Chapter 87: Scheme
By the elevators.
Vivian Lowell called Eleanor Rhodes to ask how she was doing at the hospital.
"Your mom sent me a message last night, thanking me for taking care of you. Tanya, are you feeling any better? When will you be discharged?"
On the other end of the line, Eleanor Rhodes seemed to be eating.
Vivian heard Caleb Quinn’s voice.
Caleb Quinn sounded a little exasperated. "Mr. Tanya, slow down. I made the dumplings small specifically so you could eat one in a single bite, but you don’t have to wolf them down so fast!"
"What if you choke? Do you want a sip of soy milk?"
’Caleb Quinn made the dumplings himself?’
Vivian Lowell was a little surprised.
Caleb Quinn was the captain of the Aethelburg University basketball team and had even won a first-place trophy for the school. Not only was he handsome and cheerful, but his stoic, chiseled features alone could put countless pretty boys to shame.
’I can’t believe he can cook, too!’
Vivian Lowell couldn’t help but want to ship them as a couple.
’This kid Caleb is pretty great!’
He might be a few years younger than Tanya, but he was caring and responsible. With qualities like that, the age difference hardly mattered.
’Younger guys have their perks, too!’
Vivian Lowell suddenly recalled discussing the "perks of younger guys" with Julian Faulkner, and she couldn’t help but nod with a fond, knowing smile.
’Caleb Quinn is a great guy.’
Besides, from what Vivian had observed, Caleb Quinn’s attitude toward Eleanor Rhodes had always been wonderful. She suspected he might even have a secret crush on her.
’If they could get together—’
Vivian felt it would be much better than Eleanor Rhodes continuing to waste her time on Henry Sterling.
As she was thinking, Caleb Quinn took the phone from Eleanor Rhodes’s hand on the other end of the line.
"Still answering the phone while eating!"
Caleb Quinn muttered. It sounded like a complaint, but his tone was laced with more exasperation and affection than anything else. After taking the phone, he seemed to glance at the screen before saying, "Mr. Lowell, it’s me, Caleb Quinn."
Vivian had already heard Caleb’s voice.
Now that Caleb had the phone, Vivian said, "Yeah, I heard you talking just now. Is Tanya eating something you made? That’s impressive; I didn’t know you could cook."
"Thank you so much for taking care of Tanya these past couple of days. Are you heading back to school tomorrow? When is she getting discharged? If she can’t leave the hospital yet, I’m planning to hire a couple of caregivers to look after her."
"You’re still a student, so your studies should be the priority, you know?"
"Yes, Mr. Lowell, I know," Caleb replied dutifully. "But Mr. Tanya’s injury is healing very well. The doctor said she can actually be discharged already."
"She just has to be careful afterward. She can’t get the wound wet for now, and she can’t eat anything spicy or greasy. No seafood, either. She has to stick to this diet for a few days, and it will heal up fine. Then she just needs to come back to get the stitches removed."
Caleb had memorized all the instructions perfectly.
Over the phone, Eleanor Rhodes heard this and couldn’t help but protest, "I can’t eat this, I can’t eat that... this is torture! Vivian, I want hot pot!"
"Absolutely not."
Caleb Quinn lowered the phone and glanced at Eleanor Rhodes. Coaxing her like a child, he said softly, "Mr. Tanya. Be good. Just be patient for a little while longer, okay?"
Caleb really wanted to pat Eleanor Rhodes’s head.
But...
He thought about it and held back. ’What if Mr. Tanya doesn’t like it?’ He wanted to respect her wishes.
Vivian Lowell smiled as she listened to the conversation between Caleb and Eleanor Rhodes. "Okay then," she said. "Caleb, I feel much better knowing you’re there."
"Here’s the plan: I’ll have a caregiver go to the hospital tomorrow morning to stay with Tanya, then I’ll go myself in the afternoon to pick her up. The day after tomorrow, our vet clinic can reopen for business."
"And when you’re free, you can come back to your part-time job. How does that sound?"
Caleb Quinn happily agreed.
Just as Eleanor Rhodes finished her dumplings, she had Caleb hand the phone back to her.
Eleanor Rhodes’s voice was still muffled from eating. "Vivian, you have no idea how boring it is being stuck in the hospital. Thank goodness I have a private room."
"Caleb brought a projector for me, so when I get bored, he can put on a movie! The only problem is I can’t move. My bones feel like they’re turning to jelly!"
"Hey, Vivian, are you free right now? Let’s chat. How about we have some ’virtual hot pot’?"
"’Virtual hot pot?’" Vivian was baffled. "What does that mean?"
"It means... we pretend we’re eating hot pot! Okay, Vivian, let’s get a split pot. The spicy side will be the Sichuan butter-style, and the other side will be mushroom broth."
"What else should we order? Thinly sliced beef, beef tripe, shrimp paste, and..."
Eleanor Rhodes rattled on, lost in her fantasy.
Vivian chuckled. She knew Eleanor was just consoling herself with a fantasy, so she played along. "And Chinese yam! Let’s cook it in the mild broth, what do you think?"
"Sounds great!"
Eleanor Rhodes had no objections and kept adding more "dishes"!
After they finished "ordering," Eleanor announced the food was served. As she was about to dip some tripe, Vivian said, "Then remember to dip a slice for me, too."
"My ride just got here. I’ll first—"
Vivian was still talking to Eleanor Rhodes when someone suddenly came up from behind and snatched the phone from her hand.
!?
Vivian jumped. ’A pickpocket? On such a bustling Aethelburg street?’ she thought. But when she turned around, she found the person who’d snatched her phone was unnervingly familiar.
It was Ethan Grant.
"You’re still here?"
Vivian grew wary. Clutching her purse, she took a few steps back, trying to distract him so she could slip into the car.
Ethan Grant’s expression was dark, and he gave off an extremely dangerous aura.
She didn’t dare take any chances; she had to find a way to leave immediately!
But Ethan Grant had clearly anticipated her plan.
Just as Vivian Lowell opened the rear door of the rideshare, Ethan Grant lunged forward, blocking her way.
The driver, completely bewildered, looked back and asked, "Are you two getting in?"
"Yes!"
"No!"
Vivian Lowell and Ethan Grant spoke at the same time. "Sorry," Ethan said to the driver, "my girlfriend and I are having a fight. She didn’t want me to take her home, so she called for a ride."
"I’m here to make up with her, so you can go. For your trouble... here’s five hundred."
With that, Ethan Grant pulled a wallet from his pocket and tossed it to the driver.
The driver caught it. He glanced between Vivian Lowell and Ethan Grant, took out the money, and then asked Vivian, "Is he really your boyfriend?"
"He’s not!"
Vivian immediately denied it. "I don’t know him at all! He just started harassing me and snatched my phone! Sir, please call the police!"
??
The driver hadn’t realized the situation was so serious and looked back at Ethan Grant.
Ethan Grant seized the chance to explain, "See? This is what girls are like when they’re mad! Don’t pay any attention to her. Just go. We’ll work it out!"
"Sir, don’t go!"
Vivian quickly cried out, "I don’t know what this man is planning to do!"
"..."
The driver looked back and forth between them, clearly in a bind.
At that moment, Ethan dropped the act.
He pulled something from his pocket and slammed it into the side of the driver’s head.
The driver’s eyes rolled back, and he slumped over, unconscious.
It happened too fast for Vivian Lowell to stop him.
She could only watch helplessly as it all unfolded. Ethan Grant slowly closed the distance between them.