But it was obvious Elias's mind was still perfectly clear. He hadn't fried his brain from the fever, so it could only mean he was genuinely kind-hearted.

  Elias heard Yvonne's words and looked up. It was as if he was only now truly seeing her face clearly—his eyes widened slightly, and pure delight spread across his features.

  "Dr. Quinn?"

  The boy recognized her.

  Yvonne wasn't surprised. Her appearance was even more famous than her medical skills, especially among younger people. Plenty of them faked illnesses just to see her, hoping to get her contact information or secretly snap photos to brag about online, passing them around on social media until everyone had seen them.

  Had this kid recognized her from social media?

  Yvonne thought to herself, keeping her expression neutral as she gave a small nod. "Mm."

  After being acknowledged, Elias grew visibly more excited, his face lighting up with a kind of joy different from when he'd helped the little girl. "It really is Dr. Quinn! I must've been completely out of it from the fever—I didn't even recognize you at first…"

  The words spilled out nonstop, his enthusiasm untouched by the fever.

  Innocent.

  Yvonne mentally added another bel.

  She thought for a moment, then offered the innocent, kind boy a small smile. "You were completely focused on that little girl earlier. It's perfectly normal that you didn't recognize me."

  Elias pressed his lips together in a light ugh. "I'm really happy I could help you out, Dr. Quinn."

  "Oh, right." Elias pulled his phone out of his pocket. "Dr. Quinn, can I get your number? I—I'm a big fan of yours."

  "Fan?" Yvonne lowered her voice just slightly. It wasn't forced, yet it naturally carried a seductive lilt, like whispered sweet nothings between lovers in bed.

  Elias sucked in a sharp breath internally. His already fever-flushed face burned even hotter.

  This wasn't an act—Yvonne's voice was naturally devastating, and hearing it murmured so close to his ear was lethal.

  "Yeah, a fan. I actually wanted to go into medicine because of you, Dr. Quinn, but my parents wouldn't let me…" Elias raised a hand and rubbed the tip of his nose.

  Lying.

  Yvonne's shes lowered slightly, concealing the cold, indifferent look in her eyes.

  Her gaze had always been naturally aloof, rarely showing emotion. After a patient once cursed her out for being cold-blooded and heartless, she started wearing gsses.

  Watching the boy lie so smoothly right now, even though she didn't particurly care, her eyes gained a deeper yer of frost as she studied him.

  Of course, Yvonne didn't expose him. She kept her smile in pce. "Is that so? It's good you didn't study medicine. Isn't there a saying—'Tell someone to become a doctor and lightning will strike you'? You almost stepped into hell, but your parents saved you at the st second."

  The boy was amused by the joke. His eyes curved, little fangs peeking out as his smile grew more genuine and happy. He pushed his phone a little closer toward her.

  He seemed to believe that since Dr. Quinn was being so gentle and humorous with him, getting her number would be easy.

  Seeing through his thoughts completely, Yvonne slowly shook her head and said softly, "No."

  The moment the words left her mouth, Elias's face filled with disbelief. His smiling expression froze in pce like someone had hit pause.

  Elias bit his lower lip. "You… can't?"

  The disappointment was obvious. His already weakened state from the fever seemed to worsen. He wilted completely, like a pnt hit by frost, looking utterly dejected and pitiful.

  "I'm very busy every day, so I don't really have the habit of using my phone much," Yvonne lied smoothly, her expression unchanging.

  She was indeed busy, but not so busy she couldn't use a phone—that would be ridiculous.

  She had simply seen through the boy's deliberate attempt to get close to her, just like all the others who faked illnesses to see her.

  The only difference was that Elias was far more obvious about it, so transparent at a gnce. So innocent and kind, like a sheet of paper with only a few light strokes drawn on it.

  Precisely because of that, she couldn't let him get close.

  Otherwise…

  Elias slowly lifted his lowered head. "Then… can I come find you when I have time ter, Dr. Quinn?"

  The boy still wasn't ready to give up. Even though the rejection had been quite thorough, hope still lingered in his eyes.

  For this not-too-excessive request, Yvonne couldn't find a good reason to refuse, so she simply said, "Mm."

  Anyway, he would forget about it after some time.

  She thought.

  After all, young boys' crushes and pursuits were always like this—coming fast and disappearing just as quickly, like mist that scattered with a single breeze.

  "Go get yourself checked out," Yvonne said, gncing at Elias's neck. Even his neck had turned a deep, burning red.

  Hearing this, Elias blinked gently, the motion both unintentionally cute and genuinely innocent. "Can't you take a look at me yourself, Dr. Quinn?"

  Yvonne lifted her gaze. "I'm a surgeon. I don't handle this sort of thing."

  *Like hell you're just a surgeon.*

  Hypnosis, brainwashing, waking patients from comas, illegal organ transpnts… wasn't all of that your specialty?

  "I figured," Elias said with a weak smile. He gave Yvonne a feeble wave. "I'll head out then, Dr. Quinn. See you."

  Yvonne's right hand twitched slightly, but she ultimately didn't raise it.

  See you—more like never again.

  She lowered her head to look at her palm. It still seemed to carry the faint sensation of the little girl's skin.

  Yvonne gently rubbed her fingertips, but in her mind, she imagined it was the boy who had just left.

  Such an innocent, kind child… what would he really be like under that skin?

  No different from anyone else—just flesh and blood.

  One squeeze, one release, and he'd turn into nothing but a pile of mush, slipping right through her fingers.

  Thinking this, a faint trace of disgust fshed through Yvonne's eyes.

  How disgusting…

  This version of herself.

  Yvonne raised her head. Every trace of emotion had been tucked away deep inside once more, and she was once again the cool, ascetic Dr. Quinn.

  Elias was extremely puzzled. "How could she reject me like that?"

  In the original plot, wasn't Yvonne supposed to be most interested in innocent, kind-hearted guys like him? Why was her attitude so cold? Had he approached her at the wrong time?

  Generally speaking, these kinds of women never changed their core personalities.

  But it was also possible that he had contacted her too early. She hadn't yet gone through whatever events turned her into a full-blown sadist, which was why she was still so indifferent toward him.

  [System Theta: Could it be that she noticed you were lying? That nose-rubbing gesture…]

  Elias: "I did it on purpose."

  [System Theta: !]

  As the agency's top operative, how could he make such a rookie mistake?

  He had deliberately let Yvonne see that he was lying.

  To get close to her, a kind and innocent boy was willing to lie—how obsessed would that make him seem?

  And yet Yvonne still didn't take the bait!

  Elias clenched his teeth slightly and sneered coldly. "None of them know what's good for them. Fine!"

  As he walked away, still fuming internally, he suddenly walked straight into something soft.

  Elias looked up with a feigned wince of pain and found himself staring at Liora Voss, who was looking down at him with a cold smile.

  She had witnessed the entire process of him trying to hit on Yvonne Quinn.