Chapter 20 Not worth his attention.
Shane tugged irritably at his collar, a cold snort escaping from his chest.
The memory of that night, the innocence of that woman, lingered deeply in his mind.
Belinda had a boyfriend. The way she was so close to that man, it was obvious they had been intimate.
"The surveillance footage from that night was destroyed. Without concrete evidence, there could be a mistake. I'll go back and check if there's anything we missed. If only you had left some kind of token or something back then, it would have been better..."
Henry grumbled as he went about his tasks.
"Wait..."
Shane called him back, "Never mind."
Thinking it over calmly, a woman who would engage in such an encounter in that situation—could she really be a reserved woman?
Someone who would give herself away so easily—how could he expect her to be pure?
His standards were too high.
Now, it didn't matter to him at all.
Whatever kind of woman she was, he no longer felt the initial excitement.
Henry couldn't understand Shane's change in attitude.
Curious, he asked, "Did Miss Ayers upset you?"
Shane looked up, his eyes dark and cold, as if covered in a layer of ash, the deep blackness filled with ice.
Henry immediately backed down, "Never mind, I'll get back to work."
He quickly exited the office, as if staying a moment longer would mean being devoured by a wild beast.
The office door closed, shutting out the noise.
The room fell silent.
Shane sat down at his desk, pressing his temple with one hand, rubbing it hard. His mood had finally calmed down.
He didn't ask Henry to investigate again because he had come to terms with what happened that night.
No matter what kind of woman she was, he had lost interest.
It was just an accident!
Not worth his attention, and certainly not worth wasting his emotions on!
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. He spoke in a low voice, "Come in."
The secretary walked in, "Miss Ayers has left with the money. Also, President Jenkins from Regen Pharm called, asking if you've arrived at Blue Bridge."
Shane then remembered he had an appointment.
The other party was seeking his investment.
Regen Pharm was researching a new cancer drug but was short on funds.
Shane had agreed to the meeting because he saw the potential.
Both domestic and international efforts in cancer drug research were significant because everyone knew that once successful, the market would be enormous.
In the face of life, money seemed insignificant.
Those large pharmaceutical research institutes were backed by powerful financial groups.
Once successful, they would undoubtedly monopolize the market.
Of course, he wanted to get involved. It wasn't just about preventing foreign conglomerates from monopolizing the market; he also saw the enormous potential for returns.
He was a businessman, prioritizing profit over humanitarian concerns.
He wasn't a selfless saint.
He decided to send Callie because she was a doctor and should have some understanding of the field. He himself was completely clueless about pharmaceuticals.
But Belinda's situation had thrown everything off course.
Looking back, he realized he had been too impulsive.
"Tell them I have something urgent and reschedule."
"Yes, sir." The secretary left the office.
...
On the other side of town, Callie, who was out of work but had to stay, went to visit her mother. Caitlin's condition had improved significantly, but she still needed some time to recover.
Although Callie had managed to get some money from Rafael, if she remained unemployed, they would soon run out of funds.
How long could that money support her and her mother?
Despite working for several years, she hadn't saved much. Her mother's illness had always consumed her salary.
Unable to practice as a doctor, she had to consider other job options for now. Her dream of becoming a military doctor would have to be put on hold. She wasn't giving up; she was just bowing to the realities of life.
If the opportunity arose in the future, she would return to being a doctor.
She left the hospital and took a cab back to the villa.
"Young Mistress, are you feeling unwell? You don't look so good," Mrs. Ford asked with concern the moment she walked in.
Callie shook her head and replied, "No, I'm fine."
She changed her shoes and stepped inside.
"Don't you have work today?" Mrs. Ford inquired.
Callie had always been busy, sometimes even working night shifts.
Callie's heart clenched. She looked up at Mrs. Ford. She was supposed to be at work, but...
Suppressing her bitterness, she forced a smile and said, "I'm off today."
Mrs. Ford was very kind to her, the only warmth in this villa.
She didn't want Mrs. Ford to worry about her.
Putting on a brave face, she said, "I'll be off for the next few days. The dean gave me some time off."
"Time off? That's good. You look so thin. Take this time to rest and take care of yourself," Mrs. Ford said with a smile.
Callie nodded, hiding her disappointment. "I'll go upstairs and take a nap."
"Alright, go ahead," Mrs. Ford said kindly.
Callie went upstairs, curled up on the couch, and hugged her laptop. She began editing her resume. Since she had studied medicine and had no other work experience, finding a suitable new job was not going to be easy.
She had to apply for more jobs, but fortunately, besides studying medicine, she had many other skills.
Rafael had forced her to learn them.
Back when she decided to study medicine, Rafael had strongly opposed.
To make her give up, he refused to pay for her tuition.
Determined to pursue her dream, she worked part-time jobs while studying to earn her tuition fees.
Looking back now, she realized that learning more things had its advantages.
She had initially wanted to open a small clinic, but the costs were too high. Renting a place, buying equipment—even the basic tools required money she simply didn't have.
Moreover, she had to take care of her mother and ensure her well-being.
She didn't plan to stay long; once her mother's illness was cured, she intended to leave this place.
Thinking about Shane's inhumane behavior towards her made her heart grow cold.
After sending out her resume, she decided to offer online medical consultations. This required no overhead costs, and she had a medical license. She only needed to pass the platform's verification process.
Besides, Shane had restricted her from practicing medicine in real life. Could he control her online activities?
She started by finding a reliable platform. Then she began the registration process...
Having something to do made the time pass quickly. In the blink of an eye, the afternoon was gone.
In the evening, Mrs. Ford came upstairs to call her down for dinner.
She put her computer aside and went downstairs.
Shane rarely had dinner at home because he usually came back very late.
But today, he was unusually early.
Seeing him there, Callie froze for a moment, surprised by his presence.
The thought of him trying to humiliate her again made her seethe with anger. Her hands, hanging by her sides, clenched into tight fists.
"What are you standing there for? Come eat," Mrs. Ford called out to her.
Callie forced herself to adjust her expression, took a deep breath, and walked over to the dining room. She pulled out a chair and sat down, keeping as much distance as possible from Shane.
Since she couldn't fight back, she decided to keep her head down and stay out of trouble.
She lowered her head, trying to make herself unnoticeable as possible.
Shane, thinking she was still embarrassed about using the wrong spoon the other day, picked up a piece of shrimp and chewed it slowly, a mocking smile playing at the corners of his lips. "Staying away from me, do you think that will stop you from making mistakes?"
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