The screech of my chair against the floor brought me back to the present.

I stood up, my voice eerily calm, and said, "No need. I'm full."

With those words, I quickly turned and proceeded toward the elevator. In the past, Adrian never bothered to ask where I was going when I left.

However, on this particular day, he unexpectedly started following me and questioned, "Emily, where are you going? I'll drive you there."

While still covered in red, peeling skin, I raised my hand and gave him a sharp look. "Still want to?"

I had thought that would be enough to stop him from following me, but to my surprise, he stepped into the elevator with me.

He instinctively kept his distance, avoiding my hands, holding his breath slightly as he muttered, "I'm heading to the office, anyway. I'll drop you at the hospital."

I didn't bother to reply.

When we reached the underground garage, I climbed into the back seat of his Rolls Royce without a word.

He glanced at me through the rearview mirror, surprised. "You're not sitting in front?"

Back then, I would insist on sitting in the front and going out of my way to remove anything in the car that reminded me of Clara.

But today, none of those trinkets or memories seemed to matter anymore.

"It doesn't make a difference. Just drop me at the hospital entrance," I said flatly.

Adrian didn't respond, though I noticed his knuckles whitening as he gripped the steering wheel.

When we finally got to the hospital, Adrian followed me into the dermatology department, even though he said he had work to do. But as soon as we walked in, Clara's custom ringtone started playing. Her tearful voice filled the air as she said, "Adrian, I broke the thermometer! What do I do? The house is filled with mercury! Am I going to die from poisoning?"

Adrian covered the phone's receiving speaker, and his pleading gaze fell on me. "Emily, something urgent came up at the company. I need to go."

I could hear the guilt in his voice, but I pretended not to notice and replied indifferently, "Go ahead."

"Alright, after seeing the doctor, go home and wait for me. I'll come back to accompany you once I've finished at work."

As he spoke, he was already halfway out of the examination room in a hurry.