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Chapter 6 Suit Yourself

"I'm always around," Catherine said with a sly grin. "Well, Dr. Green, I'm heading out. Don't miss me too much."

After she left, Manuel wrapped up his shift.

Just then, Gabriel showed up, suggesting they grab dinner at a restaurant.

"Wasn't that Catherine who just left?" Gabriel asked, leaning in with a smirk. "She's got a killer figure. You're one lucky guy. Spill the beans, how'd you land a sweet and gentle girl like that?"

Manuel shoved him aside, expressionless. "If you like her, go for it yourself." He picked up his phone and started walking towards the restaurant.

Gabriel trailed after him, not giving up. "Come on, what's it like?"

"Meh, big boobs but no brains," Manuel said, pressing the elevator button casually. "Didn't pay much attention before. Maybe next time I'll give it a closer look and let you know."

Gabriel got anxious seeing Manuel's indifferent attitude. "Next time? What about your first love? Don't you care about her? She's super possessive, you know. She even messaged me on Facebook recently, asking about you and if you have a girlfriend."

Gabriel remembered how Manuel used to spoil her, giving in to all her whims and demands. Even someone as laid-back as Gabriel thought it was over the top, but Manuel never seemed to mind. No one knew why they suddenly broke up and never got back together.

Manuel paused for a moment at Gabriel's words but quickly shrugged it off. "Why can't I have a next time? She dumped me. She might be even more promiscuous. Don't worry about it."

With that, he headed towards the restaurant without looking back.

Gabriel was left speechless, thinking, 'Right, they're both single now. How they mess around is their business. No need to worry.'

The next day, Catherine showed up at the hospital on time. She came around noon, just in time for lunch, since Manuel hadn't given her a specific time the day before.

But the hospital was swamped, and Manuel's schedule was packed. She found a seat directly opposite his consultation room and sat down.

It was a school holiday, so Catherine wore a sexy sky-blue short dress with a beige trench coat. Her blonde hair was tied into a ponytail, making her look as pure as ever.

When one of the patients finished and opened the door, Manuel felt a pair of eyes on him. He looked up calmly, and their eyes met across the room.

Catherine flashed him a sweet smile. But to her disappointment, Manuel's face remained expressionless, even a bit indifferent. If she hadn't slept with him, she might've thought Manuel was gay, given his lack of reaction to her beauty.

Catherine pouted as the consultation room door closed again with a new patient. She sat there waiting for over an hour, their only interaction being the moments their eyes met when patients came and went.

It wasn't until Manuel had seen all his morning patients that he finally emerged from his office.

Seeing him open the door, Catherine immediately walked up. "Off work?"

Manuel frowned slightly. "Why are you still here?"

He noticed Catherine had really dressed up today, looking way more polished. Her strapless dress was barely containing her ample chest.

But somehow, this effort felt a bit dull to him. It wasn't as appealing as her slightly tipsy, messy look that night. Maybe her eagerness made Manuel lose most of his interest.

"I'm waiting for you to get off work." Catherine noticed his cold expression and felt a bit nervous.

She couldn't help but worry if Manuel was the type to play and discard. After all, if she couldn't handle him, taking down Henry would be a pipe dream.

"I have a meeting at noon. You should go back. I don't have time today," Manuel said coldly, turning to head to the meeting room.

He was too rational. When he wasn't interested, he wouldn't say a word more to her.

Catherine quickly stepped forward and grabbed his coat. "It's okay, I'll wait here. Whenever you're done is fine."

The sudden action made Manuel stop. He turned back impatiently, about to say something, but when he saw her moist eyes and long eyelashes trembling vulnerably, looking pitiful, he swallowed back the words he was about to say.

Meanwhile, Manuel's phone kept vibrating in his pocket, making him frown. "Suit yourself." He then turned to leave the corridor.

Catherine watched as his coat slipped from her fingers, not chasing after him. Since she was already here, she decided to wait all day.

After the noon meeting, Manuel had no time to eat before taking on an emergency surgery. By the time he finished, it was almost 4 PM.

Dragging his tired body, he and his colleague headed back to the office. As they stepped out of the elevator, he instinctively glanced down the corridor and saw Catherine still there, crouched in a corner, seemingly tired from waiting.

Manuel's colleague didn't notice her, continuing to discuss the afternoon surgery.

"Today's surgery was so risky, and the patient's family was so unreasonable. If it weren't for Dr. Green's excellent skills, the patient would have been beyond saving."

"The patient's condition didn't progress so quickly initially. We told the family to remove the uterus to eliminate most risks, but they didn't listen. They hadn't had a son yet, and removing the uterus would mean no more children, which is a big deal for families that value boys over girls."

"There's nothing we can do. They're thinking about having children even when her life is at risk."

The two doctors walking beside Manuel sighed and shook their heads. One of them said, "Let's not think about it. Let's go rest. We have a few more big surgeries lined up."

As they got closer, they noticed someone in the corridor. Out of professional ethics, they stopped discussing the patient's condition in front of outsiders.

After Manuel's colleagues returned to the office, Catherine stood up and walked towards him. Having crouched for too long, she felt dizzy and almost lost her balance. Steadying herself against the wall, she saw Manuel not waiting for her and quickly ran to catch up.

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