Chapter 944 Confessed
Mia's eyes lit up like she'd just stumbled onto some juicy gossip. "Who are you talking about, Mr. Gray?"
"Oh, just a friend," Lyra fibbed, not missing a beat.
Mia didn't buy that and rolled her eyes. "Seriously? You gotta come up with a better story than that. Even a toddler wouldn't fall for it."
Despite her teasing, Mia genuinely wanted to help Lyra sort things out, so she started digging for more details. It wasn't just nosiness; she really wanted to offer some advice.
Lyra hesitated for a moment, but then decided to spill everything about Jeffery's cold demeanor yesterday.
After hearing the whole saga, Mia gasped. "I think your boyfriend, or should I say, your friend's boyfriend, might be hiding something. Something he doesn't want her to know."
Lyra's heart skipped a beat.
"Think about it. If he didn't care, why act so weird? Being cold or distant means he cares. Especially when you said he was all worried when she fell." Mia laid it out, "That's not indifference; that's someone trying hard to keep their distance."
Mia's words were like a light bulb going off, suddenly making everything clear for Lyra.
She started replaying every detail from yesterday. Without the fog of emotions, the little clues she'd missed became obvious. Jeffery's eyes were different, filled with deep exhaustion and emptiness.
Yesterday, she'd been too wrapped up in her hurt to notice.
She jumped up, leaving her meal untouched. "Thanks, Mia! I gotta do something really important right now!"
"What could be more important than eating? Get back here!" Mia called after her, but Lyra was already out the door.
Lyra sprinted to the hospital.
Her heart pounded in her chest, more intense than ever, filled with anticipation. Yesterday's hurt and sadness seemed to vanish, leaving only a rush of warmth coursing through her veins.
She needed to see him, now, immediately!
At the corner of the hallway, Lyra came to an abrupt stop. This path led to Jeffery's office, and the person she wanted to see was just ahead.
Jeffery stopped at the same moment.
Their eyes met, and time seemed to stand still.
"Mr. Gary, this medical project was only given to us because of your reputation. If we can complete it successfully, our hospital's medical environment will improve significantly. Mr. Gary? Mr. Gary, are you listening?"
The project leader called out several times without a response, puzzled, and was about to follow Jeffery's gaze to see what was so captivating, more important than the crucial project he was reporting on.
Jeffery quickly redirected his attention, cutting him off with an authoritative tone. "I understand. Send the project proposal to my office later, and I'll review it thoroughly. I have urgent matters to attend to now, excuse me."
With that, he left a group of bewildered colleagues behind and headed straight toward Lyra.
"Jeffery..." Lyra called out softly, bracing herself to be ignored. Given his attitude yesterday, he might just walk past her as if she didn't exist.
She was even ready to confront him right there, but he stopped.
Jeffery turned slightly, his deep eyes meeting hers. Compared to yesterday's cold distance, today, there was a hint of warmth in his gaze. "Come with me."
Lyra instinctively followed the familiar white coat.
As they walked, she realized they were heading out of the hospital. She noticed that at some point, Jeffery had taken off his white coat, casually draping it over the office coat rack, locking the door, and holding car keys in his hand.
"Are we going out?" Lyra asked, surprised.
"Yeah, you wanted to talk, right? Let's grab some lunch." Jeffery turned to her, his eyes lingering on her face for a moment. "Have you eaten?"
Lyra shook her head. "Nope."
She'd been so focused on finding him that she barely touched her meal. Now, with his reminder, she felt hungry.
But instead of heading to a restaurant, Jeffery drove them home. It was the weekend, and Rica wasn't around, so they could whip up something themselves. There were still some ingredients left in the fridge.
"How about some cream of mushroom soup?" Lyra asked, holding up an unopened bottle of cream toward the living room.
His deep voice quickly responded, "Sounds good."
Lyra got busy prepping the ingredients. Since they were just making simple dishes, it didn't take long to have a hearty lunch ready.
In the midst of all the cooking, Lyra almost forgot the important conversation she wanted to have. It wasn't until she saw Jeffery setting the table that she remembered.
"I wanted to ask you," she began tentatively, "What's up with the sleepwalking? Rica said it happens a lot."
She'd known Jeffery for ages, and they were tight, but she'd never heard from him or anyone else that he had a sleepwalking issue. This meant he had been deliberately hiding it, and from what Rica said, it had been going on for a while.
The thought made Lyra worry. "Sleepwalking isn't a minor issue. You shouldn't ignore it."
"I brought you here to talk about that night," Jeffery interrupted her calmly. "But let's eat first. We can talk after."
Lyra was reluctant.
With so many questions and concerns swirling in her mind, she feared she might not digest the meal well.
But Jeffery's tone, though calm, was firm. Lyra hesitated for a moment but eventually picked up her spoon.
The meal was unusually quiet, but the silence was not peaceful. It was filled with a tense restlessness—a forced calm over suppressed emotions.
It made eating uncomfortable.
Lyra barely managed a few bites before she couldn't eat anymore. Looking up, she saw Jeffery had already put down his utensils and was wiping his mouth. He hadn't eaten much either, clearly just as distracted.
As soon as she set down her spoon, she couldn't wait any longer. "Can we talk now?"
Seeing no resistance in his expression, she took a deep breath and gathered her courage. "I know you might have your reasons, but we've known each other for so long. We're close friends, right?"
"You know my past, my secrets. Why do you have to hide yours? I'm not a kid; I won't freak out over knowing things. You don't have to protect me by keeping things from me." Her voice grew more determined. "Okay, I've said my piece. Now it's your turn."
Jeffery fell into a long silence.
He had anticipated that with Lyra's sharpness, she would quickly sense something was off and come to confront him.
He had imagined this scenario countless times in his mind—what she would say, her expressions, her reactions. He had considered every possibility, but when faced with the reality, he found himself unprepared.
After a long pause, he finally spoke, his voice a bit hoarse. "I was once... an experimental subject, held captive. You could think of it as... a form of slavery."
As he uttered those words, Jeffery felt a weight lift from his shoulders.
It turned out that confessing wasn't as hard as he had imagined.
He owed it all to Lyra's heartfelt words earlier. Without her sincere declaration, he might never have revealed this secret.
Lyra, on the other hand, was left speechless.
Her eyes widened, filled with confusion and disbelief, finally settling into deep shock and incredulity.
"Slavery?" Her voice was as light as a feather, as if she couldn't believe what she had just heard. "Are you serious?"
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
