Chapter 186: No Longer Standing Still
When it came to surprising Ethan in the bedroom, Max had never once let him down.
Some things in life can be mastered overnight.
Others simply can't be learned in one or two attempts.
Carrying a box of thirty cupcakes, Ethan returned to the clinic.
To be honest, with the number of patients increasing every day, thirty was no longer enough.
They rarely lasted until closing time. Most days, they were completely gone by mid-afternoon.
Ever since Ethan had started training seriously, Helen had finally "shown him some mercy," increasing his daily cupcake allowance from three to five.
As he placed the cupcakes in the reception area's snack corner, he made a mental note.
I should remind Max to increase the daily cupcake supply.
As for why he hadn't mentioned it yesterday...
Well, yesterday hadn't exactly left him with time to think about cupcakes.
Natasha wasn't at the clinic today.
Although she'd spent nearly every day there recently, she and Helen had established clear responsibilities from the very beginning. Natasha almost never interfered with the clinic's daily operations.
Most of the time, she simply observed.
She watched the patients in the waiting room.
She sat quietly in the examination room, studying how Ethan treated every kind of patient.
When did he choose to explain?
When did he choose to remain silent?
When did he follow conventional medical procedures?
And when did he simply allow a miracle to happen?
She embraced her role as his assistant completely.
She brought him coffee.
Handed him cupcakes.
Processed authorization paperwork on his behalf, coordinated with government agencies, and secured special permits whenever they were needed.
She never asked why.
Her only concern was making things happen.
Even when the reason sounded utterly absurd—
Like obtaining a special authorization for his ex-girlfriend's roommate.
Of course, she couldn't resist teasing him every now and then.
In Natasha's eyes, this doctor was a contradiction.
At times, he displayed judgment and decisiveness far beyond his years.
At other times, he was as straightforward and idealistic as someone who had only just stepped into the real world.
She had also noticed the way Ethan looked at her.
There was something unusual about it.
It wasn't distrust.
Nor was it dependence.
It was more like...
He understood her.
And yet, despite that understanding, he deliberately chose to keep a certain distance between them.
It was a state of accepting cooperation and accepting assistance while never surrendering his own judgment or freedom to choose.
Meanwhile, the Rayne Foundation had finally settled into a smooth rhythm.
After the kidnapping incident, donations had begun pouring in from every direction.
Some were only tens of thousands of dollars.
Others reached into the millions.
The strange part wasn't the amounts—it was where the money was going.
Instead of being wired directly to the foundation, every donation was deposited into Ethan's personal bank account.
There were no messages.
No requests.
No conditions attached.
It was as if people were simply placing the money into his hands.
Eleanor had anticipated countless possibilities.
This one had never crossed her mind.
These donors seemed to trust Ethan himself more than the foundation.
It was less a donation and more a statement:
The money is yours. You decide how it should be used.
Whether he kept it, donated it, invested it in the clinic, or spent it elsewhere—they had no intention of interfering.
Rather than making any assumptions, Eleanor came straight to Ethan.
Sitting in his office, Ethan seemed a little distracted.
His thoughts were still drifting back to Max's offhand comment about "living together" the night before—and everything that had followed afterward.
He wasn't planning to take their relationship any further just yet...
But the idea had inevitably wandered through his mind.
After explaining the situation, Eleanor paused before continuing.
"These funds were given directly to you."
"From both a legal and tax perspective, they can be treated entirely as your personal income."
Ethan thought for a moment.
"So..."
"The foundation hasn't received many donations?"
"It has," Eleanor replied with a nod.
"But comparatively speaking... very few."
Ethan frowned.
"I don't understand."
"Why give the money directly to me?"
Eleanor answered patiently.
"If it's classified as your personal income, you'll pay a significant amount in taxes—but you'll have complete freedom over how it's used."
"You can donate it to the foundation under your own name."
"You can keep it."
"You can buy property or expand the clinic."
"No one can question those decisions."
"But if the money goes directly into the foundation's accounts..."
"...then legally it can only be used for the foundation's designated purpose—medical assistance."
Ethan slowly nodded.
"I see."
"Then transfer all of it to the foundation."
"All of it?" Eleanor confirmed.
"Every cent."
His tone remained calm.
"No point making the IRS richer."
He continued,
"Receive everything through the foundation."
"Handle it publicly and by the book."
"I want every donor's name preserved—whether it's a company, an organization, or an individual."
"And make sure every donation is recorded along with its source and amount."
"No problem."
"I'll take care of it," Eleanor replied with a nod.
She thought she understood what Ethan was trying to build.
Not merely a donor list...
But a lasting network of responsibility, trust, and shared purpose.
Before leaving, she hesitated for a moment.
Then she couldn't help asking,
"Are you okay?"
"You've..."
"...changed lately."
Ethan looked up at her.
The capable executive, once known solely for her efficiency, had been visiting the clinic far more often these days.
Whenever Helen became overwhelmed, Eleanor would quietly step in to help process the foundation-funded cases.
If anyone had changed...
It was probably Eleanor herself.
She had started caring about people beyond the work.
Smiling, Ethan replied,
"Thanks for asking."
"I'm doing well."
"Better than before."
"I know what I'm trying to do now."
He paused, speaking with the quiet certainty of someone who had finally found his direction.
"The clinic won't stand still."
"Neither will the foundation."
"When something needs to be done, we'll do it properly."
"When it's time to make a decision, we'll make it."
"As for everything else..."
"We'll leave it to time."
There was an old saying, wasn't there?
Do the right thing, then let time deliver the reward.
Ethan couldn't have agreed more.
At least judging from the progress he'd made through his daily training, it had already proven true.
Eleanor nodded without asking anything further.
She had reached her own conclusion.
This doctor was no longer someone simply being swept along by circumstances.
He now had convictions.
A destination he genuinely wanted to reach.
And he was choosing, step by step, to walk toward it on his own.
When someone like that begins moving forward...
The world often starts changing with them.
A smile unconsciously appeared on her face.
That was undoubtedly a good thing.
After all...
If nothing ever changed, the world would be a terribly boring place.
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