Love at First Sight? Mr. Harrison Has Been Scheming All Along-Chapter 50: "Sean Doesn’t Love You.

Evelyn Irving carefully studied Rory Linden’s expression, seeing the exact emotion she had hoped to find.

"Rory, although I’m not your birth mother, you’re the child I raised with my own hands." Evelyn Irving thrust the jewelry box into Rory Linden’s hands. "I know Miles is not a good man, and if he has a bad life in the future, he’ll deserve it. But I also hope you marry someone who loves you. Sean doesn’t love you, and he’s not a good man either..."

"Auntie Irving, thank you, but I can’t accept the jewelry. And Mr. Harrison and I don’t have the kind of relationship you think we do."

Rory Linden didn’t elaborate.

"That’s good, then. I’ll help you look around in the future, see if there’s anyone suitable for you..."

"That won’t be necessary, Auntie Irving. I don’t have any plans for that. I just want to focus on my work. Nothing else is important."

Rory Linden declined Evelyn Irving’s kind offer and left, using the excuse that she needed to get something to eat.

But after hearing those words, she had completely lost her appetite.

Evelyn Irving watched Rory Linden walk away before putting Nadia Willow’s photo away.

In truth, Nadia Willow didn’t like wearing cheongsams at all.

Evelyn Irving had used AI to generate that photo.

However, it was true that Nadia Willow liked Patek Philippe watches, but only because the brand is the king of watches.

Evelyn Irving didn’t think she was wrong about Sean Harrison treating Rory Linden well. But if Rory had been with anyone else, Evelyn wouldn’t have bothered to meddle.

Evelyn Irving understood her son. She knew that sooner or later, Miles Harrison would come to regret the choice he made back then.

If Rory Linden and Sean Harrison got together, she would pop up in front of Miles from time to time.

And there was no telling what kind of foolish thing her son might do.

Rory Linden was completely unaware of Evelyn Irving’s machinations.

She hid alone in the locker room as recent events involving Sean Harrison surfaced in her mind, one after another.

The man had appeared out of nowhere, showing her goodwill for no apparent reason.

After seeing Nadia Willow’s photo, it all made sense.

’There was no way a perfectly ordinary girl like her, with no family connections, could make a man who’d seen countless exceptional women fall in love at first sight.’

’So the stand-in trope from novels was real. He was just looking for a substitute.’

The only difference was that Nadia Willow was alive and well—she was just married.

Sean Harrison couldn’t marry her.

So he had to rely on her face, which bore a slight resemblance to his idealized love, to find some comfort.

The ringing of a phone shattered the silence of the locker room.

Rory Linden quickly stood up.

It was the alarm she had set for herself—for twenty minutes.

As a working stiff, she didn’t have much time to wallow in self-pity.

’So what if her ex-boyfriend cheated? So what if the man she liked was using her as a stand-in?’

’When it was time to work, she had to work.’

Rory Linden had just entered the office when a colleague asked her, "Young Linden, did you see the message? Are you signing up for the rural medical aid trip again this year?"

The rural medical aid trip was a public service event in Veridia, held every year. Every hospital in Veridia would select a few doctors and nurses to go to remote mountain villages and provide free medical care for the local villagers.

This kind of arduous assignment was usually taken on by the young newcomers at the hospital.

Like Rory Linden, who had just joined last year.

This year, if she didn’t want to go, she could refuse.

"I’ll go." Rory Linden replied almost without thinking. "I’ll go fill out the registration form right now."

This wasn’t Rory Linden’s first year going, so she was already very familiar with the registration process.

She ran to the administration building and filled out the registration form.

She happened to run into Keith Hawthorne on her way out.

Keith Hawthorne was the Director of Cardiothoracic Surgery. The man had been on the phone, but he hung up when he saw her and said, "Rory Linden, there’s a smart healthcare forum tomorrow. Young Chandler was originally scheduled to go, but he has a fever and can’t make it. Do you want to go?"

"Can I go?"

Rory Linden felt a rush of unexpected joy.

Summits and forums were always attended by the heavy-hitters of the hospital, who would naturally bring one of their protégés along.

Since Rory Linden hadn’t been at the hospital for long, it usually wasn’t her turn for such things.

"Yes, but the flight is at ten tonight. If you want to go, arrange your work handover in a bit, go home after your shift to pack, and then head to the airport." Keith Hawthorne paused, then added, "You’ll be back the day after tomorrow."

"I’ll go!"

Rory Linden had many reasons for wanting to go.

This kind of forum was an excellent place to broaden one’s horizons.

More importantly, this way, she wouldn’t have to stay at Sean Harrison’s home tonight, and she would have more time to sort out her feelings.

Keith Hawthorne nodded. "Alright, I have a surgery soon, so I have to go. Remember to arrange your work handover."

After seeing Keith Hawthorne off, Rory Linden initially planned to immediately inform Sean Harrison that she was going on a business trip tonight.

But after she took out her phone, Evelyn Irving’s words quietly echoed in her mind.

Rory Linden hesitated for a moment, then put her phone back.

In the evening, after finishing a surgery, Rory Linden checked her phone and saw a voice message Sean Harrison had sent an hour ago.

"I’m out of town and got held up by something, so I can’t pick you up from work. I’m flying back around ten tonight. Get some rest."

The man’s every word was like a boyfriend’s gentle words of care.

But now, Rory Linden could no longer react to these messages the way she once had.

’In her heart, she felt the man’s words, these messages, weren’t meant for her.’

’They were for Nadia Willow.’

’It was just that Nadia Willow was married.’

’So he had to channel that tenderness through her.’

Rory Linden’s finger hovered over the screen for a long time. She edited a message back and forth countless times before finally sending it.

Mr. Harrison, I’m going to Marinia on a business trip with my director tonight. It’s for an academic forum. I’ll be back the day after tomorrow.

Not even a dozen seconds after she sent the message, the man was already calling her.

"Are you going to the smart healthcare forum?"

As soon as the call connected, the man asked the question directly.

"Ah, yes... You know about it?"

"My company invests in these kinds of projects, so I was also invited. The forum starts at nine tomorrow morning. I was originally planning to catch a six o’clock flight over, but since you’re going, I’ll change my flight." Sean Harrison paused, then asked, "Are you heading home first?"

"...Yes."

Rory Linden truly hadn’t expected the world to be so big, yet so small.

Sean Harrison was actually going to be at the same conference she was.

"Could I trouble you to bring a shirt and tie for me? I brought a black suit, but I don’t have a shirt." Sean Harrison quickly added, "If it’s inconvenient, I can just go buy one."

"...It’s no trouble."

’After replying, she hated herself for being so spineless.’

’But she knew, deep down, that even if she could do it over, she would still agree.’

’She’d never be able to bring herself to refuse such a small, effortless favor, no matter how many times he asked.’

"Okay, then I’ll wait for you at the airport."

Sean Harrison replied matter-of-factly.

"...There’s no need. I’m going with Director Hawthorne..."

"Keith Hawthorne? I know him. I can send a car to pick you both up."

"There’s no need, Mr. Harrison." Rory Linden’s voice rose unconsciously. "Marinia is outside your mother’s surveillance range, isn’t it? You don’t actually have to do all this."

A long silence followed on the other end of the line.

After a long moment, Sean Harrison finally spoke calmly, "Alright, I understand. Have a safe trip."