Chapter 398 Don't Touch Me
Isabella stepped out of the elevator, feeling more and more uneasy with each step she took.
A staff member noticed something was off and turned to her, "Ms. Miller?"
Isabella snapped back to reality, patted her pocket, and said, "I left my car keys in Dr. Vaughn's office."
"I can grab them for you," the staff member offered.
"No, it's fine," Isabella replied, stopping him. "I'll go up myself. I just remembered I have another question for Dr. Vaughn."
The staff member hesitated.
Marvin wasn't around, and Bradley was calling the shots. Bradley wasn't as easygoing as Marvin; he usually had a stern look and took out his frustrations on the staff. In the few days Marvin had been away, several colleagues had already been fired.
The staff member was genuinely worried about getting on Bradley's bad side.
"What's wrong?" Isabella teased, sensing his discomfort. "Afraid I'll steal something from your lab?"
The staff member, knowing who Isabella was, quickly waved his hand. "No! You're Mrs. Landon, and Mr. Landon is Dr. Finn's boss. Why would you be interested in our stuff? I'm just worried Dr. Vaughn might blame me."
"Don't worry; I'll explain it to him," Isabella said casually.
Given Isabella's special status, the staff member thought, 'As the boss's wife, she can come and go as she pleases.'
No matter how arrogant Bradley was, it was only towards his subordinates. He had seen how humble and respectful Bradley had been towards Isabella just now. So, there shouldn't be any big problem.
The staff member said, "Alright, you go ahead. I'll wait here."
Isabella nodded. "Okay."
"What's going on?" Bradley asked, pushing open the treatment room door and taking in the scene.
Siena was half-kneeling on the ground, her white dress stained with something dirty, while Seb was lying on the floor, his head resting on Siena's lap, eyes closed, but his expression uneasy.
The floor was a mess, with various reagents and tools scattered everywhere.
Siena was holding Seb's cheeks with both hands and said, "Dr. Vaughn, come and take a look."
Bradley squatted down, lifted Seb's arm, and found a needle mark. Next to Siena's hand was an empty syringe.
"You used the anesthetic on him again?" Bradley's eyes were so fierce it looked like he wanted to devour her.
Siena's eyes flickered with guilt. "You told me that when I can't control him, I can use the anesthetic."
Bradley said, "I had already put him in a semi-hypnotic state. You just needed to play your role and help him resolve his issues. Did you provoke him again?"
"I didn't!" Siena instinctively defended herself.
But facing Bradley's scrutinizing eyes, she guiltily looked away.
Bradley grabbed her wrist. "How did you provoke him?"
Siena couldn't break free from his grip and had to confess, "I didn't provoke him. Seb kept fixating on a question. He insisted on asking me, so I casually mentioned a name, and then this happened."
After Siena finished, Bradley's eyes became even more terrifying. "Idiot! Don't you know that's his issue? I asked you to help resolve it, not to aggravate it."
"Dr. Vaughn, I really didn't mean to." Siena panicked, afraid that Bradley wouldn't let her see Seb next time; she quickly begged for mercy.
Bradley gritted his teeth. If it weren't for Quentin's instructions, he would have kicked Siena out long ago.
"Enough," Bradley snapped. "This is your last warning. Screw up again, and you're out!"
Siena nodded quickly, "Yes, Dr. Vaughn, I'll follow your instructions."
Together, they moved Seb back to his original spot. Siena sat beside him, her hands never leaving his face, her obsession almost creepy.
Bradley cleaned his hands with disinfectant and said coldly, "If you don't leave now, you'll have to explain everything to him when he wakes up."
Siena was stunned but quickly left.
As soon as she stepped out, she saw Isabella.
Isabella was at the end of the corridor, slowly opening each door like she was searching for something.
Siena quickly turned around, put on her mask, and hurried in the opposite direction.
Isabella noticed her. "Hey, excuse me."
Before Isabella could finish, Siena sped up and disappeared into the stairwell.
By the time Isabella caught up, Siena was long gone.
Isabella found it odd. "Why run?"
She turned around and saw Bradley coming out of the treatment room.
Bradley looked momentarily surprised but quickly regained his composure, casually closing the door behind him. "You haven't left yet?"
This time, Isabella caught the subtle change in his expression. Bradley had clearly been a bit flustered when he saw her.
What was Bradley flustered about? Isabella didn't know. But she was almost certain that Bradley had lied when he said Seb had already left.
Isabella said, "I left my car keys; I came back to get them."
Bradley nodded. "Did you get them?"
Isabella replied, "Yes, I did."
Bradley guessed she hadn't run into Siena; otherwise, she wouldn't have this expression and would have asked more questions.
Isabella's gaze fell on the door behind Bradley. "Dr. Vaughn, do you have a patient this late?"
"Yes," Bradley said calmly. "But it's almost over."
Isabella stared at him for a dozen seconds before slowly speaking, "Is Seb in there?"
Bradley remained silent.
At this moment, silence meant confirmation.
Isabella walked past him and went straight to open the door.
Bradley just frowned but didn't stop her.
Isabella saw Seb lying on the thin sofa bed, eyes closed, his brow furrowed.
Even in his sleep, Seb was clearly uneasy. Isabella gently reached out to push him. "Seb."
Bradley stood behind her and said, "Mr. Landon is still in a hypnotic state. He's sleeping deeply. You'd better not wake him forcibly; it could stimulate his cerebral cortex and cause irreversible damage."
Isabella withdrew her hand. "When will he wake up?"
Bradley replied, "In about half an hour."
Isabella pulled over a chair and sat beside him. "I'll wait for him to wake up."
Bradley moved his lips but said nothing.
He stood there for a moment, then silently turned to leave.
The room was left with just Isabella and Seb. One was sleeping; the other was watching.
Seb slept deeply but restlessly, his brow constantly furrowed.
During this time, Seb had visibly become more haggard; Isabella felt heartbroken. She couldn't help but raise her hand, wanting to smooth out the wrinkles on his brow.
Suddenly, Seb raised a hand, accurately grabbing her wrist. He gritted his teeth, shouting, "Don't touch me!"