Chapter 497

The morning sun crept through the gap in the curtains, softly illuminating the woman's sleeping face.

A gentle breeze stirred the sheer curtains, making them sway silently.

The phone rang abruptly.

Sophia answered groggily. "Grandpa?"

Isaac Atlante paused. "Still sleeping? I can call back later..."

"No, it's fine, I'm awake. I'm on break, not at the lab, so I slept in a bit. What's up, Grandpa?"

A soft sigh came through the line.

Isaac's old friend had suffered a sudden heart attack the previous night and passed away despite efforts to save him.

The family had called that morning, asking Isaac to help oversee the funeral arrangements.

"...Old Chen left so suddenly. His wife and children are lost without him. We had decades of friendship; I can't just stand by. But your grandmother has her follow-up appointment at the hospital today. Sebastian is away on business. I thought about it and... you're the only one I can ask to accompany her..."

"Grandpa! It's no trouble at all! I should be the one accompanying Grandma. Don't worry, go help your friend. I'll take care of Grandma."

"Good, good."

At nine a.m., Sophia arrived punctually at the Atlante residence.

The elderly lady was already ready, standing by the door with her small bag.

Her husband stood beside her, speaking in a low voice—

"...Why bother Sophia? She's so busy with her lab work and studies. My little appointment isn't worth troubling her... See, now the child is worried."

The grandmother murmured her gentle reproach.

Grandpa nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes, you're right. But I heard Sophia was on break, so I asked..."

"Just because she's on break means she should accompany me to the hospital? It's not exactly a fun place. We have the housekeeper and staff. Were you afraid no one would go with me?"

"Grandma—" Sophia pushed the car door open and walked over with a smile. "I wanted to come. Don't scold Grandpa."

Isaac's face immediately brightened into a smile.

His little granddaughter was so thoughtful!

"Alright, I won't scold him..." The grandmother took her granddaughter's hand. "Have you eaten breakfast? There's some ready at home. Martha—"

"No need, I've eaten. Grandma, let's go."

Sophia opened the car door and helped her grandmother inside.

She glanced back at her grandfather with a reassuring look before circling to the driver's seat and starting the car.

...

In the internal medicine department of the city hospital.

The grandmother's eyes had improved significantly after acupuncture treatments, but she still needed medication.

Regular follow-ups to adjust the prescription were essential.

The doctor on duty had been overseeing Florence Atlante's treatment and was familiar with her condition.

"How's your eyesight recently?"

"Much clearer, but I occasionally see dark flashes."

The elderly doctor nodded. "That's normal during treatment. It's fine as long as it's not frequent. Any eye pain?"

"Not usually, unless it's windy or I get cold water in them."

"It's quite good progress for a chronic condition. Keep resting well, maintain stable emotions, don't cry... This time, I'll adjust the dosage of a few herbs. The usage remains the same: one dose for internal use, one for external application."

"Okay—"

The grandmother responded obediently.

She was like a different person compared to before.

Now she had her daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter. She needed to not only heal her eyes but also take good care of her health to be with them for a long time.

Soon, the doctor adjusted the prescription, printed it, and handed it to Sophia.

"Thank you, Director Huang."

The doctor waved his hand. "You're welcome. Such a sweet, polite young lady. Truly delightful."

Florence immediately smiled with pride. "Of course! My granddaughter is perfect in every way."

The doctor's eyes twinkled. "Such a beautiful girl must have many suitors. Does she have a boyfriend yet?"

"Not yet. Ordinary boys aren't good enough for our Sophia."

"Yes, yes, ordinary ones certainly won't do. But my grandson is actually quite excellent..."

The grandmother quickly interjected. "No, no. Our Sophia isn't in a hurry to marry. We want to keep her for a few more years..."

Seeing the conversation getting increasingly off track, Sophia slipped out of the consultation room with the prescription.

Better to go get the medicine first...

Just as she stepped back outside, she accidentally bumped into someone.

"Sorry..." Sophia quickly turned to apologize.

She paused when she saw who it was. "...Zachary Wang?"

"Sophia! What a coincidence! We meet again!" Zachary Wang's smile was radiant.

Seeing him holding a thermal lunchbox, Sophia assumed he was visiting a patient. "This is the outpatient area. The inpatient wards are in the building across the way."

Zachary quickly explained. "I'm not visiting a patient. I'm bringing lunch for my grandfather. He's a doctor here and has consultations all day. My mom was worried he wouldn't eat properly, so she sent me to deliver it."

Sophia glanced at the nameplate on the consultation room door, understanding dawning. "Your grandfather's surname is Huang?"

"Yes, Huang Qi, like the herb. How did you know?"

Uh-oh!

"I accompanied my grandmother today for her follow-up with him..."

"So that's it!"

Zachary noticed the prescription in her hand. "Going to get the medicine?"

"Yes. Need to get it filled first, then queue for the decoction service."

"Do you know where the pharmacy is?" Zachary suddenly asked.

Sophia: "There are signs. It shouldn't be hard to find."

"Wait here a moment. I'll just drop this off inside, then I'll take you to the smaller pharmacy. They don't close at noon, and there's no queue."

"That's too much trouble. Just tell me where it is. I can go myself."

"No trouble at all! Wait here, I'll be quick!"

With that, he pushed the door open and went in.

He was out in less than ten seconds.

He had probably just dropped off the lunchbox and said a quick hello.

"Let's go, I'll take you. It's quiet at noon. You'll get the medicine quickly."

"...Okay. Thank you."

They went down to the first floor.

Zachary walked beside her, glancing at her as if worried she might get lost. "Sophia, this way..."

Just then, another voice came from nearby. "Sophia."

Sophia turned, slightly surprised. "...Professor?"

Zachary looked over and met Alexander Laurent's gaze.

Their eyes locked. One held curiosity mixed with assessment, the other was icy cold, his gaze seeming to emit a chill.

Zachary: "?"

He had seen this man before.

He was also there when Zachary delivered the invitation to the Atlante residence.

He later heard he was from the Laurent family.

But...

Why was he looking at him like that?

Zachary frowned, trying hard to recall if he had ever offended him.

However—

He hadn't.

In fact, before this, he hadn't even heard the name "Alexander Laurent."