The Runaway Groom
Chapter 9

“Tell him I said no. And get me a coffee,” Isaac growled as he strodeinto his own office, heading straight for his desk.

"But Mr. Gooding said that he won't leave unless you see him..."

Isaac turned to look at his secretary, who quickly lowered her head.“Bring him here," he said before sitting down and unbuttoning his suit.Soon, the secretary returned with Harvey and Isaac's coffee.

Harvey appeared very upset and snapped at Isaac immediately,"Where did you replace that woman?"

Isaac picked up his coffee and gestured for his secretary to leavebefore finally looking up at Harvey.

“Look what she did!" Harvey continued. He pointed at a distinct slashmark on his neck before showing the bandage on his wrist. "She almostcut off my tendons, too!"

Isaac's gaze darted between Harvey's injuries, feeling slightly delightedjust then. Although he knew the answer, he asked, "What happened?"Harvey appeared traumatized. “That woman had a scalpel! And shewas somehow breathtakingly efficient with it! The doctor at the hospitaltold me she'd barely missed my jugular! Honestly, I almost died beforegetting any action... That's why I'm asking again—where did you replacethat woman?"

On the other hand, Isaac was in a good mood to hear that Harvey didnot manage to get his way with Irene. Leaning on his chair, hemaintained his usual aloof visage as he asked, "Why are you lookingfor her?"

"For revenge, of course!" Harvey exclaimed indignantly since he hadnever been humiliated this much.

However, Isaac didn’t know too much about Irene.

“You'll have to replace her yourself.”

Harvey was stumped for a moment but soon snarled viciously, "Fine, I'llcome up with something! If I get to her first, I'll cripple her hands—let'ssee how she'll swing a scalpel then!"

At the hospital, Irene had just stepped out of the examination roomwhen she shivered from a mysterious chill.

Was someone cursing her?

"Dr. Spencer? We're putting together a farewell party for Dr. Cox ateight tonight, at Wing B of Grand Court Hotel. Don't miss it!" acolleague reminded her upon seeing her.

"Okay," Irene replied. She was keeping her hands inside her white labcoat, thinking to herself that she really did not want to go.

Moreover, the thought that Whitney and Isaac were somehowacquainted left her cold inside.

Nonetheless, she headed to Grand Court Hotel at eight anyway.However, she spotted a car stopping near the entrance just as she wasabout to head in.

Whitney alighted, and Isaac soon followed.

Irene quickly hid behind a pillar, poking her head out slightly to peek atthem.

They did look like a good match as they stood side by side. She couldtell that Isaac really liked Whitney since he was willing to show up at anoccasion like this.

Everyone at the hospital would be showing up at the farewell partytoday as well, wouldn't they?

"Thanks for coming today.” Whitney had put on extensive makeup anda stylish gown, and there was a hint of shyness in her tone.

"We're friends, aren't we?" Isaac replied, but he was only attending theparty because of their night of shared passion.

Whitney would certainly like it if they could get even more intimate, buther rejection of his offer before was now a wall between them, so shehad to be tactful.

“Let's go inside."

Irene stepped out from the pillar when they finally left. She wasrepulsed by the idea of being around Isaac. After much consideration,she decided to call Whitney to explain that she could not make itbecause of an emergency.

She took out her phone, but just as she was to make the call, acolleague approached her from behind, calling out, "Dr. Spencer.”

Up front, Whitney looked back.

Irene stiffened in response and accidentally pressed the dial button. Bythe time she realized what was happening, Whitney's phone wasalready ringing.

Irene quickly hung up and forced a smile, saying, "Sorry, wrong button.”Isaac turned because of his familiarity with her voice, and heimmediately spotted Irene standing nearby, who looked laughablystupid as she still held her cell phone.

He could not help raising a brow.

“She works at Charity Hospital, too?" he wondered inwardly.Meanwhile, Whitney smiled warmly. "It's fine."

Even as she spoke, she inched closer to Isaac.

Since Isaac had demanded that she not let the public replace out that shewas his wife, Irene simply pretended that they were unacquainted.

“Is this gentleman your boyfriend?" She smiled, her dewy eyes as clearas they were dazzling.

Whitney smiled but said nothing, so others would simply think thatIsaac was.

Isaac did not deny it either because he was eager to see how Irenewould react.

Irene simply laughed lightly and showered them with flattery. "Honestly,you two look like the perfect couple—a match made in heaven!"

For some reason, Isaac suddenly had the urge to tear that smile off herface!

However, Irene knew how ruthless he could be, so she quickly madeher retreat. “I'll be heading in, then—See you around."

She quickly called out to the colleague who had greeted her just nowand then hurried into the hotel.

Nonetheless, when they managed to put some distance betweenthemselves and Isaac, the colleague quietly said, "That man is thehead of Light Group. He's young but already accomplished, so I reallyenvy Dr. Cox for having the good fortune of dating him."

Irene stayed silent, and the colleague continued, "Honestly, how coulda man as perfect as him come to be? He's rich, looking handsome andcut."

"How would you know that he's perfect? He might actually be crazy,”Irene could not help retorting—calling him crazy was already being kindto him, especially when he had almost strangled her.

The colleague could not help chuckling.

As they entered Wing B, Irene decided that she must give it to Whitney.After all, everyone in the hospital—including the chief—was invited toher farewell party, occupying every table in Wing B.

Irene was heading for the furthest table from the center when the chiefcalled out to her.

"Dr. Spencer! Come, sit with us!"

She turned to replace Isaac looking at her as well and promptly flashed asmile. "Actually, I..."

"Come on." The chief simply pulled her along and made her sit at thesame table, though it felt like she was sitting on a carpet of needlesinstead.

While she was afraid to even look up, the chief nudged her and madeintroductions. "Dr. Spencer is Dr. Cox's former classmate and currentcolleague. Since Dr. Cox is leaving us soon, let's drink to her success.""She doesn't drink," Isaac suddenly said.

His words left everyone stunned.

They were confused about how Isaac knew about that.

Irene was stunned as well and looked up to see a vague smile onIsaac's face.

Her knuckles balled into fists beneath the table. She wondered what hewas up to this time.

Whitney sensed something unusual as well, but she took no notice andsimply pretended that she was hearing things.

She maintained a faint smile from start to finish to present herself as agenerous host, saying, "Well, drinking isn't good for our jobs. Also, Dr.Spencer and I have always been close, and I'll miss her when I'mgone.”

That was when Isaac's phone suddenly started ringing. He picked upand listened to the voice on the other end for a while.

"Understood," he said and quickly hung up.

He had barely put away his phone when Irene's phone rang as well.She answered it and quickly heard the Jeffersons’ butler speaking toher. "Mrs. Jefferson, could you please come by Jefferson Manor?Master Jefferson wishes to meet you immediately.”

"Okay," Irene replied before putting away her phone and tellingWhitney, "Sorry, something urgent has just come up, and I have to go...Anyway, here's a toast to your success. It isn't alcohol, but I'm sure teawould do."

With those words, she picked up her cup of tea and chugged it.

As she rose to her feet, Isaac, whose eyes were still locked on her,resisted an outright playful smile. "What a coincidence! Somethingurgent has come up for me as well. Shall we leave together?"

Irene was speechless, but she did not know that Isaac had been gettingirritated with her pretending not to know him.

Still, he would like to see how long she could keep pretending, even aseveryone else turned to look at her.