Chapter 385

Janice gave him a sideways look. "You have a girlfriend now. Why are you still so concerned about that?" Besides, no amount of temptation would make her break her promise. The first three months of pregnancy are the most delicate. If something went wrong, the baby would be gone, but everyone would know she had been pregnant. Though Janice was open-minded, on this matter, she was a bit old-fashioned; a young woman's reputation was at stake.

Seeing how serious she was, Rowan chuckled. "Is it really such a big secret? Worth hiding from me like this?"

"It's not a huge deal, just drop it," Janice said with a yawn. "Alright, I'm tired. You can stay if you want, but if not, you should go." There was no trace of grandmotherly affection in her tone.

As for him and Elissa, his grandmother truly felt it was no longer appropriate. She didn't mind a second marriage, but the girl clearly had a suitable partner now and was pregnant with his child. There was no point in pushing the matter. All she hoped for now was that Rowan and his current girlfriend would work out, get married, and give her a great-grandchild to dote on soon.

"Elissa, Old Mr. Cross is here for his nerve therapy."

Just as Elissa finished with her morning appointments, Cliff Riley led Sean Cross into the room.

Elissa looked up and gave a polite nod. "Old Mr. Cross, please lie down over here." Her consultation room had an examination bed, though it was rarely used. Most patients were sent to the treatment room.

With Cliff's help, Sean set aside his cane and lay down on the bed. "Thank you for seeing me, Dr. Drummond."

Elissa nodded slightly, saying nothing as she took out a set of silver needles. With practiced efficiency, she sterilized them and began the treatment, her movements fluid and decisive.

Cliff stood by marveling at her confidence She never hesitated, inserting each needle into the precise acupressure point with absolute certainty. "My mother was

right yesterday," heel

"Medicine really does require a

certain talent." He, for example, had been taught some of this very technique by Aaron Blaine, but he'd never been able to truly master it, learning the form but not the essence.

"Everyone has different gifts," Elissa said, half-joking as she put away the remaining needles.

"Speaking of which, I have a question of my own." The skill with which Elissa had just administered the needles struck Sean as unusual. How could someone who only started studying medicine in college possess such profound ability after just a few years?

He looked at Elissa, his voice tinged with suspicion. "Dr. Drummond, did you really only begin your medical studies in college?"

"That's right." He wasn't the first to ask. Over the years, aside from Matriarch Raige Murphy who dismissed her skills entirely, many patients she had treated had posed the same question. Though Old Mr. Cross had been referred by the Rileys, she had long learned to be cautious with everyone.

"It's probably just as Cliff said," she replied smoothly. "I suppose I have a knack

for it."

l.ne

"Mr. Cross, many of our patients have asked the same thing," Cliff chimed in, having promised Aaron he would keep her secret. He effortlessly wove a white lie to cover for her. "But when she first entered Vistapeak University, she really didn't know a thing She's incredibly bright, though. Anything the professors taught, she could grasp and build upon instantly."

"..." Elissa just smiled without a word.

The memory made her nostalgic. Back then, she was a freshman, and Cliff was

their professor's most prized student at the university, Aaron's star pupil in everyone's eyes.