chapter98

Mr. Jefferson knew about Dr. Simpson from Capital First Hospital. The man was a giant in medicine, someone everyone respected. He never expected Lydia to be so impressive herself.

"I knew Lydia was good at acupuncture, but I didn't realize she was such a talented surgeon too! Mr. Jefferson grinned like he'd just struck gold.

The Jeffersons came from generations of soldiers and politicians. Not once had they produced a doctor. If Lydia ever married into their family, she'd bring them more pride than anyone else could. He felt pretty proud of his own judgment right then.

Kylie let out a soft sigh. She's still so young, but her medical skills are incredible. We weren't there for her when she was growing up, and she must have gone through so much on her own. Not once has she ever complained to us, though. She's so mature it almost makes your heart ache."

Mr. Jefferson spoke up, his voice gentle but steady. "Cameron, Kylie, the important thing is that she's back now." He paused for a moment, his meaning clear. If they hadn't found out Lydia was really their daughter, this mistake might never get corrected. Thankfully, everything was back where it should be.

Cameron looked at Kylie with a grateful smile. "He's right. We should be thankful we found Lydia. There's so much time ahead of us to make up for what we missed."

Off to the side, Lucinda listened as they showered Lydia with praise, talking about making up for lost time and giving her all their love. It was like no one even cared how she felt. What did they mean, grateful to have Lydia back? Wasn't she a good enough daughter? Hadn't they loved her before Lydia appeared? Now, everything seemed to revolve around Lydia, and nothing felt the same. Why did Lydia have to come back at all?

Mr. Jefferson suddenly remembered something. "By the way, do you know when Lydia will be finished with work?" He was already missing her, even though it had only been a day. He was eager to have Lydia spend more time with his grandsons, hoping she'd choose one of them. He could barely contain his excitement.

Mikey chimed in next. "Mr. Norwood, I need to discuss some official business with Miss Norwood. Do you know when she'll be here?" He still needed to get her side of the story about that embassy complaint from Country D.

Cameron and Kylie exchanged a confused glance. Mikey was a government official. What kind of business could he possibly have with their daughter? Was he just looking for an excuse to be alone with her?

Mr. Jefferson gave Mikey a friendly pat on the shoulder, grinning knowingly. "You're pretty quick to catch on, kid."

Mikey let out a helpless laugh. "Seriously, don't misunderstand. I really do have business to discuss with her. If you don't believe me, just ask Chris."

Cameron and Kylie turned to Chris for confirmation, and even Lucinda looked baffled. She didn't understand how Lydia, the girl who'd just come in from the countryside, had caught the attention of Mikey.

Chris nodded and briefly explained what had happened the previous night. That was all it took for Cameron and Kylie to get even more excited. They immediately pulled out their phones and called Lydia.

Lydia had planned to wait until Mr. Jefferson and his grandsons left before heading to the hospital, but her mother called again, sounding more anxious than ever. "Lydia, your Grandpa Samuel is here, and so are Chris and Mikey. They want to talk to you about that Country D ambassador situation. How much longer will you be?"