Chapter 177: Chapter 177: A Favor: Pose as My Little Sister

Noelle Sutton shook her head and signed, "Don’t tell anyone for now."

Wyatt Yates said he could fix her voice, but she didn’t want to go around announcing it before she was fully recovered.

That wasn’t her style.

If something went wrong and it didn’t heal properly, she’d only be embarrassing herself.

"I figured you wouldn’t want anyone else to know, either. I’ll help you change the dressing and take off the gauze. That’ll save you from having to answer a bunch of awkward questions."

Wyatt Yates went to get the medical supplies. Noelle Sutton picked up her phone and saw a missed call from Hugo Sterling.

There was also one from Director Ford.

Director Ford had also sent a message, asking how she was doing.

So Noelle Sutton texted Director Ford back.

I’ve arrived in Aridia. Don’t worry about me, Mentor. Everything is fine.

She had always been one to report good news but not bad.

The matter of her divorce wasn’t something that could be explained in just a few words in a text message.

When she went back for the lawsuit, she would meet with her mentor and tell him the details, so he wouldn’t worry about her.

Director Ford quickly replied.

As long as you’re okay, I can rest easy. Communicate well with Smith while you’re abroad. I look forward to your work.

Noelle Sutton sent a smiley face emoji in response.

I’ll definitely work hard and not disappoint you, Mentor.

Wyatt Yates came in carrying the medical kit.

He had Noelle Sutton sit up and turn to the side.

He put on a face mask and disposable gloves, then gently unwound the gauze wrapped two or three times around her head.

He used a hair clip to hold back her long hair, exposing the wound.

To avoid messing up her hair, Wyatt Yates had only instructed the assisting doctor to shave a small patch of hair during the surgery.

Wyatt Yates dipped a cotton swab in iodine and gently cleaned the area.

He asked in a low voice, "The Little Mute, does it hurt?"

She raised her hand, pinching her fingertips together two or three times in a tiny gesture to indicate ’just a little’.

Wyatt Yates pulled down his mask, his movements becoming even gentler as he cleaned the wound, trying not to cause her any pain.

His meticulous movements made Noelle Sutton’s body tense up involuntarily.

Other than Tristan Lawson, she had never let another man be so close to her.

However, she quickly convinced herself. ’Wyatt Yates is my doctor. I shouldn’t overthink things.’

’He’s a doctor. He would probably treat any other patient the exact same way.’

Wyatt Yates finished treating Noelle Sutton’s wound, replaced the dressing with a small piece of gauze that only covered the incision site, and let her hair down. It was almost impossible to tell she had just undergone micro-invasive surgery.

"All done." Wyatt Yates helped Noelle Sutton sit up properly. "You can eat now."

Wyatt Yates had once again prepared liquid food for her; she couldn’t eat just anything while her throat was not fully healed.

Noelle Sutton signed, "Wyatt, thank you so much. If it weren’t for you, I’d be in so much trouble on my own."

"Why be so formal with me? You took care of me plenty when we were kids." Wyatt Yates opened the food container and handed it to her. "Don’t keep thanking me. What I’ve done is far from enough. Now, eat up."

While Noelle Sutton was eating, her phone rang. She picked it up with one hand, saw it was Hugo Sterling calling, and handed the phone to Wyatt Yates, signaling for him to answer it for her.

Wyatt Yates smiled knowingly.

’Looks like The Little Mute and Hugo Sterling don’t have any secrets between them. That’s why she’s letting me answer the phone so openly.’

Wyatt Yates pressed the answer button.

"Noelle."

"It’s me."

Hugo Sterling recognized Wyatt Yates’s voice. "You two are together?"

"Mhm."

Hugo Sterling could tell that Wyatt Yates was feeling a little smug. The feeling that Wyatt saw him as a romantic rival was especially obvious.

However, Hugo Sterling didn’t mind. It was perfectly normal.

’Childhood friends, neighbors.’

’After all these years, they probably had feelings for each other back when they were young.’

’Quite the story, really.’

"Which hospital are you at? Please send me the address."

"Okay, I’ll hang up and send you the location."

Wyatt Yates ended the call and used his own phone to add Hugo Sterling as a friend.

’Might as well use this opportunity to add him. Best to keep tabs on the competition.’

After Hugo Sterling accepted the friend request, Wyatt Yates sent him the hospital’s location and the room number.

When Noelle Sutton finished eating, Wyatt Yates took the food container and threw it in the trash.

When Wyatt Yates turned back around, Noelle Sutton signed, "Now that the micro-invasive surgery is done, it seems like I don’t need any shots or anything. Can I be discharged?"

"We’ll observe you overnight. If there are no adverse reactions, you can be discharged tomorrow. As for changing the dressing and all that, I can make a house call to take care of it."

’That would be very convenient.’

’She didn’t want any delays.’

’Unlike other people, she didn’t have much time left.’

’She needed to meet with Smith again and prepare to get back to work.’

’In her spare time, she also needed to find the most reputable hospitals for liver disease treatment here as soon as possible, then go for a check-up, and learn more about her cancer to see if there was any hope for a turnaround.’

’She had finally escaped her past life. She wanted to start fresh as soon as possible and get her life back on track.’

Hugo Sterling arrived at the hospital carrying a fruit basket and a bouquet of flowers.

The strong fragrance of the Stargazer lilies was instantly uplifting, and a smile touched Noelle Sutton’s face as she received them.

Wyatt Yates suddenly realized, ’I can’t believe I forgot to buy flowers...’

’He’d thought that since Noelle Sutton wasn’t divorced yet, he shouldn’t be too obvious. But Hugo Sterling clearly had no such reservations.’

’And Hugo Sterling is supposed to be Tristan Lawson’s friend!’

’Well, if that’s how it’s going to be, then there’s no reason for me to hold back either.’

’Tomorrow, I’ll buy her flowers too. Roses!’

Hugo Sterling sat down by Noelle Sutton’s bedside and asked with a concerned expression, "Are you feeling any better?"

It’s nothing serious, just an issue with my throat. Don’t worry.

Noelle Sutton was typing on her phone to chat with Hugo Sterling.

Hugo Sterling wanted to talk to her about something else. He turned to Wyatt Yates and said, "Dr. Yates, could you please step out for a moment? I have something I need to say to Noelle in private."

Wyatt Yates froze for a second. ’Is he trying to kick me out already?’

’I can’t leave them alone.’

He looked at Noelle Sutton, who gave a slight nod, indicating that she was willing to talk to Hugo Sterling alone.

Wyatt Yates had no choice but to leave.

Hugo Sterling said in a low voice, "Actually, I wanted to ask you for a favor."

Go ahead.

Noelle Sutton was still a very fast typer.

"It’s like this..."

Hugo Sterling told Noelle Sutton about his younger sister who had gone missing. His mother, sick with grief from missing her daughter, had been in poor health ever since. The doctors said she probably only had a few months left.

At the mention of his sister, Hugo Sterling’s expression darkened. "Although I’m already looking for her, the hope of finding her feels incredibly slim. My mom still wants to have some news of my sister before she dies. I don’t want her to pass away with regrets. The reason I’m telling you this in advance is that, if we can’t find her... I was hoping you could pretend to be my sister before my mom passes away, just so she can see her one last time."

When Noelle Sutton learned that Hugo Sterling’s mother shared a similar fate to her own—with only a few months left to live—she couldn’t help but feel a pang of pity.

After typing a line of text on her phone, she held it out for Hugo Sterling to see.