As I returned to the lobby, I spotted Stella in the crowd. The person with her was Liora. They seemed close as they chatted and laughed while approaching the ward.

I wondered if someone we knew got hospitalized but couldn’t think of any friends we might share. Judging by their closeness, they had become quite intimate recently.

I paused, then turned to leave since it would be inconvenient for me to follow. Instead, I called Grayson and asked him to find out who was in the hospital.

On the way