix really had something urgent to handle. You know how it is-being a traditional medicine practitioner means emergencies can happen at any time."


    Vanessa considered this and nodded. "Cici, don''t take it personally. I''m sure he didn''t mean to run off."


    Nancy smiled gently. "It''s fine, Nessa. Thank you. I believe everything happens for a reason."


    Vanessa frowned, shaking her head. "That mindset will only hold you back. Sure, fate exists, but you have to go after what you want. Think about it-some opportunities don''te around twice."


    The next morning, Felix had just finished his morning routine when he received a call from Alistair.


    "Mr. Zeller, we''ve got a problem. One of the Super S-rank criminals we''re holding in Wolfie troops'' custody suddenly fell gravely ill. His breathing is erratic, and it looks like he could die at any moment. Our doctors can''t figure it out. Can youe to take a look?" Felix frowned. "Is this one of the people I brought in?"


    "No. This guy has been in custody here for six months, even before Lady Summers arrived. He holds a critical secret we''ve been trying to uncover, but we''ve made little progress. If he dies, we''ll never get the answer we need."


    Alistair expected Felix to agree after a moment''s thought, but the response he received caught him off guard.


    "Alistair, I''d love to help, but I can''t. I already have a patient I promised to treat.


    Alistair, ever straightforward, didn''t press further. "Oh, alright then, Mr. Zeller. We''ll figure something else out."


    After hanging up, Felix got dressed and sat on the couch, staring at his phone. Sure enough, it rang a few minutester. The caller ID read Xena Summers. "Felix, do I really have to call you myself to make youe over?" she asked.