Isabella looked at Dr. Molly carefully, studying her for a moment before giving a victorious smile. She placed one hand on the desk, leaned slightly forward, and spoke with a sweet smile.
"I really like the color of your hair, Dr. Molly. You know? Some people don't like red hair, but I do. I can't decide whether to call this color strawberry or cherry. Something like that…"
With that, Isabella began showering her with compliments. Dr. Molly was visibly pleased by the praise. What made her even happier was the fact that the compliment was coming from the mother of the man she admired.
Molly lightly brushed her hair back and smiled.
"Hehe… My mother always compliments my hair too. She says I was born with naturally curly hair and that the color is very beautiful. By the way, Mrs. Thorne, your hair looks so soft. The color is also so rich and shiny."
"Oh, this?"
Isabella smiled.
"I always take good care of my hair. I use hair treatments regularly, remove the buildup, and make sure to maintain it properly. I also go to a beauty salon every month. Oh, by the way, where do you usually go to get your hair and beauty treatments, Mrs. Molly?"
Dr. Molly gave a small, slightly embarrassed laugh before answering.
"Oh, I usually just go to a salon near my house. I can't really afford to go to those fancy places. That salon isn't bad, though. It's quite convenient. But I suppose you usually go to premium places, maybe five-star salons and beauty centers. They must be very luxurious."
After that, the two women continued talking about beauty, clothing, skincare, and famous beauty salons. Molly spoke and behaved especially well, trying her best to become closer to Isabella.
"Mrs. Thorne, your skin is really beautiful. What kind of products do you use?"
"Oh, nothing particularly special. I just take care of it regularly."
Isabella gave a soft laugh before continuing.
"But if you have some free time one day, you should come with me to the salon I usually visit. They are really good. They even have private rooms. It's the place I always go to, and I have a membership card there. If you come with me, at least I'll have some company."
Molly's face immediately brightened.
"Really? Mrs. Thorne… I'd love to go."
"Then it's settled. We'll go together next week. I'll give you a call."
"Yes, Mrs. Thorne. Thank you so much. Actually, at the end of this month, I'll be attending a hospital-representative workshop along with Dr. Julian and some other members on behalf of the Blood Department. It's perfect timing. I wanted to make sure I looked my best before the trip. I'll be waiting for your call next week."
Molly nodded happily. But deep inside, she had only one thought. 'Does Julian's mother already like me?' The thought made her feel extremely pleased. On the other hand, Isabella quietly studied Molly's face as well, already guessing the intention behind her behavior.
If this woman really likes Julian that desperately, then I can use her to pull Julian away from Rosalie. All I have to do is create a little storm between them. The thought pleased Isabella.
First, I need to become close to her. Then I'll give her opportunities to get closer to Julian and slowly create misunderstandings between Julian and Rosalie. I'll just have to play the right characters and let everything unfold. Both women wore sweet smiles on their faces, but behind those smiles, their minds were filled with completely different plans.
…
After carefully checking on his patients, Julian left the ward. He walked briskly along the corridor toward his office. As he approached, he caught sight of Dr. Molly leaving his office from a distance. Julian slightly furrowed his brows and watched her for a moment.
Then he entered his office and found Isabella waiting in the chair. He removed his duty coat and hung it neatly. After collecting the necessary files, he prepared to show Isabella where Ethan's room was.
"Isabella… I'll show you. Let's go."
Isabella picked up her handbag with one hand, and stood from the chair. Julian opened the door for her. He then led the way down the corridor, walking all the way to the far end. When they reached the end, he turned right and led her up the stairs.
On the first floor, among the VIP rooms, Julian stopped in front of one of the rooms located at the farthest and quietest corner, away from the rooms occupied by other patients. The area was so quiet and secluded that one would hardly believe there was anyone inside.
Julian opened the door and allowed Isabella to enter first. The moment Isabella stepped inside, she saw Ethan lying on the bed, lazily watching the television mounted on the wall. She slowly walked toward the bedside.
Ethan had been silently watching the television in boredom when he heard the sound of the door opening. He turned his head and saw his mother and his older brother entering together.
He placed the TV remote beside him and simply remained lying on the bed. Isabella sat down on the chair beside the bed and looked over his injuries. Then she stared directly at Ethan's face and let out a deep sigh.
"Ethan… Are you really going to keep doing this? Didn't Mommy already tell you to stop associating with those people and get out of that mess? And now, what happened that you ended up getting yourself hurt this badly… Hmm? Do you really want to give your mother high blood pressure and send her straight to bed? If your father finds out, you know there'll be hell to pay."
Ethan gave a sarcastic little laugh, tilted his head slightly, and looked at her.
"Well, here we go again…"
…
Rosalie prepared to leave for the secret house where J1 was hiding. She took out her small white car, which was ready parked beneath the portico, wearing a pink dress, and drove out through the estate gates.
She drove slowly along the streets toward the city center before stopping at a men's clothing store. There, she carefully selected several shirts designs similar to the ones Julian usually wore.
After a while, she came out carrying several shopping bags. She walked back to her car and placed the bags at the back seat before walking around to the front and getting into the driver's seat. With one last glance at the shopping bags, Rosalie started the engine and headed toward the secret house.