Chapter 291 Perplexed
Zephyr regarded her intently, his voice heavy with emotion. "Can it truly be mere coincidence? Your resemblance to Cora is uncanny, even down to the burn in the same location."
Sandy responded, her voice devoid of any sentiment. "Sir, the world is rife with peculiar coincidences, wouldn't you agree?"
Zephyr's gaze remained fixed on her, his eyes eventually dropping to her neck.
"There's another matter I need to verify!" he declared.
As he spoke, his hand moved towards her shirt collar.
"What are you doing!" Sandy's complexion drained of color.
However, Zephyr had already pulled open her collar.
He recalled that Cora had a small mole on her collarbone, and he was eager to see if this woman, Sandy, bore the same mark.
Instead of finding the mole, he was met with several love bites.
He froze in place, stunned.
Sandy managed to pull away and promptly delivered a slap to his face.
A hush fell over them.
Zephyr slowly turned to face her, his eyes a whirlpool of emotions.
Sandy clenched her fists, struggling to keep her emotions under control. "I'll repeat myself, I am not Cora. I am Sandy! My husband is Kenneth, a prominent figure in the Hamilton family. If you persist in harassing me, I will not hesitate to inform my husband! The Hamilton family holds significant influence, and if you wish to avoid trouble, I suggest you keep your distance!"
With that, she briskly walked away.
Zephyr remained rooted to the spot, a look of bewilderment etched on his face, his eyes tinged with red.
The love bites he had just seen, were they the remnants of a passionate tryst?
It was a plausible explanation.
She was a married woman now, naturally, she would share intimate moments with her husband.
But she was unmistakably Cora Hernandez!
Why the charade?
Why!
Outside, Sandy rounded a corner, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. She noticed Nora standing a short distance away, observing her.
Sandy's steps faltered as she fought to suppress the surge of emotions threatening to overwhelm her.
"Nora, haven't you returned to the lab?" she asked.
Nora glanced at her, noting the redness in her eyes, her gaze flickering slightly.
She quickly averted her eyes.
"Sandy, I'm concerned about you."
She had inadvertently overheard the heated exchange and had drawn closer.
Unintentionally, she had caught snippets of their conversation...
"Let's go," Sandy suggested, forcing a smile and leading the way to the lab.
"Sandy."
Nora couldn't resist calling out to her.
Sandy paused, "What is it?"
Nora hesitated, almost voicing a question, but instead, she simply offered her a tissue.
"It seems you have some dust in your eye, here, use this to clean it."
Everyone had their secrets; it was perhaps best not to probe.
"Thank you," Sandy accepted the tissue and expressed her gratitude.
She wasn't sure if Nora had overheard anything.
In that moment, she appreciated Nora's tact, for not pressing further.
Upon their return to the lab, it was evident that Sandy was not in her usual state.
After completing a single experiment, she didn't proceed with any others.
"Nora, I'm not feeling well, I think I'll head home."
"Alright, take care and rest well."
Nora surmised that the man's unexpected appearance had unsettled Sandy.
She couldn't help but wonder what had transpired between Sandy and the man.
Sandy bid her advisor farewell, departing from the lab's sterile confines. She didn't immediately return to the bustling Hamilton family home. Instead, she steered her car towards the tranquility of the suburbs.
An hour's journey later, she pulled over on a narrow, concrete road. A handful of farmhouses dotted the landscape not far from her location. Their tile roofs and white walls, a picturesque contrast to the distant mountains and nearby water, exuded an air of serenity.
Sandy remained in the driver's seat, her gaze lost in the idyllic scene of one of the farmhouses.
An elderly man, his back bent with the weight of his eight decades, emerged from the back door of the farmhouse and ambled towards the nearby river.
Sandy's grip tightened on the steering wheel as she watched the man's stooped figure, her eyes gradually welling up with unshed tears.
As evening fell, Nora emerged from the lab, only to encounter Gary. He stood there, nonchalantly dressed in a casual gray suit, hands tucked into his pockets, exuding an air of effortless charm. Nora pressed her hand to her forehead, wishing she could simply bypass him, but it was a futile hope.
Gary was already closing the distance between them. "Nora," he greeted.
Nora corrected him firmly, "Mr. Remington, we're not on familiar terms. Please address me as Dr. Smith."
His demeanor remained unaffected by her frosty response. "Nora, friendships often start with strangers, don't they? How about we have dinner together as a token of my gratitude for saving my life?"
Nora studied his handsome features, asking, "If I agree to this dinner, will you cease to pester me afterward?"
Gary's smile didn't falter, "How could you perceive it as pestering..."
"Then let's not," Nora cut him off, attempting to sidestep him.
Gary quickly blocked her path, "Come on, let's just have dinner, okay?" He tried to downplay the situation, hoping to coax her into sharing a meal with him.
Nora, however, was not one to be easily swayed. She retrieved her smartphone and activated the recording feature. "Repeat what you just said. After this meal, you won't bother me anymore."
Gary couldn't suppress his laughter at her actions. "Nora, you're hilarious!"
"I'm not joking," Nora retorted, her expression stern.
Seeing her serious demeanor, Gary sighed, "Alright, let's forget about the dinner. How about I drive you home instead?"
Nora pocketed her phone and continued on her way. "There's no need. I'll hail a cab."
"Nora." Gary reached out, attempting to touch her arm.
Nora swiftly brandished a silver needle, pricking him before he could make contact. "Yikes!" Gary recoiled in surprise, staring at her in disbelief.
"Nora, did you just." His voice trailed off as Nora met his gaze, the silver needle still in her hand.
"Mr. Remington, let me remind you, if you're considering dating a doctor, you need to be mentally resilient and consistently treat her right," she warned. "If she ever feels you're not being kind to her or if she grows tired of you, she has a hundred ways to deal with you, all of them invisible."
Gary swallowed hard, his gaze flitting between Nora and the needle in her hand. "Nora, quit joking around. You're so beautiful, clearly a kind-hearted woman at first glance."
Nora's lips curled into a smile, "Mr. Remington, villains don't wear tags. Haven't you heard of femme fatales? It seems you're not up-to-date with the news. Let me enlighten you with a few examples."
She paused before continuing, "There was a nurse, stunning and usually kind to everyone. But nobody expected that this beautiful and even-tempered woman, frustrated by her husband's infidelity, would castrate him using chemical means.
"Another nurse, infatuated with a new lover, wanted to divorce her husband. Fearing he wouldn't agree to the divorce, she used her medical knowledge to slowly poison him. She watched him inch closer to death until he took his last breath in front of her. And there's more..."
"Stop, stop, stop!" Gary couldn't bear to listen any longer, his complexion paling.
Nora chuckled internally, asking, "How about it, still think studying medicine is not frightening?"
Gary managed a weak smile, "Nora, there's no need to scare me. After all, you saved my life, and I'm not about to give up! Anyway, I just remembered I have something else to take care of, so I won't be able to drive you home. Be careful on your way, I'm heading out. See you tomorrow!"
As she watched him retreat, Nora couldn't help but laugh. He had definitely fallen for her ruse! She doubted he would dare to approach her again tomorrow.
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