Chapter 922 Determination
Lyra wasn't acting on a whim; she'd made up her mind a long time ago. It was only because of the incident with Aaron that she'd been delayed.
If it weren't for Aaron, she'd already be prepping for the surgery by now.
Jeffery looked at her steadily for a moment. "I can tell you really want to go for it. Go ahead."
Lyra was a bit taken aback.
"You thought I wouldn't agree?" He asked.
She nodded, her cheeks flushing slightly as her thoughts were laid bare. "Yeah, I thought you'd stop me."
Jeffery's lips curved into a smile, the amusement in his eyes unmasked for the first time. "It's good to have ambition. I won't stand in the way of your growth."
Some people tended to a plant by forcing it to grow in a certain way, but that often led to it growing crooked or withering. Jeffery wasn't like that. He believed in letting the plant grow freely, only stepping in to shield it from storms when necessary.
Jeffery did give her some advice.
For instance, he suggested that Lyra avoid Ruben as much as possible—not out of fear, but because Ruben often brought trouble.
Lyra took note of everything.
A few days later, she returned to the research institute.
This time, she entered not as Jeffery's guest but as a legitimate temporary researcher.
In the patient room, the albino patient from before was still there, reading a book. He looked up at the sound of her entrance.
"It's you," he said with a smile.
His snow-white eyelashes looked like they were dusted with snow.
Lyra smiled back. "It's been a while. About half a month since we last met, right?"
"Twenty-three days and seventeen hours," he corrected.
Seeing her expression, he added with a faint smile, "I like to keep track of things. Otherwise, it gets too boring."
A simple statement, yet it carried a weight of loneliness that was hard for most to bear.
Lyra's heart tightened.
The man raised his arm. "Here to draw blood again?"
She shook her head and sat down. "No, just here to confirm some data. Also, we're transferring you to our hospital."
This was Lyra's idea.
Ruben had initially opposed it, which was expected. They had confined him to study him, so why would they agree to let him go?
But Lyra appealed to her sense of humanity and used various persuasive tactics.
Eventually, she convinced them.
Even so, when Ruben actually managed to get his teacher's approval, Lyra was stunned.
The man's usually calm face showed a flicker of emotion.
"Pack up. I've prepared a room for you with flowers. You'll like it."
The man saw through Lyra's attempt to lighten the mood. "I'm allergic to pollen. And... my name is Gregory Lopez. Thank you."
Gregory got into the car.
As Lyra was about to get in, Ruben called out to her.
"Did you know I made a bet with Mr. Adams?" he said.
Lyra frowned. She didn't want to know, but Ruben wouldn't bring it up just for small talk. She waited for him to continue.
Seeing her lack of surprise, Ruben smirked. "The bet didn't go through. I bet Jeffery would lose, and so did Mr. Adams. I think you should know about this bet."
"After all, it concerns Jeffery's future career."
Lyra had a bad feeling. "What do you mean?"
Ruben replied, "Exactly what it sounds like. If you don't succeed, Jeffery will have to resign."
Lyra felt like she had been struck by lightning, standing there in shock. After the initial daze, a wave of intense anger followed.
She couldn't believe Jeffery had suggested it himself.
She knew how much he loved his job. No one could make him give up his career willingly.
It had to be their doing!
But Ruben said, "Don't blame me. Jeffery said it himself."
His gaze turned meaningful. "That's why I said he cares about you. Otherwise, he wouldn't have made exceptions for you so many times."
Lyra couldn't process Ruben's motives for saying this. Her mind was filled with his words.
Jeffery cares about her.
Just thinking about it felt like being burned, like a fire igniting within her.
Lyra's thoughts were in turmoil. She didn't dare ask Jeffery and had to process it alone.
For almost a week, she didn't contact Jeffery.
Finally, he couldn't wait any longer and called her.
"I got the flowers you sent, but they died in the vase," Jeffery said, sounding a bit frustrated.
Lyra almost thought she misheard.
He continued, "Did I take care of them wrong?"
Lyra stammered, "That's just how it is... Cut flowers in a vase wilt quickly. But if you like, I can send more."
Jeffery hummed softly and changed the subject. "Busy with a project lately?"
Lyra was still thinking of an excuse for not contacting him, and here was a perfect one. "Yes, it's quite challenging."
Jeffery asked what was challenging about it.
Lyra regretted her answer, feeling like she had set herself up. She reluctantly listed a few problems.
Jeffery, with his multiple PhDs, found her questions easy to answer.
After he finished, and Lyra didn't respond for a while, he asked, "Still there?"
His voice, slightly distorted through the phone, was still deep and pleasant like a cello.
Lyra lifted her head a bit. "I'm taking notes. Mr. Gary, could you repeat the part about cell division?"
Jeffery obliged.
They talked for a long time.
People thought Lyra was on the phone with her boyfriend.
A doctor walked in and said, "Dr. Cole, you have a boyfriend? What are you talking about, taking notes and all?"
She glanced over and saw Lyra's notebook filled with academic notes.
Just then, Jeffery's voice came through.
"Cell division is generally considered to take one minute in biology... The key to this project is to keep it within normal values, which should allow for a normal life."
The doctor was stunned.
Lyra quickly took off her headset. "What did you say?"
The doctor smirked. "Are you taking a class here?"
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